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The number of Welsh female prisoners has increased for a fourth consecutive year. Analysis of figures for 2024 show that despite promises to cut the numbers of women in prison, the number of women handed immediate custodial sentences in Wales reached its highest level in 2024 since the outbreak of Covid-19 . Women handed sentences of one month or less at courts in Wales also rose by a further 51% last year. Research by Cardiff University ’s Wales Governance Centre shows that the number of women in Wales remanded at the magistrates’ court increased by 25% in 2024. In total, 555 women were remanded into custody at either the magistrates’ court (350) or Crown Court (205) in Wales last year Other findings show: In September, following years of campaigning by Dr Jones, the Ministry of Justice published its first publicly available sets of Wales-specific prisoner data. Report author Dr Robert Jones, based at the University’s School of Law and Politics said: "This analysis shows that 2024 was another difficult year for prisons in Wales. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Despite the many promises and pledges to help divert women from the criminal justice system and promote the use of alternatives to custody, the number of Welsh female prisoners continues to rise." He said the report raises "important questions" for Wales to do something to cut the numbers. The report also highlights that those from minority ethnic backgrounds in Wales are once again over-represented at different stages of the criminal justice system in Wales. Individuals from an ethnic minority in Wales are more likely to be remanded in custody, sentenced to longer prison terms, and required to serve a higher proportion of their sentence in prison. Dr Jones said: "By continuing to ask searching and far-reaching questions about the operation of the system in Wales, this latest report once again contributes to political, academic and public debates on criminal justice. "The need for a serious and sustained discussion over the current and future state of the Welsh system cannot be overstated – particularly amidst rising levels of self-harm in Welsh prisons, the continuing use of short-term sentences, further increases in the use of remand, entrenched racial disproportionality, and yet another year where Wales tops western Europe’s imprisonment charts." Both UK and Welsh Governments have been contacted for comment.
