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| New women's prison to be built near Stirling | New women's prison to be built near Stirling |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A new women's prison, catering for just 80 offenders, is to be built near to replace Scotland's only female jail at Cornton Vale near Stirling. | A new women's prison, catering for just 80 offenders, is to be built near to replace Scotland's only female jail at Cornton Vale near Stirling. |
| Justice Secretary Michael Matheson blocked previous plans for a 300-inmate jail in Inverclyde five months ago. | Justice Secretary Michael Matheson blocked previous plans for a 300-inmate jail in Inverclyde five months ago. |
| The prison at Cornton Vale will house the most serious offenders, with another five regional units, each for 20 women. | The prison at Cornton Vale will house the most serious offenders, with another five regional units, each for 20 women. |
| They will offer help over drugs, alcohol and domestic abuse. | They will offer help over drugs, alcohol and domestic abuse. |
| The units will be located in areas close to the communities of female offenders so that family contact can be maintained. | The units will be located in areas close to the communities of female offenders so that family contact can be maintained. |
| The Scottish government said it intended to promote the use of community-based alternatives to short-term prison sentences, including the restriction of liberty through the increased use of electronic monitoring. | The Scottish government said it intended to promote the use of community-based alternatives to short-term prison sentences, including the restriction of liberty through the increased use of electronic monitoring. |
| Cornton Vale, which was built in 1975, has had a notorious history, being nicknamed "the vale of death" after 11 prisoners killed themselves there between 1995 and 2002. | Cornton Vale, which was built in 1975, has had a notorious history, being nicknamed "the vale of death" after 11 prisoners killed themselves there between 1995 and 2002. |
| The latest figures show there are a total of 408 female prisoners in Scotland. | |
| Of those, 226 are at Cornton Vale, 80 in Edinburgh, 48 at HMP Grampian and 54 in Greenock. | |
| International evidence | International evidence |
| Despite attempts to improve conditions, ministers decided it would close after former Lord Advocate Dame Elish Angiolini's 2012 report said it was "not fit for purpose". | Despite attempts to improve conditions, ministers decided it would close after former Lord Advocate Dame Elish Angiolini's 2012 report said it was "not fit for purpose". |
| It can hold 307 women, but has frequently accommodated many more. | It can hold 307 women, but has frequently accommodated many more. |
| The previous justice secretary Kenny MacAskill wanted to build a new jail in Inverclyde, but Mr Matheson dropped the plan, saying Scotland needed a new, radical approach for female offenders. | The previous justice secretary Kenny MacAskill wanted to build a new jail in Inverclyde, but Mr Matheson dropped the plan, saying Scotland needed a new, radical approach for female offenders. |
| Mr Matheson said: "These are progressive proposals, they draw on the best available international evidence of what works, but they are tailored to specific circumstances here in Scotland. | Mr Matheson said: "These are progressive proposals, they draw on the best available international evidence of what works, but they are tailored to specific circumstances here in Scotland. |
| "I've seen various justice policies labelled as 'soft' or 'tough' in recent years, but I think the time is right to move away from this kind of narrative - what we are doing here is taking a 'smart' approach, just as we've seen in our strategy for reducing youth offending which has proven so successful. | "I've seen various justice policies labelled as 'soft' or 'tough' in recent years, but I think the time is right to move away from this kind of narrative - what we are doing here is taking a 'smart' approach, just as we've seen in our strategy for reducing youth offending which has proven so successful. |
| "What is important is doing the right thing for Scotland and our communities, based firmly on the evidence of what works in reducing reoffending. That is what we are implementing here." | "What is important is doing the right thing for Scotland and our communities, based firmly on the evidence of what works in reducing reoffending. That is what we are implementing here." |
| He added: "What we need is a new approach. We need to continue to transform and improve services for women so that we can help them to break the cycle of reoffending. | He added: "What we need is a new approach. We need to continue to transform and improve services for women so that we can help them to break the cycle of reoffending. |
| "I believe that accommodating female offenders, where appropriate, in smaller units, close to their families, with targeted support to address the underlying issues such as alcohol, drugs, mental health or domestic abuse trauma is the way ahead." | "I believe that accommodating female offenders, where appropriate, in smaller units, close to their families, with targeted support to address the underlying issues such as alcohol, drugs, mental health or domestic abuse trauma is the way ahead." |
| Sustainable funding | Sustainable funding |
| The new approach has been backed by the Howard League for Penal Reform. | The new approach has been backed by the Howard League for Penal Reform. |
| Its Scottish convener John Scott QC said: "The emphasis must be on preventing women from becoming caught up in the criminal justice system in the first place, diverting them at the point of arrest and prosecution wherever possible, and reducing the use of remand and short-term prison sentences. | Its Scottish convener John Scott QC said: "The emphasis must be on preventing women from becoming caught up in the criminal justice system in the first place, diverting them at the point of arrest and prosecution wherever possible, and reducing the use of remand and short-term prison sentences. |
| "There must too be sustainable funding for community-based services and there are lessons to be learned from the success of work with young offenders and the reduction in numbers at Polmont. | "There must too be sustainable funding for community-based services and there are lessons to be learned from the success of work with young offenders and the reduction in numbers at Polmont. |
| "If we redouble our efforts and take a 'whole systems approach', there is no reason why the success in reducing the number of young people in custody cannot be replicated for women in custody in Scotland." | "If we redouble our efforts and take a 'whole systems approach', there is no reason why the success in reducing the number of young people in custody cannot be replicated for women in custody in Scotland." |
| The 180 new prison places for women announced by the justice secretary are in addition to 50 which were part of the recently-opened HMP Grampian. | The 180 new prison places for women announced by the justice secretary are in addition to 50 which were part of the recently-opened HMP Grampian. |