Too many women in jail

Article in today's Independent investigates why the numbers of women in prisons have risen so steeply, and what should be done.
I haven't read the comments yet, but expect there will be some 'equality' gripes.

Girls and Crime

It seems that crimes committed by girls have risen by 25% in three years. The Youth Justice Board says girls committed 59,000 offences in 2006-07 - up 12,000 on 2003-4 but still far less crime than that committed by boys.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7401826.stm

But maybe girls aren't getting worse

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/15/ukcrime.youthjustice
and
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/16/ukcrime.gender

From the Independent - a very detailed article - I reprint the summary below:

Is there a crimewave among girls?
Yes...
* A 25 per cent rise in offences is objective proof of more lawlessness among girls.
* Female binge-drinking is growing, resulting in more violent crime offences.
* There has been a succession of reports about girl violence in all parts of the country.
No...
* Girls commit far fewer crimes than boys – only 20 per cent of the offences committed by children.
* They are being prosecuted for offences that would have previously received an informal warning.
* Drink-fuelled high spirits are hardly a pointer to criminal behaviour in later life.

Not sure how long this will be available as a link, but the comments on the BBC's Have Your Say are an interesting example of reactions to the headlines.