Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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behaviour by male prison staff. 61 (See Article 1 and Appendix: 27 for further information)
Recommendations:
• The recommendations of the Corston Report must be implemented, particularly
in relation to community alternatives to custody, the mental health needs of
female offenders, women with caring responsibilities, and the relationship
between female offending and histories of violence and abuse
• Adequate health, including mental health, services are needed for women in
prisons and the mental health and substance misuse needs of vulnerable women
need to be assessed by Health and Wellbeing Boards at a local level
Women specific sentencing disposals are not consistently available across the country. For
example, between April 2009 and March 2010 only four of 35 Probation Trusts were running the
Women’s Programme. 62 The National Offender Management Service has produced guidance
on working with women; 63 however, the guidance was not referenced in the latest Government
policy proposals on community sentences. 64 This illustrates how the lack of a strategy on
women in the CJS is causing opportunities for progress to be missed.
Recommendation:
Adopt a national action plan on women in the criminal justice system to be led at
the highest level of Government and report regularly on progress made. This should
be a joined-up approach bringing together different government departments to
coordinate a holistic response. The causes of women’s offending must be targeted
and gender-sensitive policies, strategies and programmes for women in prisons
developed
There are also worrying signs from the voluntary sector working with offenders that
the economic downturn is impacting heavily on the most vulnerable service users and
disproportionately upon women. For example, organisations delivering services to women have
raised concerns about the specific impact on women of current reforms to benefits and legal
aid. 65 (See Article 13 and Appendix: 28)
Recommendation:
The Government must ensure that the impact of funding and service cuts on women
in low income and/or single-parent households are rigorously monitored and
assessed, to avoid perpetuating poverty-related offending
61. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (2011) Report on a full unannounced inspection of HMP Holloway 15 – 23 April 2010. HM Prisons Inspectorate:
London http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/inspectorate-reports/hmipris/prison-and-yoi-inspections/holloway/
Holloway_2010_rps.pdf Para. 2.35. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspection body which has a coordinating
function for the UK’s National Preventative Mechanisms under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention Against Torture.
62. Ministry of Justice (2010) Freedom of Information Request: FOI 67233. Ministry of Justice: London
63. National Offender Management Service Women and Equalities Group (2012) A Distinct Approach: A guide to working with women
offenders. Ministry of Justice: London http://www.clinks.org/assets/files/PDFs/Holding%20Page%20docs/A%20Distinct%20Approach%20
A%20guide%20to%20working%20with%20women%20offenders%20March%202012.pdf
64. Ministry of Justice (2012) Punishment and Reform: Effective Community Sentences. Ministry of Justice: London https://consult.justice.
gov.uk/digital-communications/effective-community-services-1
65. Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (2012) A report of the Task and Finish Group. Breaking the cycle of women’s offending:
a system re-design. http://www.clinks.org/publications/reports/rr3-women-tfg
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