Pubdate: Sat, 27 May 2000
Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia)
Copyright: 2000 Illawarra Newspapers
Contact:  http://mercury.illnews.com.au/

WOMEN PRISONERS ON THE INCREASE

More women are being locked up for drug-fuelled serious crime in NSW, a 
report has revealed.

The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics report showed a marked increase in the 
number of women being sent to prison among an increased overall jail 
population.

Bureau director Don Weatherburn said women were committing more serious 
crimes such as robbery, often to support a drug habit.

"Most robberies are related to the need to raise funds to purchase heroin," 
he said.

The bureau's statistics showed that of the 263 women who were convicted in 
the NSW higher courts in 1999, about 50 per cent were imprisoned.

That compared to about 25 per cent imprisonments of the 355 convicted four 
years ago.

Women were also spending longer in jail once locked up, thanks to the more 
serious nature of their offences.

Dr Weatherburn said there was no question the number of dependent heroin 
users had risen substantially during the past five years.

Other figures in the report revealed that in the two years to June 1999, 
the number of sentenced prisoners in the state rose by five per cent to 
7223 and the remand prisoner population increased by 21 per cent to 1366.

Dr Weatherburn said the overall increase could be partly attributed to 
judges responding to public pressure to lock up criminals.

If imprisonment rates continued to rise, jail capacity might need to be 
expanded, he said.

But, Corrective Services Minister Bob Debus said the system was coping with 
increased prisoner numbers, with 518 new officers recruited since January 
1999 and new accommodation being built.

"The prison system is currently in the middle of a major restructure, 
developing new, more humane facilities and locating prison beds where they 
are needed," Mr Debus said.
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