The economic costs of incarcerating women in NSW
The Keeping Women out of Prison (KWOOP) Coalition formally released our report, led by Kate Mulready, on the economic costs of incarcerating women in NSW. KWOOP is a coalition of individuals and organisations united by a vision for better outcomes for women and children affected by the criminal legal system.
We estimate that at a base level the cost to government of corrective services is approximately $180,000 per woman per year during her imprisonment. However, when accounting for other factors, such as lost income and the cost of childcare and support services, this cost escalates to over $300,000 per woman per year during her imprisonment. Our analysis not only sheds light on the economic burden of women’s incarceration in the state, but also highlights the following trends.
The flow of women in and out of NSW prisons has been increasing in recent years
The number of women entering NSW prisons on remand is increasing, yet few are later sentenced
Our approach was highly conservative in nature, with our estimated costs likely underestimating the total economic costs of remanding and sentencing women to NSW prisons. Please download the full report for more information.