A report said that large numbers of women offenders had backgrounds of abuse and victimization. Over half of women in prison had suffered domestic violence, and 1 in 3 had experienced sexual abuse.
Source: Judith Rumgay, When Victims Become Offenders: In search of coherence in policy and practice, Fawcett Society (020 7253 2598)
Links: Report (Word file) | Fawcett Society press release (Word file)
Date: 2004-Dec
A report examined the conditions of imprisonment of women and girls in Northern Ireland, and the implications for their human rights.
Source: Phil Scraton and Linda Moore, The Hurt Inside: The imprisonment of women and girls in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (028 9024 3987)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Oct
A report said that 6 out of 10 women imprisoned while awaiting trial were subsequently acquitted or given a non-custodial sentence. The number of women being remanded into custody had more than trebled in a decade, despite the fact that more than three-quarters were charged with non-violent or minor offences. Nearly 40 per cent of incidents of self-harm in women-only jails were carried out by prisoners on remand.
Source: Lacking Conviction: The rise of the women's remand population, Prison Reform Trust (020 7251 5070)
Links: Report (pdf) | PRT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Sep
A new edition of a book provided an introduction to gender issues in crime and criminal justice. The new edition was updated to take full account of recent developments, in particular the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Source: Sandra Walklate, Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice (Second edition), Willan Publishing (01884 840337)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-May
A new book analysed the reasons for the rapid increase of number of women in prison; it also focused on the experiences of women in prison and how these differed from men's.
Source: Pat Carlen and Anne Worrall, Analysing Women's Imprisonment, Willan Publishing (01884 840337)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-May
A report summarised the findings of a survey of female juveniles completing detention and training orders. The majority of those interviewed had poor educational histories with low levels of attainment; exceptionally low levels of self-esteem were prevalent in all but a small minority; the custodial part of the order provided a time of respite in a relatively safe and secure environment; attendance at education during custody was highly valued by the majority; but the community aspect of the order was 'fraught with risk' - it did not provide them with sufficient structure or support to cope with personal problems or help them to progress to further education, training or employment. The government reportedly announced that teenage girls would be held separately from adult women prisoners by 2006, following construction of four specialist units at existing prisons.
Source: Office of Standards in Education, Girls in Prison: The education and training of under-18s serving detention and training orders, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales (020 7035 2103) | The Guardian, 21 April 2004
Links: Report (pdf) | HMP press release | Howard League press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Apr
A research report examined female offenders in Scotland and custody decisions. It was found that women were less likely to be remanded than men, and had a different profile of offending. The most common crimes for which women were remanded in custody differed from those which resulted in male remand; women were most likely to be remanded in custody for shoplifting and 'other theft', while men were most likely to be remanded for violence and 'other dishonesty'. There was a wide variation in the use of remand across the Sheriff Courts. Judicial opinion was found to differ on whether females should be treated any differently from males in relation to the bail/custody decision.
Source: Kevin Brown, Peter Duff and Fiona Leverick, A Preliminary Analysis of the Bail/Custody Decision in Relation to Female Accused, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2004-Mar
The government announced a new cross-departmental action plan to tackle women s offending and reduce the number of women in prison. The 'Women s Offending Reduction Programme', lasting three years, would co-ordinate work across departments and agencies to ensure that policies, services, and other interventions responded more appropriately to the particular needs and characteristics of women offenders and addressed the wide range of factors which could affect why women offend. The government also published an annual statistical report on women and the criminal justice system. Campaigners expressed concern that, without extra resources or a strategic body such as a Women's Justice Board, the action plan could fall at the first hurdle.
Source: Women s Offending Reduction Programme: Action plan, Home Office (0870 000 1585) | Statistics on Women and the Criminal Justice System: 2003, Home Office | Press release 11 March 2004, Prison Reform Trust (020 7251 5070)
Links: Action plan (pdf) | Statistical report (pdf) | Home Office press release | PRT press release | Drugscope press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Mar
A report said that women were failed by a criminal justice system that had been designed principally by men, and remained principally for men. It said that women victims, offenders and workers all received rough justice from a man-made system. An associated report said there was a 'glass ceiling' in operation right across the criminal justice system, excluding women from top jobs.
Source: Holly Dustin (ed.), Commission on Women and the Criminal Justice System: Final report, Fawcett Society (020 7253 2598) | Commission on Women and the Criminal Justice System: Interim report on women working in the criminal justice system, Fawcett Society
Links: Final report summary (pdf) | Interim report (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Mar
A report summarised lessons learned from a study that examined the pilot implementation of the 'Real Women Programme' - a group work programme designed for acquisitive female offenders. Tutors and offenders participating in the pilot expressed positive views about the programme and its relevance and impact on their lives.
Source: Focus on Female Offenders: The Real Women Programme - Probation Service pilot, Development and Practice Report 18, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Mar
A paper drew together the key findings of research on whether the risk factors for offending differed for males and females. Although important risk factors for brothers and sisters were similar, there were some gender differences: for example, socio-economic and child-rearing factors (such as low family income and poor parental supervision) were more important for sisters, and parental characteristics (such as nervous fathers and mothers) were more predictive of offending for brothers. A second paper by the same authors concluded that risk assessment using family factors was likely to be more accurate for females than for males.
Source: David Farrington and Kate Painter, Gender Differences in Risk Factors for Offending, Research Findings 196, Home Office (020 7273 2084) | David Farrington and Kate Painter, Gender Differences in Offending: Implications for risk-focused prevention, Online Report 09/04, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Findings (pdf) | Online report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb