Prisons minister aims to close one women’s jail in England and Wales

Exclusive: Timpson says government plans to reverse rise in female inmates and use alternative forms of punishment

A women's jail in England or Wales should be closed by diverting offenders to alternative forms of punishment and rehabilitation, the prisons minister, James Timpson has said.

In an interview with the Guardian, the former head of the shoe repair chain said the government planned to reverse the rise in the number of women being sent to jail, around half of whom are mothers.