A CONFERENCE is being held in Manchester today with the aim of reducing reoffending rates among women convicted of crimes.

The aim is that by closer working between police, probation, health and local voluntary organisations, it will lead to females serving short prison sentences, spending less time in a jail cell.

Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd said:

“The majority of women offenders pose no threat to the public and putting them in short-term custody doesn’t help rehabilitate them or address the motivations for their behaviour.

“Many women who end up in prison are themselves victims of crimes, such as domestic violence and sexual abuse. Some have problems with mental health, substance abuse or alcohol abuse.

“I believe our new way of working with female offenders here in Greater Manchester will make a real difference, not just to the women involved, but their families and society as a whole.”

The chairman of the board on Female Offending, Simon Hughes, the Minister of State for Justice, has commended Greater Manchester criminal justice partners for their work and is keen to see similar approaches adopted in other regions.

Mr Hughes said: "Greater Manchester deserves huge credit for its pioneering work to support female offenders in the North West to turn away from crime for good.

"Its local approach, driven by close co-operation across agencies, provides a model example of how we can improve the rehabilitation support that women receive."

Greater Manchester Police assistant chief constable Rebekah Sutcliffe said: “This project has the ability to help female offenders in a hugely positive way, instead of allowing the cycle of reoffending to continue.

“It gives women a constructive alternative to spending time in custody and by reducing reoffending it keeps women out of prison and with their families."