Speaking at a Prison Reform Trust conference, the Prime Minister's wife said mothers and pregnant women convicted of petty and non-violent crimes should receive community-based penalties such as electronic tagging.
"We are not helping society, victims, offenders or their children by holding so many women in prison," said Blair, a human rights lawyer.
She said maintaining family ties reduced the rate of women re-offending by up to six times, and could also prevent their children from committing crimes in the future.
"Once you consider that women in prison are nearly always the primary carer and often single parents, it can be seen just how devastating a custodial sentence can be to the whole family.
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