SWK2010 How Can Social Work Practice Address The Resettlement Needs of Research Proposal

SWK2010 How Can Social Work Practice Address The Resettlement Needs of Black and Ethnic Minority Mothers Leaving Prison - Research Proposal Example ences compared to white offenders for similar offences, for example, in 1998 47% of white adult prisoners had a sentence of 4 years and over, whereas, 58% of Asian adult prisoners and 63% of black adult prisoners had received such a sentence Moreover, research has shown an alarming rise in the number of women sent to prison, up to 145% in the last 5 years(Sharp et al, 2006, p.4-5). There are approximately 2.3 million Black and Minority Ethnic women in the UK, making up just fewer than 4% of the total population of the UK, and around 8% of women (Brittain et al, 2005, p.5). Many researchers have shown that black and minority ethnic women are more vulnerable to the criminal activities compared to the white because of lack of education, poverty and cultural factors. Some of these women may enter the prison as single, but return with babies. The resettlement of black and ethnic minority mothers is a big social problem in UK at present. If the resettlement of these minority groups is not done properly, they can cause even bigger social problems than the one they already received punishment. Re-offending costs for the society in UK is around  £11 billion per year according to Sharp et al, (2006). They also mentioned that in April 2001, the Prison Service and DFES (then the DfEE) established a new partnership and forged links with the Youth Justice Board and Probat ion Service to promote coherence in the various strategies adopted to reduce re-offending and support the resettlement of offenders by giving them education and training in prison itself to develop skills needed to find a job after their release (Sharp et al, 2006, p.1). â€Å"The ballooning prison population is making it more difficult for ex-offenders to find settled accommodation when they are released, according to the initial findings of a radical new resettlement project† (Inside Housing, 2008). North (n. d) has mentioned that by 2009, it is predicted that there will be 9000 women in custody in UK prisons