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Report 'to accept' recommendations on female offenders Scottish ministers accept recommendations on female offenders
(about 7 hours later)
By Reevel Alderson Home affairs correspondent, BBC ScotlandBy Reevel Alderson Home affairs correspondent, BBC Scotland
The Scottish government is set to publish its response to an expert report on female offenders. The Scottish government is to shake up the way female offenders are dealt with by the criminal justice system.
The report, compiled by the former Lord Advocate, Dame Eilish Angiolini, made a series of radical proposals to improve the way women are treated by the criminal justice system. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has published his response to the expert report on female offenders.
The report, compiled by the former Lord Advocate, Dame Eilish Angiolini, made a series of radical proposals to improve the way women are treated.
They included the replacement of Scotland's only women's prison, Cornton Vale near Stirling.They included the replacement of Scotland's only women's prison, Cornton Vale near Stirling.
BBC Scotland understands ministers will accept most of its recommendations. All but four of its 37 recommendations have been accepted; the other four will be the subject of consultations.
If fully implemented, the changes would amount to a major shake-up of the way in which Scotland's criminal justice system deals with women offenders. href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/commissiononwomenoffenders/finalreport-2012" >The Angiolini Commission highlighted the fact that the vast majority of female offenders have drug, alcohol or mental health problems - making prison an unsuitable place for them to be sent.
The href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/commissiononwomenoffenders/finalreport-2012" >Angiolini Commission called for a change in the way female offenders are treated by the wider criminal justice system. Vicious circle
It highlighted the fact that the vast majority of female offenders had drug, alcohol or mental health problems - making prison an unsuitable place for them to be sent. Its key recommendation was the replacement of the overcrowded Cornton Vale prison.
The key recommendation was the replacement of the overcrowded Cornton Vale prison - and the Scottish Prison Service is already looking at alternatives. The Scottish government is to give the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) £20m to help it produce plans to improve facilities for female prisoners.
But other changes will be harder to achieve. The SPS said it was already looking at alternatives, including moving prisoners from Cornton Vale while a new, smaller facility is built on the site.
Recommendations that a new Community Justice Service should be established are likely to prove controversial. Mr MacAskill said the current system was failing because many women were repeatedly sent to prison, even though they represented little risk to the community.
The commission said the new service should offer a joined-up approach, involving health and social workers and other agencies to divert women from prosecution and treat the problems which cause them to offend. "It's a vicious circle; it is doing nothing to improve our communities, and we must be smarter and more sophisticated in our approach," he said.
But Mev Brown, of the think tank Front Line Policy, said while the report acknowledged the revolving door of addiction, offending and imprisonment, it overlooked the social context, particularly drug use. "The Angiolini Commission report sets out an ambitious vision of how to improve the current system and we will now begin work to implement these changes with immediate effect."
Some of the changes recommended by the commission, particularly those involving a restructuring of community justice services to keep female offenders out of prison, will be harder to achieve.
The report said the new service should offer a joined-up approach, involving health and social workers and other agencies to divert women from prosecution and treat the problems which cause them to offend.
But Mev Brown of the think tank Front Line Policy said while the report acknowledged the revolving door of addiction, offending and imprisonment, it overlooked the social context, particularly drug use.
He said: "We must tackle our drugs problem. Policymakers need to face up to and accept the reality and scale of the problem.He said: "We must tackle our drugs problem. Policymakers need to face up to and accept the reality and scale of the problem.
"Clearly, we need some radical, new thinking. Not more of the same-old, same-old.""Clearly, we need some radical, new thinking. Not more of the same-old, same-old."
But the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Brigadier Hugh Monro said: "I welcome the Scottish Government's response to the report from the Commission on Women Offenders.
"It's a very positive response in relation to prisons, and very much reflects the points I have been making over several inspections about what is needed to improve conditions for women."