This year is the ten-year anniversary of The Corston Report, a landmark review from Baroness Jean Corston into women in the criminal justice system.

Women in Prison has launched a new report Corston+10 which reveals the scale of reversal to progress made in reforming the criminal justice system and reducing the women’s prison population following Baroness Corston’s recommendations, that, in 2007, received all-party support and Government backing.

Baroness Corston published 43 recommendations calling for a gender-distinct, women-centred and holistic approach to supporting women affected by the criminal justice system. They gained cross-party support and were broadly accepted by three successive governments. With our prisons in crisis, deaths and self-harm on the increase, there is growing consensus that there is an urgent need to reduce the prison population and revisiting Baroness Corston’s recommendations is a good place to start on how to achieve this.

To mark the anniversary WIP’s aim is to reduce the numbers of women in prison to 2,020 (or fewer) by 2020; reducing the human and financial cost of prison to communities, women and families. A reception today (7th March) at the House of Lords hosted by Baroness Corston and WIP will strengthen support for this campaign by bringing together women’s centres from across the country and women affected by the criminal justice system to meet with MPs and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).

In coinciding with International Women’s Day WIP is inspired by the slogan of #BeBoldForChange and has produced briefings for MPs and Police and Crime Commissioners which call on them to do just that.

Read WIP’s 2020: MP Briefing and 2020: PCC Briefing