Recommendations & Conclusions
15 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
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
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
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
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