UK: Police 'need to offer female offenders support not prison'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Police should treat female offenders differently because they are usually much less dangerous than male suspects and their crimes are linked to poverty or mental health problems, a report recommends.

The report from the London assembly covers the capital but has national importance. It comes as leaders of the justice system increasingly embrace the idea that it is better and cheaper to tackle the underlining causes of offending, rather than just jailing people.

The report reveals that Britain’s biggest police force, the Metropolitan police, will start a new scheme so that female offenders get help for their problems rather than facing the courts or jail.

The Met police pilot scheme starts this summer and supporters hope it will cut the number of women entering the criminal justice system, make them less likely to reoffend, and save the taxpayer money.'