Australia’s prisons to cost $7bn a year by 2030 as number of women incarcerated grows faster than men – study

Study finds bail reform and other measures are needed to reduce prison populations in Australia. Photograph: Jonny Weeks/The Guardian

Australia’s prison system will cost $7bn a year by 2030 due to higher incarceration rates, with the number of women jailed growing faster than men, a report suggests.

A Committee for Economic Development of Australia (Ceda) study on the economic and social costs of keeping women behind bars, released on Friday, states that bail reform and other measures are needed to reduce prison populations.