On Wednesday 19 March 2025, the Keeping Women Out of Prison Coalition (KWOOP) welcomed over 250 advocates, community leaders, politicians and women with lived experience to NSW Parliament House for the ninth annual KWOOP Parliamentary Breakfast.
The event brought into sharp focus the urgent need to address the systemic drivers of women’s incarceration and marked the official launch of KWOOP’s Community of Practice.
Too many, too often, for too long: The data behind women’s over-representation in the criminal legal system
Emeritus Professor Eileen Baldry AO opened the morning with powerful data that underlined the deepening crisis that women in contact with the criminal legal system currently face.
In NSW today:
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Approximately 880 women are in prison, with over 40% identifying as First Nations women.
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First Nations women are 22 times more likely to be incarcerated than non-Indigenous women.
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More than half of all women in prison are on remand, many later released with no custodial sentence.
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Over 90% of women in prison have experienced violence, most before ever being charged with an offence.
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50% of women exit prison into homelessness, with housing instability disproportionately affecting First Nations women.
These statistics reflect long-standing systemic failings: over-policing, limited access to bail, and the absence of safe housing, trauma-informed care, or culturally appropriate diversion pathways. KWOOP continues to call for systemic change across systems of justice, housing, disability, mental health, and child protection.
Launch of the KWOOP Community of Practice
The breakfast marked the formal launch of the KWOOP Community of Practice — a shared community designed to bring together practitioners, researchers, service providers, advocates, and women with lived experience to strengthen collaborative responses and drive systemic change.
With investment and support from the Judith Neilson Foundation, this initiative builds a space for:
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Peer learning and professional development, including legal literacy and governance workshops.
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Strengthening diversion pathways through evidence-based practice.
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Equipping women with lived experience to lead, inform and influence change.
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Sharing research and policy insights to support reform and advocacy.
In her launch speech, KWOOP Coordinator Corinne Kemp stated:
“What we’ve been doing isn’t working. Not at the scale or pace required. The women we serve deserve our boldest efforts — and the Community of Practice is how we build that momentum together.”
Voices that must be heard
A powerful panel discussion facilitated by KWOOP Co-Chair Nicole Yade featured three women with lived experience of incarceration. Each offered a distinct perspective on the systemic challenges facing women before, during, and after prison.
One panellist called for urgent action to end the incarceration of pregnant women and the re-traumatisation of those already impacted by violence. Another highlighted the critical barrier of housing post-release, describing the overwhelming demands placed on women without proper support. The third focused on the lack of educational access in custody, urging that rehabilitation must begin inside prison with resources that build self-worth and opportunity.
Together, their stories highlighted a clear message: the solutions to reducing women’s incarceration already exist in the voices of those most affected. We must listen — and act.
Shared commitment to change
We were honoured to be joined by both The Hon. Jodie Harrison MP, Minister for Women, and The Hon. Natasha Maclaren-Jones MLC, Shadow Minister for Women — signalling a bipartisan commitment to reform.
Minister Harrison acknowledged the trauma experienced by women in the system and the importance of coordinated, long-term support:
“Post-release support is vital to break the cycle of incarceration. We need multi-faceted responses so people can rebuild their lives. I want to work with KWOOP — because there is more we can do together.”
Honouring a lifetime of advocacy
KWOOP proudly presented Elizabeth Evatt AC with an award recognising her unwavering dedication to the rights and dignity of criminalised women. A legal trailblazer and longstanding ally, Elizabeth has supported numerous initiatives — among them WIPAN and the Miranda Project — and has stood with KWOOP since its inception.
What’s next?
KWOOP’s mission remains clear: to halve the number of women in prison in NSW by 2030.
Our work moving forward is focused on:
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Scaling diversion programs that work, especially those led by Aboriginal and women-led organisations.
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Embedding lived experience in leadership, policy, and service design.
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Building capacity across sectors through our Community of Practice.
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Advocating for reforms in bail, remand, housing, mental health, and child protection.
The 2025 Parliamentary Breakfast was a powerful reminder that change is not only possible — it is urgent. And that when lived experience, community leadership, and political come together, transformation becomes inevitable.
Main image: KWOOP Executive Committee (L-R): Corinne Kemp, Megan Etheridge OAM; Julie Morris, Eleni Psillakis, Nicole Yade, Eileen Baldry AO and Loredana Fyffe.
Get involved: To learn more or join the Community of Practice, visit sydcf.org.au/kwoop or contact the KWOOP team at kwoop@sydcf.org.au
