Women’s incarceration rates have skyrocketed across Australia at great cost to disadvantaged Australians and the economy more broadly. As we move towards economic recovery, we must remember those for whom the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been especially acute.
December 2020 marks 10 years since the UN adopted the Bangkok Rules - recognition that women in contact with the criminal justice system require gender-specific, non-custodial responses. Our evaluation of the Women Transforming Justice project shows the value of gender specific approaches to addressing unacceptable rises in women's incarceration in Victoria. Look out for more in 2021 around this vital issue.