Pregnant women less likely to be sent to prison under new guidelines

Pregnant women are now less likely to be sent to prison under new guidelines which will force courts to consider how jail time affects a woman who is either due to give birth or has recently had a baby.

The guidance from the Sentencing Council for England and Wales will come into force on 1 April and has been hailed as a “major milestone” by campaigners.

The council found the impact of “can be harmful for both the offender and the child including by separation, especially in the first two years of life”.