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Campaigners urge removal of women from prison

Posted: 14 October 2004 | Subscribe Online

The Howard League for Penal Reform has urged magistrates and crown courts to avoid sending women to prison after Mandy Pearson became the 12th woman to have taken her own life in prison this year, writes Clare Jerrom.

Pearson committed suicide in New Hall prison this week having been sentenced to just a five months in prison.

“Thousands of women with serious mental health and addiction problems are sent to prison every year when they should be given treatment instead,” said Frances Crook, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform.

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“It is time for sentencers to take responsibility for thei


Petra Blanksby, who killed herself in November 2003

r decisions. Prisons are not safe for women,” she added.

According to campaign group INQUEST, 12 women have taken their own lives this year. In 2003, there were 14 self-inflicted deaths of women in prisons – which was a 64 per cent rise on the previous year.

Deborah Coles, co-director of INQUEST, said: “These deaths are an indictment of a criminal justice system that uses prison as a dumping ground for some of the most vulnerable people in society and raises serious concerns about the systemic failings of the prison service and their ability to keep women in their custody safe.”

At a briefing at the House of Commons last night for Community Care’s ‘Back on Track’ campaign, Peter Blanksby called on government to ensure that women with mental health problems are not sent to prison.

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His daughter Petra (pictured) died in November 2003. She was in New Hall prison on remand for arson for trying to kill herself by setting her bedroom alight. She had self-harmed 92 occasions during the 130 days she spent in prison.

Community Care’s campaign is calling for a reduction in the number of incidents of self-harm and suicides in prison through greater involvement of social workers and by the removal from custody of vulnerable people with mental health problems.