THE Scottish Government has recently released its plans for the women’s prison estate in Scotland (“New women’s prison to have no walls, bars, or barbed wire”, The Herald, February 6). This follows the successful campaign early last year to stop the building of the Inverclyde “super prison” for women. The new plans are for a number of smaller units around the country. But the wrong assumption remains that prison is the answer to offending.

Much is being made of the therapeutic and rehabilitative nature of these new prisons. They are promoted as a cross between cosy cottage hospital and student halls of residence. The rationale is all about therapy, about rehabilitation, about stopping offending. Unfortunately, this is old wine in new bottles as far as prison is concerned. The same message was used to promote the now notorious Cornton Vale when it was first built. They said it about the planned super prison in Inverclyde.

But the fact is that government is starting at the wrong end. Prisons are not the answer.

When the decision not to build the big prison at Inverclyde was announced, we in Women for Independence were clear that the battle was not won. Women are still being sent to prison unnecessarily. They will continue to be sent to prison until we win the fight to stop that. We said at the time until we turn off the tap, every prison built will be filled and every prison will create more casualties. It’s not prisons that are needed, but effective help on the outside. While that help is difficult or even impossible to get sheriffs are going to carry on sending women to prison on remand and on sentence. Particularly when they are assured that it is going to be therapeutic.

The investment that was going to be made in the super-prison and is now going to be made in wee super prisons in every area should not be going into prison at all. In fact we need to take investment out of prosecution, courts, and prisons. Expenditure on these is vastly disproportionate to any wrongs that the women have done, any crimes that have been committed. Apart from anything else, they make more crime and more useless expenditure inevitable. The public should know that this is a waste of money.

Instead we need to invest in diversion. In woman-friendly services, that look at the whole woman, her history, her needs, her circumstances, her needs, her children. That offer hope and justice and a new beginning.

It is really sad that Government does not have the strength of its own convictions. It promised to invest in prevention, but yet again is investing in perpetuating the problem.

Maggie Mellon,

For Women for Independence, 3a Fettes Row, Edinburgh.

I WAS pleased to read that the majority of female prisoners in Scotland will be housed in small community units which will help their rehabilitation. This is clearly the best way of dealing with these women who are in need of help in dealing with a variety of social issues. It will also help to maintain contact with families, especially where there are children.

I would also suggest that there are many male prisoners who could be dealt with in this way and who would not pose a threat to the community. Too many prisoners are in prison because they are poor or have addiction problems or have mental health issues. Scotland has a history of locking up a greater proportion of its population than many other European nations. Serving time in our larger prisons can be counter-productive and too often prisoners end up back in prison having been ill prepared for life outside.

Ron Lavalette,

63 Whitlees Copttage, Ardrossan.