The government responded to an official review of the treatment of vulnerable women by the criminal justice system. It said that it accepted 'almost all' of the 43 recommendations.
Source: The Government's Response to the Report by Baroness Corston of a Review of Women with Particular Vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System, Cm 7261, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Fawcett Society press release | Nacro press release | SmartJustice press release | Liberal Democrats press release
Date: 2007-Dec
A briefing paper highlighted the potential for significant lifetime cost savings and crime reduction if the government established a network of support and supervision centres helping women offenders to address the root causes of their offending.
Source: Pauline Ngan, Measuring What Matters: Women in the criminal justice system, Prison Reform Trust (020 7251 5070) and New Economics Foundation
Links: PRT press release | Liberal Democrats press release
Date: 2007-Dec
A report said that more woman-only, community-based centres should be used for women offenders, in place of prison.
Source: Loraine Gelsthorpe, Gilly Sharpe and Jenny Roberts, Provision for Women Offenders in the Community, Fawcett Society (020 7253 2598)
Links: Report | Summary | Fawcett Society press release
Date: 2007-Jul
A report said that the government should act swiftly to address the damage caused by imprisoning women. In the first half of 2007, six women had committed suicide in prison in England and Wales – more than in the whole of either of the previous two years.
Source: Commission on Women and the Criminal Justice System, Women and Justice, Fawcett Society (020 7253 2598)
Links: Report | Fawcett Society press release | MOJ press release
Date: 2007-Jul
A new book evaluated the development of a residential programme for female offenders (run by the Griffins Society), which used a distinctive model of care provision by volunteer, upper-middle-class women.
Source: Judith Rumgay, Ladies of Lost Causes: Rehabilitation, women offenders and the voluntary sector, Willan Publishing (01884 840337)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Mar
An official report called for women's prisons to be closed down and replaced with small secure units, as part of a radical 10-year reform programme.
Source: Jean Corston, The Corston Report: A report by Baroness Jean Corston of a review of women with particular vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report | Hansard | Home Office press release | Nacro press release | Fawcett press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Mar
A report examined the health needs of young women (aged 17) being held in the secure prison estate. It highlighted the extreme vulnerability of this group, who suffered the consequences of multiple forms of abuse, neglect, and social exclusion.
Source: Nicola Douglas and Emma Plugge, A Health Needs Assessment for Young Women in Young Offender Institutions, Youth Justice Board for England and Wales/Home Office (020 7271 3033)
Date: 2007-Feb
A report examined the range of needs women faced when leaving prison, focusing particularly on housing, mental health, substance misuse, and relationships.
Source: Sarah Hamilton and Rob Fitzpatrick, Working with Complexity: Meeting the resettlement needs of women at HMP Styal, Revolving Doors Agency (020 7242 9222)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Feb