Should mothers of young children be jailed?
Around 18,000 children are parted from their mothers every year due to prison sentences. The Children's Commissioner for England says this damages the prospects of the new generation and costs the taxpayer who will have to cover the bill for damaged children. Do we need an overhaul of how we treat female offenders? When you consider one in three prisoners are single mothers, should mothers only be jailed if they pose a risk to society or should all offenders get the same treatment?
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Your comments
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Rob from West Mids says:Nov 10, 18:28
You all make it sound as if its an issue just for Mothers...Surley children need thier Fathers too, but it does not stop those that do a crime from getting a jail sentence and Mothers will use it as an excuse to do crimes again and again if the same punishment is not metered out .... If you do the crime ..you do the time
Should mothers get different sentencing?No -
Lin from london says:Aug 26, 22:37
To re-offenders, coming to prison is a occupational hazzard. They are aware of how things work, the chidren either stay in foster homes or with various relatives, these women have been seperated from their kids before, but has this stopped them from committing further crimes? No it hasn't! Now i'm not saying they don't love their children in their own way, but they know what they are doing to their kids yet they chose to continue in the same negative way.
As for first time offenders, they know the risk, if you commit a crime and you know you could be looking at a custodial sentence if you are caught, how can you then turn around and moan about being seperated from your child?
on a final point, why should we treat women differently? we can't moan about wanting equality then say that mothers be treated differently to fathers!Should mothers get different sentencing?No -
BAZ from NOTTS says:Jul 23, 10:39
IF THEY DO THE CRIME,SHOULD DO THE TIME.
Should mothers get different sentencing?No -
robwalker from surrey says:Jul 5, 19:17
they blame it on pmt and get off with it anyway
Should mothers get different sentencing?No -
carole from wigan says:May 30, 03:00
lets not opt out for the soft option,,ok your a woman you commit a crime,you get caught,did you think about your kids at the time,i think not,you do the crime then you do the time, women think they should get a lighter sentance because they are mothers,crap.....thats why so many innocent and mixed up kids are in care,,my friend is a foster carer,she comes across this all the time. the kids think its because they have done something bad,and it stays with them. a lot of women with kids are locked up for shoplifting,but they arnt shoplifting for kids stuff but for their own stuff.. they have to pay for their crimes,and so do their kids
Should mothers get different sentencing?No
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