Recommendations & Conclusions
44 items
1
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
There has been a longstanding recognition, dating back to the 2007 Corston Report, that women who enter the criminal justice system, and those who go on to enter custody, are more likely to be complex and vulnerable individuals. We have heard how women often present with challenges such as substance …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, committing to review the effectiveness of Out of Court Disposals (OOCDs) for women and detailing an 18-month study by RAND Europe, Get the Data and Skills for Health and Justice on police use of OOCDs …
Ministry of Justice
2
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
One of the strategic objectives of the Female Offender Strategy is to see fewer women in custody. Whilst there has been a decline since February 2017 from 3,958 to 3,219 in July 2022, to a large extent this has been a result of lower crime and the reduction in court …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, confirming existing funding for Liaison and Diversion (L&D) services, and committed to a review to identify good practice in L&D women's pathways, followed by a workshop in November and a report to the Non-custodial Partnership …
Ministry of Justice
3
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
The Female Offender Strategy set out an ambition to improve Out of Court Disposals (OOCDs). However, the Strategy did not set out how this would be achieved, and to date, there has been no clear evidence to suggest that more women have been diverted away from custody through improved use …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, stating that the Sentencing Council will consider whether evidence supports separate guidance for female offenders as part of its five-year strategy, and will explore this as part of a review of expanded explanations in guidelines …
Ministry of Justice
4
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
We welcome the Government’s intention through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, to reform the Out of Court Disposals framework. We recommend that the Government set out how it will prioritise gender-specific diversionary routes as part of its plans to improve OOCDs. The Ministry of Justice should also …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, committing to develop and deliver briefing materials for regular engagement sessions with the judiciary and court staff to raise awareness of issues faced by women who offend and inform on sentencing implications, community options, and …
Ministry of Justice
5
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
Liaison and diversion (L&D) services play an essential role in identifying a woman’s need and diverting her from the criminal justice system where appropriate. We are pleased to hear that NHS England has achieved 100% geographical coverage of L&D services and that NHS England are currently enhancing the existing women’s …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by outlining a pre-sentence report (PSR) pilot, launched last year, aimed at improving the quality of information presented to court, with an evaluation report due in 2023, rather than addressing investment or consistency …
Ministry of Justice
6
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
The Ministry of Justice and NHSE/I should set out what financial investment is being made in developing women’s pathways and how this money will be spent to ensure that women’s pathways are being enhanced across all liaison and diversion services. The MoJ and NHSE/I should also set out a timeframe …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by outlining an ongoing process evaluation of the Pre-Sentence Report (PSR) pilot, which includes female offenders as a priority cohort, with a report to be published in 2023, instead of detailing financial investment …
Ministry of Justice
7
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Rejected
We recommend that the Sentencing Council considers whether an overarching guideline or guidance for sentencing female offenders is required.
Government response. The government explicitly rejected the recommendation for an overarching sentencing guideline for female offenders, stating that the sentencing code already requires Pre-Sentence Reports (PSRs) and that they are addressing the issue through the ongoing PSR pilot, which includes female offenders …
Ministry of Justice
8
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
We support the MoJ’s commitment to supporting a greater proportion of women to successfully serve their sentences in the community. We recognise that a shift from custodial to community sentences must be led by the judiciary; however, we note concerns raised by witnesses that sentencer confidence in community sentences has …
Government response. The government launched a grants funding competition on 1 September for providers of women's residential services to apply for funding to pilot residential women's centres, with awards anticipated early 2023.
Ministry of Justice
9
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
The Ministry of Justice should set out what work it is doing with the judiciary to ensure that they have all the relevant and necessary information to inform sentencing decisions. The MoJ should also set out what work is being done to ensure that community sentences offer a credible alternative …
Government response. The government committed over £10m to a Residential Women’s Centre in Wales over the next 3 years and is developing its operating model and planning a feasibility study to evaluate it, despite a planning rejection.
Ministry of Justice
10
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
Pre-sentence reports (PSRs) provide the opportunity for a more personalised response to offending in order to support effective sentencing. We are concerned to see that the number of reports has declined substantially over the last 10 years. We welcome the work that the Ministry of Justice is doing to improve …
Government response. The government announced £24 million over 3 years to support women in the criminal justice system through women's community sector investment and service integration, but did not specifically address the decline in pre-sentence reports or how it plans to increase …
Ministry of Justice
11
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
Regarding the pre-sentence report pilot, the Ministry of Justice should set out how it will measure the success of this pilot, and the criteria it will use to determine whether to expand the initiative. The MoJ should also set out what its targets are for the number of women who …
Government response. The government did not address the specific pre-sentence report pilot, its evaluation, or targets, instead stating that Community Sentence Treatment Requirements (CSTRs) for substance misuse and secondary mental health are available in all court areas, with primary care coverage aimed …
Ministry of Justice
12
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
Given the widespread agreement that pre-sentence reports play a crucial role for women, we agree with Lord Farmer and others that full written pre-sentence reports should be mandatory for all women facing custodial sentences.
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by outlining plans to provide 456 additional trauma-informed prison places across five women's prisons by early 2025, rather than addressing mandatory full written pre-sentence reports.
Ministry of Justice
13
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
Whilst it is disappointing that the MoJ’s progress to date in establishing five new Residential Women’s Centres has been slow, we welcome the Government’s recent announcement that Swansea will be the location of the first centre. The Ministry of Justice should set out an indicative timeline for the development of …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by detailing an internal review of the ACCT (self-harm prevention) process within the women's estate, rather than providing a timeline for remaining Residential Women's Centre pilot sites.
Ministry of Justice
14
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
We recognise that the Residential Women’s Centre model is new and untested, and so we acknowledge the concerns of many of our witnesses over how the centres will operate in practice and how their provision will differ from that of custody. As it develops its plans for the Swansea centre …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by detailing a multi-disciplinary Women’s Self-Harm Taskforce and various prison safety measures, instead of providing operational details or evaluation plans for Residential Women's Centres.
Ministry of Justice
15
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
The Committee has heard about the benefits of existing Women’s Centres in potentially diverting women from custody and providing support to women in their local communities. We note the concerns raised by witnesses that the Government’s investment in Residential Women’s Centres risks diverting money away from Women’s Centres that have …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by detailing the rollout of the OMiC Key Work and Case management model across the women's prison estate, rather than addressing the support for existing community-based Women's Centres.
Ministry of Justice
16
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
Evidence suggests that Community Sentence Treatment Requirements (CSTRs) can offer a credible and appropriate alternative to custody for women. The Committee welcomes the work being done to increase their use from what is a very low base through the CSTR Programme. The Ministry of Justice should now commit to rolling …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by detailing enhanced trauma-informed training for new and existing prison officers in the women’s estate, rather than committing to rolling out CSTRs for 100% court area coverage.
Ministry of Justice
17
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
The Committee notes the concerns raised by witnesses that the commitment to build 500 prison places in the female estate appears at odds with the aims of the Female Offender Strategy. However, we also recognise that the 500 additional prison places have the potential to improve custodial conditions for those …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by detailing reforms in the draft Mental Health Bill to prevent prisons from being used as a place of safety and enable direct transfer to therapeutic settings, rather than clarifying plans for 500 …
Ministry of Justice
18
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
The increasing level of self-harm in the female estate over the last decade is alarming and while the number of self-inflicted deaths is low, even one death is one too many. We recognise that the MoJ and HMPPS are working to address self-harm levels across the female estate and welcome …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by stating it concluded an internal review into the use of remand for own protection under the Bail Act 1976 and established a working group to implement reforms from the draft Mental Health …
Ministry of Justice
19
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Rejected
Although many witnesses have welcomed the revised ACCT process, we note the concern expressed by some that there may be an over-reliance on ACCT, and a perception that it is seen as an outcome in itself. Whilst the ACCT should be seen as a means to achieving a successful outcome …
Government response. The government rejected the recommendation, explaining that a cross-agency group found no robust data sources for the issue and it is not practical to collect new data while focusing on reforms to prevent custody being used as a place of …
Ministry of Justice
20
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
We welcome the implementation of the Offender Management in Custody model in 2021. The Ministry of Justice should confirm whether OMiC has now been rolled out fully across the female estate, and if it has not, the MoJ should set out a timeline for achieving this, including when it is …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded with general information about reducing violence and enhancing prison safety, including a £37 million investment and an innovations taskforce. It did not confirm the full rollout of the OMiC model across the female …
Ministry of Justice
21
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
Many women in prison or in contact with the criminal justice system have experienced past trauma, the effects of which can be long-lasting and affect the way in which an individual interacts with the system. We welcome the work the MoJ and HMPPS are doing to implement a trauma-informed approach …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by stating that a review of health and social care across the women's estate is due to report in Autumn 2022, with next steps to be considered afterwards, without clarifying the scope of …
Ministry of Justice
22
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
The MoJ should clarify who is required to undertake the training. Additionally, the MoJ, HMPPS and NHSE/I should set out how the training will be structured and whether there will be mandated refresher training. The MoJ and HMPPS should also confirm what proportion of staff have completed the training to …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by discussing a joint Information Sharing Task & Finish group's delivery plan for 2022-2023, amendments to medical emergency protocols, and the refreshing of the Substance Misuse service specification, without addressing the specific questions …
Ministry of Justice
23
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
We continue to believe that it is not acceptable for the custodial environment to be used as a ‘place of safety’ for the acutely unwell, or for a person’s ‘own protection’. Community settings also have a duty of care to individuals, and prisons should not be regarded as a solution …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, stating that governors work with NHS commissioners and providers to ensure timely access to healthcare, and Local Prison Health Delivery Boards plan responses, describing existing arrangements rather than new steps to prevent using prison as …
Ministry of Justice
24
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
We note from the Government’s response to our ‘Mental health in prison’ Report that it is conducting a review into the use of powers to remand an individual to 78 Women in Prison custody for their own protection under the Bail Act 1976. The Ministry of Justice should set out …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by detailing actions taken in response to PPO recommendations regarding Baby A and Baby B deaths, including a new policy on Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Units, and the development of a Pregnancy and …
Ministry of Justice
25
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
It is disappointing that data gathering on this issue is so poor, such that it is not possible to estimate the number of people affected across the prison estate. The Ministry of Justice should put in place mechanisms for the collection of reliable data on the use of custody as …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by stating it has completed 25 out of 31 of Lord Farmer’s recommendations on family relationships and will publish a progress update by the end of 2022, which is unrelated to collecting data …
Ministry of Justice
26
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
It is concerning that the rate of violent incidents across the female estate rose during the pandemic. Whilst we acknowledge that the pandemic may have contributed to the increase, the MoJ and HMPPS should set out what work is being done to address the level of assault across the female …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by detailing changes to the Basic Custody Screening Tool for data collection and efforts through the £19.7m BOLD programme to understand children affected by parental incarceration, rather than outlining work to address violence …
Ministry of Justice
27
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
The Committee is concerned that, aside from statistics on self-harm, there is a lack of reliable and current data on the specific health needs of women in custody. In order to address women’s physical and mental health needs in prison it is vital to know, in the first instance, what …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by stating it is piloting changes to a scheme to enable more children to visit and plans a relaunch of the Help with Visits scheme by April 2023, which is unrelated to collecting …
Ministry of Justice
28
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
We welcome the work of the National Women’s Prisons Health and Social Care Review. Once the review has published, NHSE/I, HMPPS and the MoJ should set out an action plan for how it will respond to its findings, including operational response, policy implications and how service offers and gaps in …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but responded by outlining measures to maintain family contact during the pandemic, retaining social video calling permanently, and introducing a new central data collection for family visits from February 2023, rather than committing to an …
Ministry of Justice
29
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
It is concerning that issues relating to healthcare continue to be a contributing factor to deaths in custody. The MoJ, HMPPS and NHSE/I should set out what work they are doing to: • improve communications between staff across all disciplines in prisons; • improve the response to medical emergencies; and …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but focused its response on improvements in data collection for learning difficulties, educational attainment (exploring gender breakdown in Autumn 2022), and care experience (publishing guidance in Oct 2022 and a research project until Jan 2023), …
Ministry of Justice
30
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
The circumstances surrounding the deaths of Baby A and Baby B identified serious failings in the care and management of Ms A and Ms B, and some serious errors in judgement, as described in the subsequent reports by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO). The findings of both reports are …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but did not provide an update on the PPO reports regarding Baby A and Baby B deaths or how lessons learned are being applied. Instead, it outlined commitments to transform the Prisoner Education Service, recruit …
Ministry of Justice
31
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Acknowledged
We recognise that custody can have a significant effect on family life and welcome the work being done in response to Lord Farmer’s Review for Women. We note that 12 of the 33 recommendations have been actioned; however, it is not clear what progress has been made on the remaining …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, outlining general work related to employment opportunities and Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) for women, including ensuring all 12 women’s prisons have Employer Advisory Boards, Prison Employment Leads, and Employment Hubs. It provided data showing …
Ministry of Justice
32
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
It continues to be a concern that the MoJ does not know how many women in prison are primary carers. Without this data, it is not possible to assess the specific needs of mothers in prison, or how well these needs are being met. We note that the MoJ is …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but did not set out work or a timeline for collecting and publishing data on women in prison who are primary carers. Instead, it described commitments to improve job opportunities and employment support for women, …
Ministry of Justice
33
Conclusion
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
As discussed in previous chapters, we welcome the work being done to improve community alternatives to custody and to make these a viable option for women. However, for those who are sentenced to custody, given the small number of prisons, we know that women will often be placed far away …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but did not address the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme or how to raise awareness of it. Instead, it focused on commitments to prevent homelessness for prison leavers through the Community Accommodation Service, detailing gender-specific provision, …
Ministry of Justice
34
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
We recognise the damaging effect that the pandemic had on face-to-face contact for women and welcome the measures that were taken to ensure that women could maintain contact with their families. The Ministry of Justice should set out what measures, if any, that were introduced in response to the pandemic, …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but did not address family contact measures, pandemic-related changes, or family visit data. Instead, it detailed the Community Accommodation Service for prison leavers, outlining temporary accommodation, single-gender provision with 10% for women, and the support …
Ministry of Justice
35
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Rejected
It is clear that there is a gap in education data for women, which makes it difficult to provide education that meets the specific needs that women may present with. We do not know their educational needs, whether they have learning disabilities, and nor do we know their qualification levels, …
Government response. The government explicitly rejected the recommendation, claiming the issue is already being addressed through other means. However, the subsequent explanation focused solely on strategies for reducing homelessness and providing accommodation services for prison leavers, including gender-specific provision and increasing women …
Ministry of Justice
36
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
Whilst we recognise that the quality of education provision across the female estate is generally better than in the male estate, it is concerning that provision for women 80 Women in Prison is too narrow, and access to education can be varied, depending on sentence length. The Ministry of Justice …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation and outlined a new Resettlement Approach, including embedded pre-release teams in women's prisons to connect women with community support and services. It committed to pursuing legislation to allow earlier release where a release date falls …
Ministry of Justice
37
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Deferred
We welcome the changes to release on temporary licence to give prison governors greater autonomy and allow prisoners more opportunities to work and train with employers while serving their sentence. However, it is not clear how these changes have considered the specific needs of female offenders. The Ministry of Justice …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation but did not explain how changes to Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) specifically considered female offenders' Education, Training, and Employment (ETE) needs or provide data on improved ETE access via ROTL. Instead, it described a …
Ministry of Justice
38
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
The New Futures Network has the potential to increase job opportunities for women upon release from prison. However, given the small size of the female estate and the likelihood that women will be placed far from home, it is unclear how the New Futures Network will adapt to address this …
Government response. The government committed to embedding pre-release teams in all women's prisons to provide specific support services including finance and debt, and aims to commence additional specialist accommodation and debt support for women by autumn.
Ministry of Justice
39
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
Accommodation is one of the most significant and urgent barriers to effective resettlement. We welcome the work the MoJ is doing to address this barrier and are particularly pleased to hear about the new accommodation service. We note that it provides up to 12 weeks of basic temporary accommodation for …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, detailing that the Community Accommodation Service considers women's needs with gender-specific provision, an additional 39 beds in Approved Premises, and a commitment to reserve 10% of bed spaces in each probation region for female offenders …
Ministry of Justice
40
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
As important as service provision is, quality and appropriateness of accommodation is also important for female prison leavers. The Ministry of Justice should set out what the basic accommodation consists of (e.g. hostel spaces, hotels etc.) and how it has considered the specific needs of women in this accommodation offer.
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, detailing that the community accommodation service uses private rented sector or short-term hotels, with 10% of provision in each region dedicated to single-gender usage for female prison leavers, and additional support through Women’s Commissioned Rehabilitation …
Ministry of Justice
41
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
We recognise that accommodation is an issue that sits not only within the remit of the MoJ—it requires joint working across Government departments, local authorities, third sector organisations etc to achieve effective change. The Ministry of Justice should develop a cross-department strategy to address the accommodation needs of women in …
Government response. The government rejected the recommendation, stating a cross-department strategy is already being delivered through the Prison Strategy White Paper and Beating Crime Plan, which include ensuring no one is released homeless and specific support for women's accommodation needs.
Ministry of Justice
42
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
We recognise the resettlement challenges that women may face when they are held in custody far from their home area. We welcome the efforts to address this for prisoners held on remand. However, it is not clear what wider work is being done to mitigate the effects of geography on …
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, outlining that Probation Practitioners will build relationships regardless of prison location, pre-release teams will link with home area services, and new initiatives include early release legislation and a personalised resettlement passport for women by the …
Ministry of Justice
43
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
Women on short sentences face significant challenges regarding resettlement. We welcome the introduction of the short sentence function; however, it is not clear how this works in practice to address the needs of female offenders on short sentences. We note that there have been early adopters of this function, and …
Government response. The government accepts the recommendation, stating a new performance measure will be introduced in 2023 for pre-release assessments for those with short sentences. Short Sentence Functions will involve staff working directly with people on probation, including pre-release teams in women’s …
Ministry of Justice
44
Recommendation
First Report - Women in Prison
Accepted
Continuity of care for women on short and longer sentences is fundamental to successful resettlement. The MoJ and HMPPS should set out what work they are doing to ensure that women experience continuity of care from prison through to release. (Paragraph 226) 82 Women in Prison
Government response. The government accepted the recommendation, outlining a new resettlement approach with embedded pre-release teams in women's prisons, enhanced collaboration between Probation Practitioners and other services, and new specialist support for accommodation, finance, and debt for women by autumn.
Ministry of Justice