WHEN former chief inspector of prisons Lord Ramsbotham said earlier this year that it was "deplorable" that Welsh women can not serve their sentences in Wales and are sent to England instead, he highlighted one of the many troubling issues that female prisoners face in the principality.

The average distance of a woman in prison in the UK from her home is 66 miles but Welsh women are frequently even further away from their families; in 2007 a Welsh Affairs Committee report put the average distance from home for Welsh adult women prisoners at 101 miles with women convicted of crimes in north Wales usually taken to HM Prison Styal in Cheshire, which is around three hours from Mold Crown Court by public transport.

Formed in 1979 by two former female prisoners, theatre company Clean Break have made it their life’s work to bring the stories of these women to the stage as well as running education programmes for women in prison, or those who have recently left, and giving them opportunities to train and study.

This week sees the company visit Mold's Theatr Clwyd, just a stone's throw from the county's criminal courts, where the present Thick as Thieves, a new play from Wales Drama Award-winning playwright Katherine Chandler.

"The vision of the women who set up Clean Break was to use theatre to help women who were in prison or who had been in prison and tell the untold stories about women and the criminal justice system," says director Róisín McBrinn.

"40 years on we are still embracing our radical roots as strongly as possible and the core of what we do remains that engagement with these women through theatre and helping them to express themselves artistically."

There are currently five prisons in Wales - HMP Berwyn, HMP Cardiff, HMP Parc, HMP Swansea, and HMP Usk/Prescoed - which are all for men and despite the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) insisting it was developing a strategy for female offenders there remains resistance to the building of any new prisons in the region.

"The treatment of women by the criminal justice system is one of the clearest demonstrations that our society is still unequal and that women are judged by different standards to men," continues Róisín. "Most women offenders have experienced male violence and are victims of crime, yet first-time women offenders are twice as likely as men to be sent to prison.

"Our vision is of a society where women are neither unjustly criminalised nor unnecessarily imprisoned, and we believe that theatre enables women to challenge their oppression by society in general and by the criminal justice system in particular."

Run in prisons from Clean Break's women-only building in Kentish Town, the company's training and education programme helps participants to develop personal, social, professional and creative skills that often lead to education and employment.

"The scary bit about going into a prison is how they're run," says Róisín. "It's not so much the staff, because you meet some incredibly compassionate staff, but it's just the situation these women are in. A lot of them are mothers and you meet a lot of women who are urgently in need of help.

"The other side to that is that we do see results from our visits - whether it's getting women to engage with the play or getting them to write - the transformation we see is massive. It can be daunting and sad but also really inspirational.

"My big take home from working with women in prison is that some are incredible when it comes to dealing with their situation - there's a lot of unfairness because it is a system that is set up for men and it does not work when it comes to reforming or engaging women who have committed crimes, and yet you meet women who approach each day with as much joy as they can against huge odds and that is something to be celebrated."

Following its première at Theatr Clwyd, the production tours to Salisbury Playhouse and Hull Truck Theatre. The main theatrical tour will then be followed by visits to three women's prisons across the country, accompanied by workshops enabling prison audiences to further explore the issues discussed in the play.

"Battling with depression and addiction is a major issue," says Róisín. "There is also the constant battle against poverty and it is not just women who are being let down but also their children, their partners and their parents.

"One of the big reasons we wanted to commission a Welsh playwright was the specific situation here in Wales. The play isn't necessarily about the fact there isn't a Welsh prison for women but it was important for us to engage with Welsh audiences because although we feel all women are being done a disservice by the prison system, it's clear that Welsh women are even further down the line because of the fact there is no female offer in Wales.

"It could be a journey of 200 miles to HM Styal if you're living in Caernarfon - for a child to visit their mother that's a massive distance and it's also unaffordable especially if you don't drive a car."

According to Róisín, the play itself explores what it means to care for one another and asks who, in a time of increasing disconnect, we expect to look after us.

"There are two women from very different worlds," she adds. "Karen has built a picture-perfect life while Gail struggles to keep hers together. When Gail re-enters Karen's life from out of the blue she brings with her everything Karen has been running from."

Looking ahead to the company's 40th anniversary and their stay in Mold, Roisin is full of praise for Theatr Clwyd and its artistic director Tamara Harvey.

"We want to continue to make as much noise as possible about women in prison and to engage more people and this theatre is perfect for doing that," she adds.

"Theatr Clwyd is wildly impressive - the arts community of Wales is incredibly lucky to have this theatre and it is a really valuable and important place.

"We really hope Thick as Thieves challenges audiences as well as being entertaining - it's one of the reasons we came to Tamara with this idea because Theatr Clwyd is special and unique and a place where we can change minds."

Thick As Thieves - a Theatr Clwyd and Clean Break co-production - is at Theatr Clwyd, Emlyn Williams Theatre from Thursday October 11 – Saturday October 27. Box Office 01352 701521 / online booking (no booking fees) www.theatrclwyd.com