According to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) the number of women held in NSW prisons increased by 50 per cent (from 682 to 1,021) between 2011 and 2017.
The growth has been particularly marked among Aboriginal women, with the number in prison rising by 74 per cent (from 195 to 340), compared with a 40 per cent growth in the number of non-Aboriginal women in prison over the same time period.
Increased prison numbers are being driven by the numbers of women on remand and not an increase in crime rates. Remand means these women are being held in custody without being found guilty of a crime.
A 2019 report developed by Keeping Women Out of Prison (KWOOP) coalition, for which I am a member, indicates that although Aboriginal people make up only 2.9 per cent of the NSW population, 32 per cent of women in prison are Aboriginal.
Sixty-one per cent of women in NSW prisons are mothers to one or more children below the age of 18. We know the long-term detrimental impacts of separation of children from their families due to parental imprisonment. We also know the guaranteed negative effects on their life trajectories and the greater likelihood of entry into juvenile and adult correctional systems. Despite this, the State continues to lock our women up at alarming rates.
The unnecessary hyper incarceration of women, particularly women who are pregnant, does not create safer communities or reduce risk to the community. How much of a risk to the community can a woman pose who is about to give birth?
Through our work at Deadly Connections Community and Justice Services, we know that many women in prison serve short sentences. Short sentences which are often short enough to disrupt their lives including loss of their home and child but not long enough for the women to engage in any type of program while in custody. We also have a high proportion of women imprisoned for non-violent offences.
This is a human rights issue that requires our urgent attention.
Source: What it’s like for Indigenous women giving birth in jail.