Short prison sentences are generally ineffective, and for women they create extreme mental and material disruption to life, broken family ties, lost jobs, homes, and healthcare relationships ...

Short sentences mess with that. As a share of those in prison at any time, short-termers are a small group, perhaps less than 5% of the total. But they cause excessive trouble.

Sir, – The discussion regarding the abolition of short prison sentences, those of six months or under, may have some merit in reducing our prison population, financial savings, and better ...

Sentences of less than a year are chiefly imposed for non-violent, low-level, repeat offenders, who lead troubled lives. Most of them have drug, alcohol or mental-health problems—sometimes they ...

The prisons minister has told ITV News that short sentences are a "disaster" for female prisoners, and that his government's reforms to women's justice will be "radical".

Since 2011, judges have been instructed not to impose a prison sentence of three months or less, unless no other punishment is deemed "appropriate". Holyrood has now voted by 83 to 26 to extending ...