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The authorities has deserted plans for 5 community prisons for ladies in England and Wales.
Instead, the Ministry of Justice will trial 5 residential centres to assist offenders with points resembling discovering work and drug rehabilitation.
Justice Secretary David Gauke stated quick custodial sentences had did not halt the "cycle of offending".
Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, stated "thousands" of ladies would profit from the change.
He described the technique as a "welcome recognition of the futility of short prison sentences" for ladies whose offending is usually pushed by "unmet mental health needs".
In the foreword to the technique printed on Wednesday, Mr Gauke stated 70.7% of ladies and 62.9% of males launched from custody between April and June 2016 after a sentence of lower than a 12 months went on to re-offend inside 12 months.
Mr Gauke added there was "persuasive evidence" that the brand new method would assist scale back re-offending charges.
He stated moms on the trial residential centres would possibly have the ability to have their youngsters with them.
The authorities has pledged to spend £5m over two years on "community provision" for ladies.
The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) has welcomed the change in technique.
But Dame Vera Baird QC, representing the APCC, warned the scheme would solely work if correctly funded and questioned the MoJ's determination at hand £50minitially earmarked for the prisonsagain to the Treasury.
Frances Crook, chief govt of the Howard League for Penal Reform, stated ministers deserved "real praise" for the change in method howeverjust like the APCCwarned it was "essential" that programme is "properly funded".