Female Prisoners: Violent vs Non-Violent Offences
Analysis of recent Ministry of Justice data reveals a shift in the types of offences for which women are being imprisoned.
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The proportion of women sentenced to prison for non-violent crimes has fallen over the past decade. Recent figures indicate that a majority of female prisoners in England and Wales were convicted of violent offences. This contrasts with claims made by Norfolk police and crime commissioner Colin Sutton, who stated that approximately 80% of women in the prison system were not incarcerated for violent reasons.
Prison Population Statistics
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Data from the Ministry of Justice shows that as of 31 March 2026, 58.2% of the 3,439 female prisoners with available data were serving sentences for offences classified as violent crimes. This definition, used by the Prison Reform Trust, includes violence against the person, robbery, possession of weapons, sexual offences, and criminal damage and arson. Consequently, 41.8% of these women were imprisoned for non-violent offences, such as drug crimes, fraud, theft, or public order offences.
This figure for the overall prison population differs from statistics focused on new custodial sentences. In 2025, 3,711 women received an immediate custodial sentence. Of these, 1,191 (32.1%) were for violent crimes, meaning 67.9% were for non-violent offences. This indicates a trend where fewer women are being sent to prison for non-violent crimes compared to previous years.
Trends and Sentencing Differences
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Analysis of Ministry of Justice data reveals that the rate of women being sent to prison for non-violent offences has been declining since 2020. Prior to 2020, approximately 80% of women entering the prison system under sentence had committed non-violent offences, a figure that has been consistent for several years. For instance, in 2020, 72% of women entering prison under sentence had committed a non-violent offence, according to the Prison Reform Trust. Earlier reports from the same organisation indicated that 84% of women entering prison in the year to June 2016 had committed a non-violent offence.
The difference in these statistics is attributed to the fact that violent crimes generally carry longer sentences than non-violent offences. Ministry of Justice figures for 2025 show the average custodial sentence for violent crimes committed by women or girls was 18.5 months, compared to eight months for all other crimes. This means that while a higher proportion of recent entrants may be for non-violent offences, the overall prison population is skewed towards those serving longer sentences for violent crimes.
Mr Sutton has been contacted for comment regarding his statement. The Prison Reform Trust does not directly publish its methodology for calculating non-violent entrants but links to Ministry of Justice data.
Questions this report answers
+What percentage of female prisoners are serving sentences for violent crimes?
As of March 2026, 58.2% of female prisoners in England and Wales were serving sentences for violent crimes. This means that more than half of the women in prison were convicted of offences such as violence against the person, robbery, or sexual offences.
+How has the rate of women sent to prison for non-violent offences changed recently?
The proportion of women sent to prison for non-violent offences has fallen since 2020. In 2020, 72% of women entering prison under sentence had committed non-violent offences, compared to 67.9% in 2025.
+What is the average sentence length for violent crimes compared to non-violent offences for women?
The average custodial sentence for violent crimes committed by women was 18.5 months in 2025, while the average for non-violent offences was eight months. This longer sentence length contributes to the higher proportion of violent offenders in the prison population.
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