Mar
Our justice system, designed for men, is not working for women.
- Our prisons are full of trauma: over 60 per cent of women in prison have experienced domestic violence and more than half have experienced abuse as a child
- Our prisons are bad at rehabilitating and deterring women from further offending. Instead, they actively harm them and their children.
- Racially minoritised women are further disadvantaged: overrepresented at every point in the system and more likely than White women to be remanded and receive a sentence in the Crown Court.
- The human and financial cost of the system’s failure is significant.
Watch the event
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About the event
On Monday, 10 March, the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies and the National Women’s Justice Coalition published a new report: Breaking out of the Justice Loop: Creating a criminal justice system that works for women.
The report, by Naomi Delap (Director, Birth Companions) and Liz Hogarth (Independent women’s justice expert), examines why the justice system continues to fail women, and what needs to change.
Chair and speakers
This online-only event, held on Tuesday 18 March, was an opportunity to hear from the two authors of this report and to find out more about what a transformational change for women might involve.
- Abbi Ayers, Director of Strategic Development, National Women’s Justice Coalition (Chair)
- Naomi Delap, Director, Birth Companions
- Liz Hogarth OBE, independent women’s justice expert and former civil servant
- Helen Mills, Head of Programmes, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies
Context for this event
The event and report come at an important time for women’s justice. The Labour government has announced a bold approach to respond to these issues. The creation of a Women’s Justice Board and its new strategy will, it is stated, reduce the number of women in prison and tackle the root causes of women’s offending by driving early intervention, diversion and alternatives to custody.
This new direction is a cause for celebration. If the initiative is to work, however, it is imperative we learn from the lessons of the past in order to avoid making the same mistakes; and look to other models for solutions in order to deliver, finally, a justice system that works for women.
