Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Accepted
Insufficient progress and investment undermine the Female Offender Strategy's aims for vulnerable women.
Conclusion
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 misuse and mental health issues as well as complex histories of trauma and abuse, including domestic abuse. The 2018 Female Offender Strategy represented a welcome step forward in the Government’s recognition that a specific approach was needed to achieve outcomes for women. We are, however, concerned about the lack of progress the Government has made against the aims and objectives set out in the Strategy and note that the Female Offender Programme has lacked the investment needed to make the aims of the Strategy achievable in reality. (Paragraph 24) Reducing the number of women in Custody
Government response summary AI-generated
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 for adults with health vulnerabilities, including women, due to conclude in March 2023.
Government Response
The government responded to this report on 21 October 2022. No passage in that response could be matched to this conclusion. Read the response document ↗