New Sentencing Guidelines Favor Reduced Sentences for Pregnant Women and New Mothers in England and Wales

The Sentencing Council introduces pregnancy, childbirth, and post-natal care as mitigating factors, aiming to minimize the imprisonment of pregnant women and new mothers.

• The Sentencing Council announces new court rules allowing judges to consider reduced sentences for pregnant women and new mothers convicted of crimes.
• The changes, effective April 1, replace existing guidelines and focus on the impact of sentencing on women's and babies' health.
• Campaigners hail the move as a significant step towards ending the imprisonment of pregnant women and new mothers.
• Evidence of higher stillbirth rates and premature births among pregnant prisoners underscores the need for the new guidelines.
• The guidelines also introduce new factors for sentencing in cases of manslaughter and environmental offences, emphasizing non-custodial alternatives.

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