Women's Centres provide gender-specific support under one roof to address the root causes of offending by providing support on housing, harmful substance use, mental and physical health, employment, debt, domestic abuse and family and parenting issues. Alma Economics was commissioned by Women in Prison (WIP), a national charity that supports women affected by the criminal justice system, to explore the socio-economic value that Women’s Centres generate and compare it to their cost.

Based on the best available evidence in the literature and discussions with staff from Women’s Centres, we developed a logic model that sets out the mechanisms through which investment in the Centres can generate medium and longer-term outcomes for women, their children and society. We also carried out a cost-benefit analysis to quantify economic benefits and monetise gains in welfare for women receiving support from a hypothetical Centre (created using data from Women’s Centres).

Our research suggests that benefits generated by the Centres outweigh costs across different funding scenarios, reflecting the current level of resources available to the Centres, as well as the level of funding required to support all women in need at a local level.

➥ The Women in Prison report can be found here.