Women who challenge - Nacro

Women who challengeWomen offenders and mental health issuesMental health problems can contribute to women’soffending and may be exacerbated rather thanaddressed in prison. This can be extremelydamaging both to the women themselves and totheir families and children. The aim of Women whochallenge is to provide a comprehensive overviewof the problems faced by female prisoners withmental health problems. The report argues thatthere are a number of key issues which need to beaddressed, including the impact of imprisonmenton women and their families; mental health care ofwomen prisoners; substance misuse; provision forwomen in the secure mental health services; anddifferences in the way men and women are treatedby the criminal justice system. Women whochallenge examines the emerging and existingstrategies to tackle the challenges presented bywomen offenders with mental health problems andmakes recommendations about what more shouldbe done to address their needs.£12.50