Women offenders: after the Corston Report - United Kingdom ...

Justice Committee: Evidence Ev 753. The lack of information under Freedom of Information requests from the Ministry of Justice and thecontinuous referral between departments provides concrete evidence that there is no integration regarding theseinitiatives and that departments are working in silo.4. The Criminal Justice System evidences some compliance with the gender equality duty. Howeversubstantive equality needs to be understood and applied in the provision of services for women offenders,and specify the need for a different approach to the mainstream commissioning and contracting of genderspecific services.5. The women’s custodial estate as it exists is not suitable for women with multiple and complex needs. Itis not a deterrent, it struggles to be a place of rehabilitation, the re-offending rates and levels of self harmevidence it does not work.6. Localisation of probation budgets lacks direction or any ring fenced money jeopardising the volume,range, quality, and sustainability of community provision for women.7. Women have a range of complex intersectional needs, Independent Voluntary sector specialistorganisations are best placed to provide effective services. They are under threat by changes in commissioningand contracting.With our submission we have included a report completed by Women in Prison in March, 2012, “Corston +5 Traffic Light report, this report clearly shows progress made against each of the 43 recommendations withinthe Corston ReportIntroductionFor over 28 years Women in Prison has been campaigning for radical reform of the criminal justice system,The Corston Report presented an opportunity to push forward that reform.Five years and two governments later not enough has been achieved. Women in Prison welcome the JusticeSelect Committees Inquiry to review progress and examine current strategy and practice. There is no question,and much evidence, that the current coalition government is in jeopardy of squandering any progress made bythe previous government within a regressive agenda—which will prove expensive in terms of financial andhuman cost.1. Strategy1.1 Lack of strategyThere is a fundamental lack of strategy within the current Ministry of Justice’s (MOJ) administration. Thisis evidenced in the absence of a women’s champion and the absence of a cross departmental women’s workinggroup, both of which could highlight and co-ordinate women’s needs and responding policy frameworks toother departments such as social services, health, employment, and education. The reduction of women’soffending, re-offending and imprisonment is not solely dependent on strategy and subsequent policy frameworkdelivered by the MOJ. Women’s pathways into the criminal justice system are as varied and complex as theirpathways out. Government departmental involvement should reflect this. However there needs to be a highlevel strategic driver for this to happen. At present there is no evidence of this.The nature of the current focus seems to be solely on the provision of community alternatives to custodyfor women with complex needs and non violent offences. Women in Prison welcome a clear focus on promotingand investing in community alternatives to custody. However, community alternatives to custody should notbe understood as an isolated solution to reducing the number of women in custody. In order to reduce thenumber of women in prison, the Government also needs to address the current sentencing framework, andreduce the powers of magistrates to imprison women on short sentences for non violent offences.On a number of occasions commitments have been made by the current coalition Government regarding thepublication of a women’s criminal justice strategy, including the Government report to CEDAW June, 2011.In its report the Government states that it is “developing a strategy that will ensure that women’s sentencedelivery, in both custodial and community environments, is fit for purpose and meets the complex needsof women”. 5We have been given varying dates from the MOJ women’s team when a documented Strategy will bepublished including December, 2012 and more recently September 2012.5UK submission to CEDAW June 2011http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/international-equality/7th-cedaw-report?view=Binary