ABSTRACT
Financial concerns are often heavily linked with women’s engagement with education and employment and the combination of these issues significantly impacts a woman’s ability to maintain suitable, stable accommodation. If the women continue to not receive appropriate levels of support, this will increase the likelihood of re-incarceration and the negative spiral of the financial exclusion of women in the criminal justice system will be enduring. Some of the mothers were worried that custody would impact their financial situation, believing debts would build up while they were away or that there would be a detrimental impact on their credit history or insurance costs. Having control over finances is fundamental to people’s meaningful engagement in society. Problems with money significantly impact many areas of these women’s lives, for example instability or unsuitability of accommodation, as well as potentially forcing them to seek out or maintain unhealthy relationships with people who ‘help’ them with money.
