In the last 5 years the female prison population has grown 50%. Continuing to do what has always been done and expecting a 25% improvement in reoffending, the current government target, is ultimately the definition of insanity. To reduce the alarming growth in the female prison population and effect reduced recidivist behaviour will require a change in policy direction, investment in people and programmes, and courage.

Tomorrow’s Prisons is a discussion paper intended to ignite a conversation around content provided by 7 RAW women (the stakeholders) who have collectively spent over 50 years on the inside of women’s prisons in New Zealand and perhaps are now the ones to provide the solutions to the change that we as a country seek.

Tomorrow’s Prisons focuses on turning women’s prisons in to academic and life skill learning institutions and outlines strategies for reducing recidivist offending in women.

Read more at www.raw.org.nz/raw-media/raw-news/tomorrows-prisons/