The Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Rev Rachel Treweek, has welcomed a new government initiative aimed at reducing the number of women sent to prison, stating that "prison does not work for women".

Speaking after Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood's announcement at the Labour Party Conference, Bishop Treweek, who leads the Church of England's work on prisons, emphasised that addressing the root causes of female offending—such as abuse and trauma—was key.

Bishop Treweek told BBC Radio Gloucestershire that she speaks to prisoners and most women in the prison system "were first victims themselves" and noted how many come from backgrounds of abuse.

She continued: "I never, ever want to condone crime - but we have to look at the long run.

"Simply locking someone away, who's probably had layer on layer of trauma - when that woman comes out she is more likely to re-offend."

She added the prison process is not working, as it separates families and leads to people losing accommodation, and community solutions are more effective.

The Labour government’s proposed reforms include creating a Women’s Justice Board and exploring alternatives to incarceration, such as women’s residential centres and community sentencing.