(Parliamentary Under
Secretary of State for Justice): Today marks the
first anniversary of the publication of the Government’s female
offender strategy. With its roots in ’s seminal review of
vulnerable women in the justice system in 2007, our strategy set
out plans to improve outcomes for women at all points of the
justice system, based on our vision to see:
- fewer women coming into the criminal justice system
- fewer women in custody, especially on short-term sentences,
and a greater proportion of women managed in the community
successfully; and
- better conditions for those in custody.
Female offenders can be amongst the most vulnerable in society,
in both the prevalence and complexity of their needs. Many
experience chaotic lifestyles involving substance misuse, mental
health problems, homelessness and offending behaviour, which are
often the product of a life of abuse and trauma.
Frequently, women in custody are sentenced for non-violent, low
level but persistent offences, often for short periods of time.
If we take the right approach to female offenders, one that
addresses their vulnerability, follows the evidence about what
works in supporting them to turn their lives around, and treats
them as individuals of value, it could have substantial benefits
for victims, families, and offenders themselves. The strategy
launched a programme of work that will take some years to
deliver. On this first anniversary, I should like to celebrate
the improvements that are already taking place, including on our
key commitments below:
- we published, last December, a new policy framework for
prison and probation staff working with women. This sets out
duties, rules and general guidance for staff, and includes
accompanying guidance covering a range of issues, such as ‘Caring
for Perinatal Women in Prison’.
-
’s Review for Women,
commissioned by the strategy, was published on 18 June. I am
immensely grateful to for undertaking this
review, which looks at how supporting female offenders in
custody and community to engage with their families can lower
recidivism, aid rehabilitation and assist in addressing the
issues of intergenerational crime. We will look closely at how
we can best give effect to ’s findings and
recommendations.
- We committed to develop a ‘residential women’s centre’ pilot
in at least five sites across England and Wales, offering a
robust alternative to short custodial sentences. We have recently
concluded our first phase of consultation with local voluntary
and statutory agencies, partners and providers from a range of
backgrounds and specialisms across England and Wales to inform
the scoping of this project. We will continue to consult with
partners as we refine the design and delivery of the pilot.
- Our strategy recognises the valuable role that sustainable
community services, such as women’s centres, can play in
supporting vulnerable women to turn their lives around. We have
invested £5m in community services for women in 2018/19 and
2019/20. This funding is helping to sustain and enhance existing
services, as well as supporting the development of new services
in areas without provision. I am looking at opportunities to
further increase sustainability of this sector, and would like to
see agencies coming together to provide much needed multi-year
funding.
- Partnership working is a key theme of our strategy, and
yesterday we held a major conference to promote multi-agency,
Whole System Approaches (WSA) for local agencies including
health, Police & Crime Commissioners and local authorities,
to provide them with tools and information to enable them to
develop a WSA in their local areas. We are working with other
Government departments, stakeholders and local justice, statutory
and voluntary agencies, to develop and publish a national
concordat on female offenders by Autumn 2019. This will
facilitate better joined up working and collaboration at both
national and local level to improve outcomes for female
offenders.
Work is underway to improve outcomes for female offenders and
women at risk of offending across the justice system, aimed at
taking a gender and trauma informed approach to female offenders,
such as trialling a new checklist for Pre-Sentence Reports on
women, to ensure that sentencers receive high quality advice
addressing all relevant issues, including details of dependent
children, and a new training package, POWER, so that staff
working with female offenders have the skills and knowledge they
need.
I am grateful to those Parliamentarians who continue to take a
close interest in this work. I would also pay tribute to the
members of the Advisory Board on Female Offenders, who provide
invaluable advice and challenge on implementation of the
strategy’s aims. Together, we can make a real and lasting
improvement for these often-vulnerable women, and their families.
The female offender strategy is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/female-offender-strategy
