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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 1:58 am
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Results for female offenders (u.k.)
22 results foundAuthor: Fossey, Matt Title: Under the Radar: Women with Borderline Personality Disorder in Prison Summary: Women in prison are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems and self-harm. It is estimated that around a fifth of women in custody fulfil criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD), making it a significant issue for the prison health service and an expensive drain on limited prison management resources. Despite the principle of ‘equivalence of care’ in prison health care, guidelines for the management of BPD are rarely observed in prisons. In addition to health care deficits, the prison environment can be traumatic for women with BPD due to the hostile, punitive environment and the experience of incarceration. Family environments are significantly disrupted for all women on custodial sentences, with children frequently relocated and one in ten sent into social care. Women with BPD often have unstable family environments prior to being taken into custody, compounding the effect of this disruption. Looking ahead to future generations, this upset to family life may contribute to the effects of ‘transgenerational transmission’ of criminal behaviour and mental health problems. We recommend: Increased screening and appropriate diversion should be implemented to avoid custodial sentences where possible for women with BPD; Prison staff could benefit from increased training to raise awareness and improve the quality of care in prison; Where custodial sentences are necessary, evidence-based therapeutic interventions should be available to support women with BPD in prison; Where appropriate, evidence-based family interventions should be made available. Details: London: Centre for Mental Health, 2010. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 2, 2010 at: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/under_the_radar.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/pdfs/under_the_radar.pdf Shelf Number: 120341 Keywords: Female InmatesFemale Offenders (U.K.)Health CareMental Health ServicesMentally Ill Offenders |
Author: Great Britain. Home Office Inspectorate of Probation Title: Thematic Inspection Report: Equal but different? An inspection of the use of alternatives to custody for women offenders Summary: There is a great deal of information about women offenders in England and Wales. Generally, it tells us that offending is less common amongst girls and women than amongst boys and men and that women offenders often have complex multiple needs, linked to drug and substance misuse and poor mental health. A significant proportion of women in prison are the mothers and sole carers of dependent children. The increase in the female prison population between 1997 and 2000 caused such concern that it triggered a review of the existing initiatives for working with women. The subsequent report signalled the introduction of the Women’s Offending Reduction Programme which aimed to link strategic initiatives across government departments to address women’s offending and pursue alternatives to custody. In 2005, the Together Women Programme was launched and funding set aside for projects to divert from custody women who seemed likely to offend. This work was given further impetus by the review undertaken by Baroness Corston following the self-inflicted deaths of six women within a 13 month period at Styal Prison. Her subsequent report set the agenda for working with women offenders. The government accepted 40 of the 43 recommendations made by Baroness Corston and created a cross-departmental Criminal Justice Women’s Strategy Team to manage and coordinate their response to her report; it also placed further time-limited funding into the diversion programme. These measures appeared to have had an impact. The number of first receptions of women sentenced to immediate custody fell by 9% between 2008 and 2009. The overall number of women in prison in England and Wales also decreased slightly between 2008 and 2009. Most women sentenced to custody in 2009 received relatively short sentences, generally under 12 months, and were consequently not subject to any form of statutory supervision on release. One of the most striking features on considering the profile of the female prison population was the high proportion of women offenders imprisoned for breaching a court order, often imposed for offences which might not, of themselves, have attracted a custodial sentence. In 2009, this group represented 13% of all women received into prison on an immediate custodial sentence. This inspection focused on women who had either been sentenced to a community order or released from prison on licence. Its purpose was: to consider the extent to which non custodial options are being put forward and taken up in respect of women offenders. We therefore looked primarily at community orders and considered their credibility, as demonstrated by the courts in imposing such orders and by the women offenders themselves in complying with their requirements. Details: London: Criminal Justice Joint Inspection, 2011. 75p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2011 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/inspectorate-reports/hmiprob/womens-thematic-alternatives-to-custody-2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/inspectorate-reports/hmiprob/womens-thematic-alternatives-to-custody-2011.pdf Shelf Number: 123070 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationFemale InmatesFemale Offenders (U.K.)Probation, Female Offenders |
Author: Jolliffe, Darrick Title: Re-offending Analysis of Women Offenders Referred to Together Women (TW) and the Scope to Divert from Custody Summary: Together Women was a community-based holistic intervention aimed at socially excluded women who were ‘offenders’ (with a recent or past criminal conviction) or ‘at risk’ of offending, although neither category was prescriptively defined. Issues about data monitoring, the definitions of needs and outcomes which were highlighted in previous reports continued to hamper a robust evaluation of TW meaning only a limited quantitative assessment of the impact of TW could be undertaken. The results suggested that there was no difference in the prevalence or frequency of proven re-offending among women referred to TW and comparable women who were supported by the Probation Service. These findings should be interpreted cautiously given the limited number of TW service users identified (as a proportion of those referred), the limited number of TW service users recorded as having received support from TW, and the reliance on criminal records data to equate the TW and comparison group. Interviews with sentencers, particularly magistrates, suggested that while most considered TW to be a useful supplement to the range of non-custodial options, its availability rarely influenced the decision to divert from custody. There was some evidence that this could change if TW was used as a specified activity on a community order. However, some sentencers thought this would undermine the essential TW ethos of empowering women to take control of their lives. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2011. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Research Series 11/11: Accessed January 18, 2012 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/research-and-analysis/moj-research/women-offenders-referred-together-women.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/research-and-analysis/moj-research/women-offenders-referred-together-women.pdf Shelf Number: 123655 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationCommunity Based CorrectionsDiversionFemale Offenders (U.K.)RecidivismRehabilitation |
Author: Great Britain. Ministry of Justice Title: Statistics on Women and the Criminal Justice System 2011 Summary: This report provides information about how females and males were represented in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in the most recent year for which data were available, and, wherever possible, across the last five years. Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 requires the Government to publish statistical data to assess whether any discrimination exists in how the CJS treats people based on their gender. These statistics are used by policy makers, the agencies who comprise the CJS and others (e.g. academics) to monitor differences between females and males, and to highlight areas where practitioners and others may wish to undertake more in-depth analysis. The identification of differences should not be equated with discrimination as there are many reasons why apparent disparities may exist. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2012. 160p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 26, 2012 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/women-cjs-2011/statistics-women-cjs-2011-v2.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/women-cjs-2011/statistics-women-cjs-2011-v2.pdf Shelf Number: 127007 Keywords: Crime StatisticsFemale CrimeFemale Offenders (U.K.)Female StaffFemale VictimsFemales |
Author: Nicholles, Natalie Title: Women's Community Services: A Wise Commission Summary: By helping women to make positive changes their lives, women’s community services can help reduce demands on state services including police, courts and offender management, prisons and social services, primary and emergency healthcare, and housing. They can also improve the long-term outcomes for the children of their clients. This report aims to support local commissioners and decision-makers in meeting the needs of vulnerable women efficiently and effectively. Its findings are the outcome of a year-long research collaboration between nef consulting and five women’s community services, which was funded by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Corston Independent Funders Coalition (CIFC) through the Women’s Diversionary Fund (WDF). It presents the views of clients and staff on the ways in which the services facilitate change by undertaking activities that improve women’s well-being. It offers primary evidence on the demonstrable impact services have on well-being and explores secondary evidence about how these impacts may contribute to reduced reoffending, improved health, and better outcomes for children. Details: London: New Economics Foundation, 2012. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 25, 2013 at: http://www.neweconomics.org/sites/neweconomics.org/files/A_Wise_Commission_webReady.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.neweconomics.org/sites/neweconomics.org/files/A_Wise_Commission_webReady.pdf Shelf Number: 127409 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationCommunity Based CorrectionsFemale Offenders (U.K.) |
Author: Barefoot Research and Evaluation Title: Support for Women Around Northumberland. Project Evaluation Summary: Support for Women Around Northumberland (SWAN) is one of two projects in the North East which have received funding from the Ministry of Justice under their Diverting Women from Custody Programme. The objectives of SWAN are to reduce the re-offending of female offenders or those at-risk of offending through providing a range of diversionary and preventative interventions. The project became operational in February 2010 and has received funding until March 2011. SWAN is delivered by a partnership of voluntary sector organisations in Northumberland - ESCAPE Family Support (the lead agency), the Women’s Health Advice Centre (WHAC), Fourth Action and Relate. The original project document stated that between February 2010 and March 2011, the project would undertake needs assessments and create support plans for 80 women. It also stated that over the course of the project, a total of 50 women will consistently engage with the project. Between February and November a total of 120 women have been referred into SWAN. At the time of writing this evaluation report, a total of 70 women have been assessed with a resultant support plan. Of these, a total of 50 women have engaged regularly with the project. The project has resulted in a 70 percent reduction in the rate of re-offending of the women who have engaged with the project. There has also been a significant reduction in the number of charges (73 percent) made by the Police and the number of convictions (81 percent) amongst engaged female offenders. There has also been a 72 percent reduction in appearances before Magistrates. Details: Barefoot Research and Evaluation, 2010. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed February 7, 2013 at: http://www.barefootresearch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/SWAN-Report-Single-Pages.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.barefootresearch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/SWAN-Report-Single-Pages.pdf Shelf Number: 127537 Keywords: Female Offenders (U.K.)Intervention ProgramsRecidivismReoffendingTreatment Programs |
Author: Gullberg, Sofia Title: The State of the Estate. Women in Prison’s Report on the Women’s Custodial Estate 2011-12 Summary: Five years on from the Corston report and two years since the Bangkok Rules, Women in Prison’s flagship report “The State of the Estate” is the first of its kind and a unique piece of research. It provides accessible, like-for-like data on all 15 women’s prison in the UK and is intended to serve as a useful tool for researchers, policy makers and criminal justice practitioners alike. This first report will stand as a benchmark to measure future developments against. The section titled “What the women say: A day in the life of a woman prisoner” is a collection of first-hand accounts from women across the prison estate. This section complements the statistical parts of the report and provides us with a human account of the day-to-day reality of life in prison today. The report also looks at the UK female custodial estate from a human rights perspective. It provides the first evaluation of the UK Government's compliance with the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (known as the Bangkok Rules). This section outlines and explains the Rules in terms of both theoretical policy and practical application while evaluating progress. Another key part of the report is a “spotlight issue”. The focus we have chosen for the 2011-12 report is mental health - an issue that really goes to the core of questioning the extent of custodial sentencing for women with mental health issues. Details: London: Women in Prison, 2013. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2013 at: http://www.womeninprison.org.uk/userfiles/file/StateoftheEstateReport.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.womeninprison.org.uk/userfiles/file/StateoftheEstateReport.pdf Shelf Number: 127564 Keywords: Female InmatesFemale Offenders (U.K.)Prisons |
Author: McCoy, Ellie Title: Evaluation of the Liverpool Women’s Turnaround Project Summary: Offending is less common amongst females, and women offenders often have complex multiple needs. The majority of women sentenced to prison are convicted of non-violent offences and are most often sent to prison for acquisitive crimes. Women offenders are likely to have multiple presenting problems including drug and alcohol misuse, accommodation needs, education and training needs, employment needs and financial needs and are often victims of domestic abuse. A significant proportion of women in prison are mothers and the sole carers of dependent children. A review of women with vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System was published in 2007 (the Corston report) and considered the needs of females inappropriately placed in prison and those outside of prison who were at risk of offending. The review highlighted the need for a new approach for working with women. Provision is traditionally focused on the needs of male offenders and does not meet the needs of females. There is a need for community provision to meet the needs of women, which requires a multi agency, women centred, holistic approach. Following the review, funding was made available to develop community provision aimed at diverting women away from custody. The Turnaround Project is part of the organisation PSS (Person Shaped Support, formerly known as Liverpool Personal Service Society). It is a female only service for Liverpool residents (and has now been expanded to cover Knowsley residents) who are already involved or at risk of becoming involved with the Criminal Justice System. The project is commissioned by Merseyside Probation Trust with additional funding from Liverpool Primary Care Trust. The Turnaround Project provides a service that fits the needs of women to help them tackle the reasons why they commit crimes and to reduce the risk of further offending and is designed to address attitudes and behaviours that may contribute to offending. The project is designed to divert women away from prison and therefore aims to reduce the number of females in prison, which will in turn work towards reducing family breakdown and the number of children taken out of the care of their mothers. The project is made up of a team of experienced staff who work with women who have practical, personal and emotional difficulties. The project offers a number of services, including legal advice, mediation and advocacy, housing, benefit and debt management, employment, education and training opportunities, drug and alcohol abuse, offending behaviour, domestic abuse, reading, IT, health, cooking and counselling. This research evaluation was commissioned by Liverpool PCT. The evaluation provides information on the Turnaround Project, activities and interventions undertaken and the outcomes achieved by the females accessing the project. This evaluation highlights good practice and makes recommendations for improvement of the project. The findings from the evaluation will be used to inform future commissioning decisions. Details: Liverpool: Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University, 2013. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2013 at: http://www.cph.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Evaluation-of-the-Liverpool-Turnaround-Project.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cph.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Evaluation-of-the-Liverpool-Turnaround-Project.pdf Shelf Number: 128214 Keywords: Alternative to IncarcerationCommunity-based CorrectionsFemale Offenders (U.K.) |
Author: Robinson, Emma Title: What Women Want? An Evaluation of the TWP/EVOLVE partnership with West Yorkshire Probation Summary: This research was commissioned to evaluate the partnership arrangements between West Yorkshire Probation Trust, WomenCentre and the Together Women Project (TWP). Within these partnerships, a percentage of WYPT’s female offenders are co-supervised by Offender Managers and Project Workers at partner premises in Calderdale (WomenCentre), Leeds and Bradford (both TWP). The aim of the evaluation was to follow-up cases referred to both TWP and WomenCentre The evaluation sample comprised 150 women who have been supervised by either of the two agencies. Interviews were also conducted with offenders, project staff, and offender managers co-located at the partner agency premises. Details: Wakefield, UK: West Yorkshire Probation Services, 2010. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 5, 2013 at: http://www.westyorksprobation.org.uk/documentlist.php?type=1&year=2010 Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.westyorksprobation.org.uk/documentlist.php?type=1&year=2010 Shelf Number: 128268 Keywords: Community-based CorrectionsFemale Offenders (U.K.)PartnershipsProbationProbationers |
Author: Robinson, Emma Title: Piloting an all-female ETS group in Bradford. Evaluation Report Summary: The initial part of the research was concerned with outcomes from males and females across all accredited programmes in West Yorkshire. Logistic regression techniques were applied in much of the analysis to try and pick out the key predictive factors for completion of any accredited programme then more specifically, ETS. Initial analysis of the data-set revealed that overall, in the 15-month period under review, females were just as likely to start an accredited programme as males. Completion figures were also very similar for males and females. Logistic regression analysis on this data showed that predictive factors for completion of an accredited programme were: Tier, Age and OGRS2 score. Offenders in the ‘too high’ OGRS band were less likely to complete an accredited programme as were Tier 3 and 4 cases. The likelihood of completion also appears to increase with age. The data revealed that a proportion of offenders had been inappropriately allocated to ETS on the basis of their OGRS2 score. However, whereas those in the ‘too high’ category were less likely to complete an accredited programme overall, this did not hold true for the ETS sub-sample as 72% of those in this category who started, then went on to complete the programme. This suggests that other factors may influence programme completion. A total of 12 females completed ETS in a fifteen month period in West Yorkshire. Four of these completers (33%) were singleton females. The all-female ETS pilot achieved two completions from 6 starts (33%), with a further individual attending catch-up sessions at the time of writing. Logistic regression analysis showed that when all other variables were controlled for, Gender and Age were significant predictors of the completion of ETS. The throughput showed that males were twice as likely to complete ETS than females and that the likelihood of completing the programme increases with age. Although a full set of psychometric test scores was not available, some preliminary analysis has been undertaken on the pre and post scores for the mixed ETS attendees and those post scores for the two completers of the pilot group. Overall, the data revealed some differences in scores pre to post programme for the mixed group, and on two of these measures, the post scores mean for the ETS female pilot were lower still. This may indicate some positive results for the female pilot, but without the pre-scores (which were not administered at the start of the course) it is not possible to confirm this. If further groups are to be run, it will be useful to ensure that these tests are administered in order to compare these groups against the mixed ETS programmes. The completers of the pilot group spoke positively about their experience of the programme and their engagement with the other group members. One of the completers indicated that she had no preference towards being in an all-female group or a mixed ETS group. Indeed, this was a common feeling among the respondents in this research as offenders in mixed groups did not necessarily feel that they would have been more comfortable in an all-female group. The pilot group achieved two completions, with a further female having dropped off the group at the very end. This was comparable to the number of ETS completion for females in the previous 15 months across West Yorkshire. Perhaps the group dynamics in the ETS pilot, for instance the supportive atmosphere and the use of real-life examples linked to the material does have an impact on engagement with the programme, but this did not in this instance impact on completion. The group dynamics may not be picked up on by the participants themselves having not been on a mixed group previously, and for those in mixed groups not having experience an all-female group. Both groups of respondents talked positively about the programme itself, and this did not appear to be affected by the composition of the group they were on, perhaps suggesting that females might engage with the programme more than males, and therefore there are other factors preventing females from completing ETS. It was thought that issues such as childcare might be one of these barriers, which was addressed by providing the creche service at the TWP. However, only one of the females used the creche service, so it is difficult to assess the impact of this link-in at this stage. If a further group is run, this may provide more data by which to assess the ‘added value’ of running the programme from TWP premises. The two programme tutors felt that although the creche facility was a useful resource for those attending the programme, it was issues linked to confidence that had made the group responsive to the needs of the women who took part. Confidence was picked up as a major factor for three of the women who were attending due to various issues around alcohol use and domestic violence relationships. As the women had an opportunity to use these real life examples and link them to the material covered in ETS, it was felt that the course had helped to boost their confidence This appeared to tie in with feedback from females on the group who suggested that it was not necessarily the absence of males on the group that was important, rather it was the opportunity to share experiences and talk with other females in a supportive environment. However, given this perceived better engagement of the women tutors had some unanswered questions about the low number of completions from the programme. The reasons for this are difficult to pinpoint and it was felt that organisational issues and an inadequate setting of programme boundaries might have played a part in this. This appears to have been a well-received pilot programme, as both offenders, tutors and staff at TWP spoke very positively about the experience and where hopeful about running further groups in the future. However it did not create significantly higher levels of completion, nor objective data to support the effectiveness of the programme. Details: Wakefield, UK: West Yorkshire Probation Service, 2008. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 5, 2013 at: http://www.westyorksprobation.org.uk/documentlist.php?type=1&year=2008 Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.westyorksprobation.org.uk/documentlist.php?type=1&year=2008 Shelf Number: 128274 Keywords: Cognitive SkillsEducational ProgramsEnhanced Thinking Skills ProgramsFemale Offenders (U.K.)Rehabilitation Programs |
Author: Earle, Jenny Title: Brighter Futures: Working Together to Reduce Women's Offending Summary: This briefing is intended to: Raise awareness among justice, community and health service providers and commissioners about the characteristics and needs of women who come into contact with the criminal justice system, and their obligations to meet those needs. - Provide an overview of multi-agency approaches, such as Liaison and Diversion services and Integrated Offender Management (IOM) arrangements, and illustrate improved outcomes for women and their families as a result of effective local partnerships. - Ensure women-specific provision is included in the commissioning of Liaison and Diversion and other early intervention services. - Inform and encourage the development of alternatives to prosecution where these are proportionate and effective responses to women who offend. - Provide examples of good practice where women are enabled to take responsibility for their lives, and continue caring for their children and other dependants wherever possible. - Help inform current practice and encourage agencies to continue to develop services and approaches that meet the needs of women, and build a robust evidence base on what works. - Encourage the development of co-ordinated local strategies and services to support women with multiple needs, including those being supervised in the community. Women account for a minority of all those coming into contact with criminal justice agencies, and their specific circumstances and needs are often overlooked or misunderstood by a system which has largely developed in response to men's offending profile and behaviour. Most women who enter custody under sentence serve short prison sentences for petty but sometimes persistent offending, and many have themselves been victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Many are mothers so the consequences of criminal sanctions rebound on their children. Some have been trafficked and coerced into offending but not identified as victims of trafficking and given the help to which they are entitled. The briefing highlights the specific needs of women, profiles existing initiatives and partnerships that seek to deal more effectively with women's offending, and provides links to other useful resources. It should be of interest to those with policy, funding, commissioning and service delivery responsibilities. Details: London: Prison Reform Trust, 2014. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 24, 2014 at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Brighter%20Futures%2025314web.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Brighter%20Futures%2025314web.pdf Shelf Number: 132174 Keywords: Female InmatesFemale Offenders (U.K.)Gender Specific Responses |
Author: McNeish, Di Title: Women and Girls at Risk: Evidence across the life course Summary: This evidence review was produced to inform a new cross-sector Alliance which aims to make a difference to the lives of women and girls at risk of homelessness, sexual exploitation, involvement in crime, drugs, mental health problems. We ask the question 'why gender matters' and highlight three sets of factors which have a gendered impact on the lives of women and girls: social inequalities, gender expectations and abuse and violence. Despite the last 40 years of feminism, girls are still born into a world structured by inequality - they earn less and enjoy less freedom than men. Poverty is more likely to affect women - and some women are more likely to be poor than others: the unemployment rates among Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women has remained twice that of white women since 1972. Girls and women are at greater risk of all kinds of interpersonal violence and abuse and those with multiple experience of violence and abuse across the life-course have the poorest outcomes. The idea that boys and girls are encouraged (even 'socialised') into different behaviours and choices, and that this is problematic for equality, has been out of fashion in recent years. However, there remains strong evidence that different gendered expectations have a profound effect on all our lives - and women who do not conform are often viewed as doubly deviant. The review goes on to explore risks and interventions across the life-course from early years to adulthood and considers what are potentially effective forms of support at each life stage. Despite a vast literature on the 'problems' of women and girls at risk, we found surprisingly little of the 'what works' research has paid much attention to gender differences. Much of the evidence that does exist comes from the U.S. In the UK, there is a range of undoubtedly excellent services for women that are hampered by a lack of consistent evaluation of their effectiveness. Details: North Dalton, East Yorkshire, UK: DMSS Research & Consultancy, 2014. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 14, 2014 at: http://www.dmss.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/women-girls-at-risk-v2c.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.dmss.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/women-girls-at-risk-v2c.pdf Shelf Number: 133044 Keywords: At-Risk YouthFemale CrimeFemale Juvenile OffendersFemale Offenders (U.K.)Gender-Based ViolenceSexual Exploitation |
Author: Radcliffe, Polly Title: The development and impact of community services for women offenders: an evaluation Summary: This evaluation examined six services developed in third sector partnerships for women offenders in the community. The study was designed to capture best practice in services which were known to be at risk of funding cuts. The research which included interviews with staff, stakeholders and service users, examination of project documents and the collection of monitoring data, took place in 2011/2012, one year into an initiative to extend the limited network of 'one stop shop' services for low risk women offenders. A number of evaluations had already established the value of providing holistic services to women offenders in women-only settings, particularly for those who have suffered sexual and physical violence. There has however continued to be a shortage of evidence about the impact of these services on reoffending outcomes. As we describe, a combination of factors, including a lack of any common measurement system, has meant that reoffending data have not been consistently collected in the services that took part in our evaluation. We make recommendations for ways in which such services might in the future map women's interim progress; progress that is so richly described in the qualitative accounts of service users, staff and stakeholders. In many ways this evaluation charts the opening of a 'policy window' that we very much hope will not be closed in the new environment of Payment by Results contracts in England and Wales. Deaths of women in custody; lobbying by campaigning groups and charitable organisations; the publication of a series of influential reports describing the exponential rise in the imprisonment of low-risk women offenders and an increasing body of evidence that showed that such imprisonment served to exacerbate the psychological strain, substance misuse and anguish that accompanies so much of women's offending, had created a consensus that made government action possible. Short-term government funds were found for the extension of an existing model of one-stop-shop service for low-risk women offenders. The new network of services was developed in hastily constructed third sector/statutory sector partnerships with the hope that they would become integrated into mainstream commissioning arrangements. As we will show, these new services have been innovative in their linking of third and statutory sector, criminal justice, health and welfare and women-specific agencies. They have achieved much within short timescales and in many ways have presented new challenges in multiagency working. In the current climate of economic austerity and belt tightening, we hope that our report will provide evidence of how such challenges can be overcome and contribute to existing learning on the provision of services for women offenders in the community. Details: London: The Institute for Criminal Policy Research, School of Law, Birkbeck College, 2013. 94p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 24, 2014 at: http://www.icpr.org.uk/media/34025/ReportNuffieldfinal.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.icpr.org.uk/media/34025/ReportNuffieldfinal.pdf Shelf Number: 133406 Keywords: Community OrganizationsCommunity ParticipationFemale Offenders (U.K.)Gender Specific ResponsesOffender Rehabilitation |
Author: Radcliffe, Polly Title: Imagining penal policy for women: The case for Women's Community Services Summary: The Women's Community Services (WCSs) established in 2009 in England and Wales were based on the model of one-stop-shop, women-only provision endorsed by the 2007 Corston report. In this paper we discuss the development of WCSs as part of a governmental/voluntary sector initiative that was arguably an attempt to re-imagine penal policy for women offenders in the community, and explore themes emerging from interviews carried out with 30 women attending six WCSs between April 2011-2012. We argue that WCSs have filled a gap in provision for low risk women offenders by providing a range of social capital opportunities that are not available in mainstream, mixed-gender community punishment provision. We highlight the gendered processes of desistance; the understanding of which, we argue, is vital in making provision for women offenders in the new contracting landscape. Details: London: Howard League for Penal Reform, 2014. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Howard League 'What is Justice?' Working Papers 4/2014: Accessed September 27, 2014 at: http://www.icpr.org.uk/media/37856/HLWP_4_2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.icpr.org.uk/media/37856/HLWP_4_2014.pdf Shelf Number: 133459 Keywords: Alternative to IncarcerationCommunity SentencesFemale Offenders (U.K.) |
Author: Epstein, Rona Title: Mothers in Prison: The sentencing of mothers and the rights of the child Summary: Of the women in prison 66 per cent are mothers of dependent children. Imprisonment of a father or mother entails the forcible separation of a child from its parents and therefore impacts on the child's rights under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Thus sentencing courts are required to obtain information on dependent children and then conduct a balancing exercise weighing the rights of potentially affected children against the seriousness of the parent's offence. Do the courts always obtain information about the affected children, and are the rights of the child in fact considered by the criminal courts? This is a matter of significance for the welfare of children and for our system of justice. I have undertaken research to explore to what extent, if at all, the required balancing exercise is being carried out in the English criminal courts. The research covered 75 cases of the imposition of custody (suspended and immediate) on mothers who care for a dependent child. My research found that, in general, the rights of the child were not considered when their mothers were sent to prison. I argue that this is a flaw in our legal process, which should be rectified on social, legal and moral grounds. Details: London: The Howard League, 2014. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Howard League What is Justice? Working Papers 3/2014: Accessed October 13, 2014 at: http://socialwelfare.bl.uk/subject-areas/services-client-groups/adult-offenders/howardleagueforpenalreform/162422HLWP_3_2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://socialwelfare.bl.uk/subject-areas/services-client-groups/adult-offenders/howardleagueforpenalreform/162422HLWP_3_2014.pdf Shelf Number: 133885 Keywords: Children of PrisonersFamilies of InmatesFemale InmatesFemale Offenders (U.K.)Female Prisoners |
Author: Minson, Shona Title: Mitigating Motherhood: A study of the impact of motherhood on sentencing decision in England and Wales Summary: This is an exploratory study of the impact of motherhood on mitigation in sentencing decisions in England and Wales. Previous studies have explored the influence of personal mitigation on sentencing decisions but little is known about the way in which judges interpret motherhood in this context. A growing number of children are separated from their mothers by imprisonment, and the state has a duty to protect them from discrimination or punishment suffered as a consequence of the actions of their parents. This study is a preliminary study exploring the visibility of these children in the sentencing process, and examining whether the caring responsibilities of a defendant mother are treated as personal mitigation to reduce sentence length. The study adopts a qualitative and mixed methods approach, combining semi-structured interviews with sentencing transcripts analysis to provide a multi-faceted view of this complex area. The findings highlight that discretion in the application of mitigation leads to inter and intra judge inconsistency. Personal factors including knowledge and experience influence a judge's use of pre-sentence reports. The defendants' sentence was more likely to be mitigated by motherhood if the judge had considered a pre-sentence report, regardless of whether the judge agreed with the recommendations of the report. Details: London: Howard League for Penal Reform, 2014. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 22, 2014 at: https://d19ylpo4aovc7m.cloudfront.net/fileadmin/howard_league/user/pdf/Publications/motherhood_and_sentencing.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://d19ylpo4aovc7m.cloudfront.net/fileadmin/howard_league/user/pdf/Publications/motherhood_and_sentencing.pdf Shelf Number: 133801 Keywords: Children of PrisonersFamilies of PrisonersFemale Offenders (U.K.)Sentencing |
Author: Bateman, Tim Title: 'Nothing's really that hard, you can do it' . Agency and fatalism: the resettlement needs of girls in custody Summary: This report presents the results of a qualitative study, funded by the Sir Halley Stewart Trust, of the resettlement needs of 17-year-old young women in a single young offender institution in England and Wales. Using in depth qualitative interviews with 16 girls in custody and two follow up interviews in the community, the study aimed to give expression to the girls' views on what support they thought would be required, both while in prison and in the form of resettlement provision on release, if they were not to reoffend. The sample size, while small, is equivalent to the capacity of the young offender institution where field work was conducted and to around one third of the total female population of the secure estate on any one day. Field work was conducted between December 2011 and November 2012. Girls constitute a small proportion of children below the age of 18 in custody and have consequently tended to be 'invisible' from a research perspective. Yet girls in prison are among the most vulnerable young people in society and recent falls in youth imprisonment have tended to amplify that vulnerability, as less serious cases have been diverted to community based interventions. Such developments have posed additional challenges for the already difficult task of providing effective resettlement. Details: Bedfordshire, UK: University of Bedfordshire, 2013. 106p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed October 27, 2014 at: https://www.beds.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/245134/Nothings-really-that-hard.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.beds.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/245134/Nothings-really-that-hard.pdf Shelf Number: 133822 Keywords: Female Juvenile OffendersFemale Offenders (U.K.)Juvenile Offender ReentryYoung Adult Offenders |
Author: Great Britain. House of Commons. Justice Committee Title: Women offenders: after the Corston Report Summary: Five years after the March 2007 publication of Baroness Corston's report A review of women with particular vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system (hereafter "the Corston Report"), which made a series of recommendations to drive improvement in the women's criminal justice agenda, we decided to hold an inquiry to review progress and examine current strategy and practice with respect to female offenders and those at risk of offending. In particular we sought to explore: - The nature and effectiveness of the Ministry of Justice's strategy for women offenders and those at risk of offending; - The nature and effectiveness of Ministry of Justice governance structures for women's offending; - The extent to which work to address the multiple and complex needs of women offenders is integrated across Government; - The extent to which the gender equality duty has become a lever for mainstream service commissioners "outside of the criminal justice system" to provide services which tackle the underlying causes of female offending; - The suitability of the women's custodial estate and prison regimes; - The volume, range, quality, and sustainability of community provision for female offenders, including approved premises; - The availability of appropriate provision for different groups of women offenders, including: under 18s, women with children, foreign nationals and Black, Asian and minority ethnic women, and those with mental health problems. Details: London: The Stationery Office Limited, 2013. 229p. Source: Internet Resource: Second Report of Session 2013;V14: Accessed November 20, 2014 at: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Justice/Women-offenders.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Justice/Women-offenders.pdf Shelf Number: 134164 Keywords: Corston ReportCriminal Justice ReformFemale Offenders (U.K.)Gender-Based Programs |
Author: Great Britain. National Offender Management Service Title: Stocktake of Women's Services for Offenders in the Community Summary: - In April 2013, the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) provided an additional L3.78 million to Probation Trusts in England & Wales, specifically to enable them to enhance the provision of services they commission or deliver to promote the rehabilitation of female offenders. To assess the impact of this extra investment, we conducted a stocktake of services in the community for female offenders, and this is our report. - NOMS is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The main objectives of the agency are to protect the public and reduce reoffending. Where offenders are given a community sentence by the courts, or released from custody on licence, these objectives are at present taken forward by the 35 Probation Trusts in England and Wales, which are responsible for the delivery of services at local level. - Probation Trusts deliver offender services in partnership with a wide range of public, private and third sector providers. They also commission services - sometimes jointly with partners - from other providers. NOMS has a contract with each Probation Trust. It is through contract management arrangements that NOMS ensures that the intentions and plans put forward by Probation Trusts during commissioning rounds are translated into the practical delivery of services in local communities. - In future, these offender services in the community will be delivered by the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and (for higher-risk offenders) by the new National Probation Service. This stocktake describes how services for female offenders are delivered at present - and new providers will clearly be very interested in the practice it describes. More specifically, the report examines the impact of the additional L3.78 million provided this year. The aim of this extra investment was to enable Trusts to access additional services for women under their local commissioning arrangements, taking into account the requirement to ensure that services contribute to the overall objectives of the National Offender Management Service. - The extra funding does not represent the total spent by Probation Trusts on services for female offenders: Trusts routinely provide these services through their mainstream delivery. While our main aim in this report has been to identify the new initiatives and services funded from the additional provision, we also briefly highlight the way in which Probation Trusts have used their core funding to strengthen and improve services for female offenders. And wherever possible, we have identified resources contributed by other parties - though this is not always easy to do precisely. Details: London: NOMS, 2013. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 25, 2014 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/252837/stocktake-wcs.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/252837/stocktake-wcs.pdf Shelf Number: 134248 Keywords: Community Treatment ProgramsFemale Offenders (U.K.)Female ProbationersOffender Treatment ProgramsRehabilitation Programs |
Author: Social Innovation Partnership Title: Unlocking Offending Data (Women's Information and Resettlement for Ex-offenders): Evaluation Report Summary: The evaluation, carried out by The Social Innovation Partnership (TSIP), in conjunction with academics at the University of Cambridge and London Metropolitan University, tracked the reconviction rates of 104 women who engaged with the service and for whom offending history data was available. The results indicated that the women's offending rate halved in the 12 month period after engagement with WIRE. It has also highlighted: - The high levels of demand for WIRE - A highly flexible, needs-led approach - Intensive work with clients in the early stages from the moment of release - A possible need to resource a longer term service for the clients to aid long-term resettlement The researchers also gathered the perspectives of clients and partner agencies as a part of their research. These concluded that clients regarded WIRE as playing a vital role in helping them resettle into the community. Partner agencies valued WIRE's ability to relieve some of their pressures and work effectively with some of their most chaotic clients. The service was perceived as being particularly successful in sourcing accommodation for women who are generally difficult to house. Details: London: St. Giles Trust, 2012. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2014 at: http://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/stats-and-info/p192682-support-for-female-prison-leavers-reduces-re-offending.html Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/stats-and-info/p192682-support-for-female-prison-leavers-reduces-re-offending.html Shelf Number: 134302 Keywords: Female Offenders (U.K.)Prisoner ReentryRecidivism |
Author: Soroptimist International Title: Transforming Lives: Reducing Women's Imprisonment Summary: In december 2011 the Soroptimist International UK Programme Action Committee (UKPAC) took the decision to work in partnership with the Prison Reform Trust to reduce women's imprisonment across the UK. The decision reflected concern that women who have committed petty and non-violent offences are unnecessarily and disproportionately imprisoned when community solutions are often more effective and less damaging for children and families. The project also ties in with Soroptimists' flagship project Violence Against Women - Stop It Now, as abusive and coercive relationships are a significant driver to women's offending, and a majority of women in prison report having been abused at some point in their life. This report, based on information gathered by Soroptimists across the UK in 2013-14 about what happens in their local areas to women who offend, or are at risk of offending, highlights progress and good practice whilst identifying constraints, gaps and shortcomings in local service provision. We are grateful to the hundreds of Soroptimists who have done so much to raise awareness of the over-imprisonment of women in the UK and the consequences for children and families, and contribute to progress towards a more effective and humane approach to women's justice. Details: London: Prison Reform Trust, 2014. 128p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 28, 2015 at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/transforming%20lives.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/transforming%20lives.pdf Shelf Number: 134485 Keywords: Female InmatesFemale Offenders (U.K.) |
Author: Women in Prison Title: The Corston Report 10 Years On. How far have we come on the road to reform for women affected by the criminal justice system? Summary: The year 2017 marks a decade since the publication of the Corston report - A review of women with particular vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System. The 43 recommendations in the Corston report provided a roadmap for women-specific criminal justice reform. They gained cross-party support and were broadly accepted by three successive governments. Here, we aim to give an overview of what progress has been made to date in the implementation of the Corston recommendations. Considering each of the recommendations of the Corston report in isolation does not suffice to appreciate the overall vision and ethos embedded in Baroness Corston's report. Her overarching aim was that of systems change, of "a distinct, radically different, visibly-led, strategic, proportionate, holistic, woman-centred, integrated approach". It is important, therefore, that we ask ourselves to what extent there has been fundamental systems change for women affected by the criminal justice system and what major barriers still impede its implementation. We would like to highlight as a continued priority for government the following five, interlinked, key areas for systemic change: Expansion of and sustained funding for women's centres in the community as "one-stop-shops" to prevent women entering or returning to the criminal justice system (recommendations number 29, 30, 32 and 33). Liaison and diversion schemes to be extended and rolled out nationally to divert women away from custody into support (recommendations number 33 and 36). Specialist community support, including mental health support (recommendations number 36, 37, 39 and 40) and accommodation for women affected by the criminal justice system (recommendations number 16 and 21). Sentencing reform with greater use of alternatives to custody and women's community support services (recommendations number 18, 19, 20, 22, 23 and 24). Coordinated, joined-up working between all agencies involved in the lives of women affected by the criminal justice system (recommendations number 1, 7, 8, 9 and 39). In order to achieve true systems change for women affected by the criminal justice system, it is vital for policy makers to recognise that criminal justice solutions alone are not sufficient to deal with offending. Nor is the Ministry of Justice, in isolation, able to implement the changes needed to reduce (re)offending. What is required is a joined-up approach that takes into account the root causes of women's offending. This approach must encompass an understanding of the compelling opportunities for change that appropriate housing, mental health support and gender-specific women's community support services can offer. Details: London: Women in Prison, 2017. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 27, 2017 at: http://www.womeninprison.org.uk/perch/resources/corston-report-10-years-on.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.womeninprison.org.uk/perch/resources/corston-report-10-years-on.pdf Shelf Number: 144590 Keywords: Corston ReportCriminal Justice ReformFemale Offenders (U.K.)Gender-Based Programs |