An article from The Age reports that the number of women in custody is rising, which is a trend we have noticed as interlinked with reforms in Parole laws and the ice epidemic.
As can be seen in this excerpt from the article published on 6th December 2015. There is a link to the article below.
The number of women in Victorian prisons has risen by 25 per cent over the past five years to record levels.
On February 7 this year, the highest ever number of female prisoners, 465, were in the state’s two women-only prisons; the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne’s western suburbs and Tarrengower prison near Maldon.
Dame Phylis Frost prison for women in Ravenhall is expanding to cope with more prisoners.CREDIT:EDDIE JIM
From 2010 to 2014 the average female prison population grew from 313 to 406.
And a recent Ombudsman’s report found that in the five years to 2013 to number of women jailed surged by 58 per cent.
The higher prison population, due to tougher sentencing laws and a crackdown on parole laws by the previous Coalition government, has put an enormous strain on the Corrections system including counselling and mental health services.
Read the full article on the Age website here.
