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Home Office

Answer

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce reforms to assist women prisoners through (a) improved accommodation and (b) delaying sentencing orders. [90249] Hilary Benn: Helping women leaving prison to find appropriate accommodation is one of the key factors in effective resettlement, and we are continuing to improve the range of housing advice available in women's prisons, including prisoner-led schemes. Alongside employment, improving accommodation outcomes for released prisoners forms part of the Prison Service's Custody to Work initiative, in which we are investing £14.5 million a year from April 2003. A proportion of this will be allocated shortly to the women's estate and will be available to support the further development of housing advice services. We have no plans to allow courts generally to defer commencement of sentences, but the new sentence of intermittent custody planned in the Criminal Justice Bill will enable offenders to maintain activities, such as child care, while serving their prison time during certain parts of the week. Additionally, although intermittent custody begins immediately it is imposed by the court, the court can defer the first custodial period. This would enable the offender to make child care arrangements.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

90249; 398 c196W;398 c182W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Women Prisoners Prisons Prison sentences Reform Prison accommodation

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk