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<p /> <p>The decision to sentence a person to a custodial sentence, or to remand a
person into custody prior to trial or sentencing, is a matter for the independent
judiciary and courts will take into account all the circumstances of the offence and
the offender in determining this.</p><p> </p><p>For the last two years, the female
prison population has been consistently under 4,000 for the first time in a decade.
Data on the number of women in prison is published annually at:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/339036/prison-population-2014.xls</p><p>
</p><p>The numbers of women in prisons in England on 30<sup>th</sup> June on each
of the years in question were:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>2006</p></td><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>4,463</p></td><td><p>4,283</p></td><td><p>4,505</p></td><td><p>4,307</p></td><td><p>4,267</p></td><td><p>4,185</p></td><td><p>4,123</p></td><td><p>3,853</p></td><td><p>3,929</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to making sure that sentencers have robust community
options at their disposal. The Female Offenders Advisory Board are working in Greater
Manchester on a pathfinder aimed at providing sentencers with robust and effective
sentencing options in the community which may divert women from custody, where appropriate.
Learning from the pathfinder will inform a new operating model for working differently
with women in the criminal justice system. We are also testing a new model of liaison
and diversion in police custody and the courts. The trial scheme, in 10 areas, will
aim to identify, assess and refer people with mental health, learning disability,
substance misuse and social vulnerabilities into treatment or support services.</p><p>
</p><p>We are also working to make sure that female offenders have the support they
need to turn their lives around. In March 2014, we published a first year progress
report on delivery of our strategic objectives for female offenders, which sets out
clearly our key priorities for addressing the needs of female offenders and reducing
the number of women in custody. Our Transforming Rehabilitation reforms also mean
that those serving under 12 month sentences will, for the first time in recent history,
be subject to statutory supervision including a licence period in the community, aimed
at supporting successful community reintegration and rehabilitation. Proportionally,
more women than men are serving short sentences so they will benefit particularly
from this element of the reforms.</p>
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