Leaving and Life After
Consequences and challenges
Women are more likely to receive very short sentences—most under 12 months. These sentences are just long enough for the women serving them to lose their jobs, their homes, and custody of their children.
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Upon their release from prison, 38% of women have nowhere to go. Further, your license conditions can restrict your movement or location. While released persons can go to the emergency housing council for assistance, they are not considered a priority group.
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Time in prison can also permanently alter a family's dynamic—only half of imprisoned mothers remain in contact with their children during their sentence.
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Almost half of all women who spend time in prison will return within a year of their release—for women originally sentenced to less than a year, 61% will return to prison.
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The population of woman prisoners has more than doubled in the last 20 years. And preventative programs continue to lose funding, while first-time, non-violent offenders are getting harsher and harsher sentences...
Legal Conditions
After having served half your sentence, you will mostly likely be released into the community "on license" for the remainder of your sentence. Being out on license means that you must meet strict conditions in order to remain out of prison.
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If you were originally sentenced to more than 12 months in prison, you were likely assigned an Offender Manager; if you are getting out on license and were sentenced to less than a year, you will be assigned one now. Your Offender Manager will work with you to decrease the odds that you will reoffend and return to prison.
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At the outset, you and your Offender Manager will make a plan together for the remainder of your sentence. This plan may include educational or job-training goals, a drug or alcohol rehabilitation plan, or other similar self-improvement and self-care action.
What's in a License?
The Ministry of Justice's conditions for leaving prison on license include that you:
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"(a) be of good behaviour and not behave in a way which undermines the purpose of the licence period
(b) not commit any offence
(c) keep in touch with the supervising officer in accordance with instructions given by the supervising officer
(d) receive visits from the supervising officer in accordance with instructions given by the supervising officer
(e) reside permanently at an address approved by the supervising officer and obtain the prior permission of the supervising officer for any stay of one or more nights at a different address
(f) not undertake work, or a particular type of work, unless it is approved by the supervising officer and notify the supervising officer in advance of any proposal to undertake work or a particular type of work
(g) not travel outside the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man except with the prior permission of your supervising officer or for the purposes of immigration deportation or removal."
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In addition, your license could includes mandates for living in a specific location, attending a certain treatment or management program, curfew arrangements, and restricted freedom of movement.
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Breaking these conditions could result in your immediate return to prison.