I asked the Scottish Government about the support available to women preparing for release from prison.
The opportunity to develop the skills that are needed for adjusting to life outside prison is hugely important in delivering better outcomes.
The Lilias centre in my constituency works very hard to deliver that. I commend the efforts of the team at the Lilias centre.
Investing in rehabilitation is crucial in tackling women reoffending
The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs (Angela Constance) said:
“The Scottish Government provides funding to local authorities and third sector organisations to support women to prepare for release. We provide more than £5 million a year to Upside, which is the national voluntary throughcare service, to support people who are completing short-term sentences and periods of remand. That one-to-one support includes help to address issues such as access to housing, healthcare and social security payments, as well as longer-term support to help people to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into their communities.
“For women who are completing long-term sentences, we centrally fund local authorities to provide statutory support through justice social work.
“The Lilias centre in Mr Doris’s constituency and the Bella centre in Dundee represent a step change in the rehabilitation of women in custody. As members would expect, I have visited both centres, which help women to develop key life skills and a much greater degree of independence. I commend the work that the Scottish Prison Service and partners do to give women in custody the best possible chance of a successful return to the community.
“I note that, in its report last year, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland commended the SPS’s progress towards the vision for women in custody and identified a number of good practices, including work on developing women’s entrepreneurial skills.”