News

Justice Matters for Women conference - covered in The Independent

Sunday, 17 May 2015

The failures of criminal justice and the impact of imprisonment on women is highlighted in The Independent on Sunday  today. The article is published in advance of the Justice Matters for Women: Time for Action! conference on 20 May 2015, organised by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies and Women in Prison. 

The conference will bring together activists, researchers, practitioners and women impacted by criminal justice. They will be discussing how to promote radical and practical ways to challenge the injustices experienced by women prior to their contact with the criminal justice system so that prisons and punishment become unnecessary.

Rebecca Roberts, Senior Policy Associate at the Centre, said

'The prison system is a tragedy. It is an inadequate response to social problems,'

She also said that tackling structural inequality against women in society was key and that prison had become 'a very convenient way for the government to [deal with] particular groups of people and not really offer the support they need'.

Last year, the Centre and Women in Prison launched a call to action to empower women, resist injustice and transform lives. You can sign it here and check out our latest publication from the Justice Matters for Women project here.