 | Invisible Women: Understanding women's experiences of long-term imprisonmentNovember 2021
This briefing highlights the far-reaching consequences of a lack of specialist, gender-specific, trauma informed provision for women serving very long sentences.
Read the press release here.
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 | CAPPTIVE: Women's experiences of prison during the Covid-19 lockdown regimeSeptember 2021
This briefing, based on evidence from women in prison highlights the consequences of a restricted regime amounting to 'prolonged solitary confinement', during the Covid-19 lockdown regime.
Read the press release here.
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| Why focus on reducing women's imprisonment?July 2021
This briefing provides a concise explanation of the need to focus on reducing women's imprisonment. It contains key facts on the number of women imprisoned, the characteristics of women in prison, as well as information about community-based services and solutions.
Read the press release here.
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 | Female Offender Strategy matrixApril 2021
This briefing tracks the implementation of commitments made in the government's 2018 Female Offender Strategy, most of which are vaguely worded and unclear. Of 65 commitments, 31 have been fully achieved, 20 partially achieved, and there has been no progress or measurable implementation of 14.
Read the press release here.
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 | Safe Homes for Women Leaving PrisonOctober 2020 This briefing published in collaboration with London Prisons Mission, the Church of St Martin in the Fields and HMP&YOI Bronzefield exposes a failing system that leaves thousands of women released from prisons with just £46, a plastic bag, no where to live and the threat of a return to custody if they miss their probation appointment. Download here. Download the press release here. | | |
 | Transforming Lives: a study looking at the landscape of support for women who offend and ways to move forward in Northern IrelandSpring 2020 This briefing published by NIACRO as part of their involvement in the UK wide Transforming Lives programme calls for a radical new approach to women who offend in Northern Ireland. Download here Read the press release here
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 | Working it Out: Improving employment opportunities for women with criminal convictionsFebruary 2020 This updated briefing summarises research on employment opportunities and outcomes for women offenders. The report identifies the particular barriers they face and highlights good pactice in the community and in prisons. Download here Read the press release here | | |
| Transforming Lives evaluation - lessons for future advocacySeptember 2019 This policy briefing from PRT and NatCen summarises learning from the first phase of the independent evaluation of the Transforming Lives programme aimed at reducing the unnecessary imprisonment of women, covering the period 2016 to 2018. The evaluation aimed to examine how the advocacy and influencing work undertaken with a range of governmental, criminal justice and third sector organisations may have contributed to changes in policy, practice or approaches to women's justice. The briefing identifies three effective influencing strategies used by the programme and explores lessons for future advocacy. Download here | | |
| Why focus on reducing women's imprisonmentAugust 2019
These documents provide a brief, concise and informative explanation
on the need to focus on reducing the imprisonment of women in the UK.
Download England and Wales here
Download Northern Ireland here
Download Scotland here
Download Wales here
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| Out of the ShadowsMay 2019
This report draws on the experiences of 24 women with learning disabilities in contact with, or on the edges of, the criminal justice system; and practitioners working within criminal justice, social care, and women's services. Abuse by men lay behind the offending behaviour of most of the participating women.
Download here
Read the press release here
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| Broken Trust: the rising numbers of women recalled to prisonDecember 2018
This report reveals that over 1,700 women were recalled to prison in England and Wales during the last year, and that reforms which were intended to help are making things worse. Women are trapped in the justice system rather than being enabled to rebuild their lives.
Read the press release here
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| Leading change: the role of local authorities in supporting women with multiple needsOctober 2018
This report suggests way in which local leaders and councillors can make a positive difference to the daily lives of women and children, helping them to lead healthy, fulfiling and productive lives.
Download here
Read the press release here
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| Still no way outSeptember 2018 This report considers experience of foreign national women and trafficked women in the criminal justice system in England and Wales. It drew upon data from a number of sources, including evidence gathered by Hibiscus. The report makes detailed recommendations for reform. Download the summary report here Download the full report here Read the press release here | | |
| What about me?July 2018
This report considers the impact on children of maternal imprisonment, finding that this not only damages the child’s relationship with their mother, but can affect every area of their lives, including their housing, education, health, and well-being. The report makes detailed recommendations for reform.
Download here Read the press release here | | |
| Home truths: housing for women in the criminal justice systemJune 2018 This report found a chronic shortage of housing support for women released from custody is driving them back to prison. Download here Read the press release here | | |
| | Oxford University and the Prison Reform Trust create new resources to improve the understanding of the impacts of maternal imprisonment.Click here to listen to Dr Shona Minson discussing the new resources on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. (Click this link to see the video on YouTube) Read the press release here | | |
 | Responding to the needs of women in the criminal justice systemJanuary 2018
This report provides an overview of the training delivered to Criminal Justice professionals and members of the judiciary on the specific needs of women in the criminal justice system, and makes recommendations for the further development of training modules and how they might be delivered.
Download here
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| "There's a reason we're in trouble" - Domestic abuse as a driver to women's offendingDecember 2017
This report identifies strong links between women's experience of domestic and sexual abuse and coercive relationships, and their offending. Download hereThe Criminal Bar Association has produced an accompanying briefing on the defences available for women defendants who are victims/survivors of domestic abuse. Download hereRead the press release here |
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| Triage and diversion: Getting it right 24/7November 2017
Report of a seminar held early 2017 with Police Scotland considering the benefits and opportunities of early interventions for women.
Download hereRead the press release here |
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| Why focus on reducing women's imprisonment in Scotland?November 2017An updated briefing highlighting progress made in Scotland, it contains key facts and figures on women imprisoned in Scotland, the characteristics of women in prison and the drivers to their offending, as well as information about community-based services and solutions.
Download here
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| Counted Out: Black, Asian and minority ethnic women in the criminal justice systemAugust 2017
This briefing highlights the different experiences of women from minority ethnic groups in the criminal justice system. We propose measures to help ensure that women are not disadvantaged in their contact with criminal justice agencies because they are Black, Gypsy, Roma or Traveller, Asian, Muslim or from any other minority ethnic or religious group. Download here
Read the press release here
Read the executive summary here
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| Fair Cop? Improving outcomes for women at the point of arrestMarch 2017 This briefing looks at the variations in how police forces deal with women who come into the criminal justice system, and provides solutions and examples of positive work being delivered by police to tackle low level, non-violent crime committed by women. Download here |
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| Why focus on reducing women's imprisonment?![]() February 2017
This updated briefing summarises the evidence relating to women in the criminal justice system and builds the case for reducing the imprisonment of women for minor offences Download here.
Download the Scottish supplement here.
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| Leading Change: the role of local authorities in supporting women with multiple needsOctober 2016
This report sets out the case for change and suggests practical ways in which local authorities can prioritise and address the needs of some of the most vulnerable citizens in their local area.
Download here.
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| Home truths: housing for women in the criminal justice systemSeptember 2016 This report summarises research on housing for women in the criminal justice system, identifies the barriers they face and highlights best practice across the UKDownload here. |
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| Women and Criminal Justice in Scotland: event reportMarch 2016
This report provides a summary of the discussions that took place at the 'Women and Criminal Justice in Scotland' event that Prison Reform Trust jointly hosted with the Criminal Justice Sector Voluntary Forum (CJSVF).
Download here.
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| Sentencing of Mothers: Improving the sentencing process
and outcomes for women with dependent childrenNovember 2015This discussion paper provides an overview of current sentencing practice for women with dependent children and sets out a number of proposals for improving the
operation of the justice system.
Download here | | |
 | Why focus on reducing women's imprisonmentJuly 2015This briefing summarises the evidence relating to women in the criminal justice system and builds the case for reducing the imprisonment of women for minor offences | | |
 | Transforming Lives: Reducing Women's ImprisonmentJanuary 2015This report, based upon evidence collected by the Soroptimists, provides a country-by-country overview of current practice relating to women in the criminal justice system
Download full report here
Download the Scotland-specific section of the report here
Download the Wales-specific section of the report here
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| Working it out: Employment for women offendersJanuary 2015
This briefing summarises research on employment opportunities and outcomes for women offenders, identifies the particular barriers they face and highlights good practice in the community and in custody
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| Brighter FuturesMarch 2014This report profiles innovative approaches to reducing women’s offending and calls for the development of coordinated services that bring together police, health, women’s services and local authorities to help women turn their lives around.
Download here
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| International good practice: alternatives to imprisonment for women offendersSeptember 2013
An information resource produced by the Prison Reform Trust to inspire and support efforts to reduce the unnecessary imprisonment of women.
Download here
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| Action Pack: Reducing Women's Imprisonment April 2013This action pack has been produced by the Prison Reform Trust in partnership with the Soroptimist UK Programme Action Committee to inform and support the Soroptimists’ campaign to end the unnecessary imprisonment of women in the UK.
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 | No Way Out: A briefing paper on foreign national women in prison in England and WalesJanuary 2012This briefing, drawing on the experience and work of the charity FPWP Hibiscus, the Female Prisoners Welfare Project, recommendations which could be used to inform a much-needed national strategy for the management of foreign national women in the justice system.
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| Reforming Women's Justice: The Final Report of the Women's Justice TaskforceJune 2011The final report of the Women's Justice Taskforce summarises the wide-ranging review of women's justice and makes a series of recommendations for reform of the systemDownload here | | |
| Lacking conviction: The rise of the women's remand populationAugust 2004This report reveals a widespread misuse of custody and examines its impact on some of the most vulnerable women in society.
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 | Troubled Inside: Responding to the Mental Health Needs of Women in Prison 2003This report draws on conference papers and recent research findings to improve and accelerate the response from the authorities to women offenders with mental health needs, so that they get the treatment they need, and fewer are imprisoned inappropriatelyDownload here | | |
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