§ 16. Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the change in the number of women sent to prison in the last two years; and what assessment he has made of the reasons. [18370]
§ Mr. MacleanSome 2,952 women were sentenced to immediate custody in 1994, compared with 2,158 in 1992.
The total female prison population is approximately 2,000 compared to the total male prison population of approximately 50,000.
The reason for the increase in the sentenced population of both groups is the rise in numbers sentenced to custody by the courts.