This specialist quarterly ebulletin keeps you updated on relevant developments for organisations working to support women in contact with the criminal justice system. Please contact Jackie Lowthian at Jackie.lowthian@clinks.org if there is anything you would like to raise or to include items in the next ebulletin.
In this edition...
- News
- Events and training
- Publications and resources
- Campaigns
- Funding
- Blogs
- Extra information
Meeting women’s needs: influencing the future probation model
Clinks has been in ongoing conversation with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to inform the development of the probation reform programme. Following these conversations, we are pleased that the MoJ have responded to concerns about their previous plans for the commissioning of women specific services through the Dynamic Framework. We welcome their recent announcement that Day One services will now be commissioned at PCC geographical areas and will include women’s interventions as one separate lot for all services. This commissioning process aligns more closely with what is needed to ensure women’s organisations are able to deliver their services holistically to meet the needs of their service users. We will continue to advocate on behalf of these organisations as the probation review programme develops. Find out more about Clinks’ work on probation reform here
New government, new criminal justice policy proposals
The new government set out its policy programme in the Queen’s Speech in December 2019, including a number of bills that will impact upon people in the criminal justice system, such as a Sentencing Bill, Serious Violence Bill and Police Powers and Protections Bill. The government has however made no new policy announcements to address the specific issues women in the criminal justice system face. Lucy Frazer QC MP, Minister of State for Prisons and Probation, retains women in her responsibilities. Clinks have written to her outlining the need for the new government to deliver on its existing commitment to implement and fund the Female Offenders Strategy. Read this summary of the criminal justice proposals in the Queens’s Speech, by Russell Webster here
Clinks' call for cross-departmental accommodation strategy
Clinks has responded to HM Inspectorate of Probation’s (HMIP) call for evidence for its thematic inspection of probation work on accommodation services. We repeat our recommendation that the Ministry of Justice develop a cross-departmental accommodation strategy for people in contact with the criminal justice system. Many women in the criminal justice system require women-only accommodation, but provision has declined in recent years. There are only six Approved Premises for women in England, with none in London or Wales. Only 7% of accommodation projects were women-only in 2017, down from 13% in 2013. In the absence of such appropriate spaces, we see women held on remand because they can’t be properly housed, and women being moved into mixed-gender setting hostels, which are often wholly inappropriate. Find out more here
Safe homes in London for women leaving prison
At a summit on 21st November, organised by London Prisons Mission, St Martin in the Fields with Prison Reform Trust (PRT), and chaired by the Lord Bishop of Gloucester, participants identified next steps for improving accommodation outcomes for women leaving prison to resettle in London. The proposals from the summit, which build on the London Blueprint for women offenders will form the basis for a delegation to Ministers of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Ministry of Justice early in 2020. Read the PRT briefing, Home Truths, which served as a key resource for the summit here
Improving outcomes for women at sentence
The Howard League for Penal Reform is keen to hear from those with experience of sentencing procedures for women in the magistrates’ courts - whether on the bench, as a defendant or in a professional capacity. It aims to reduce the use of short prison sentences for women and ensure that the sentences they do receive are manageable and fair. It is exploring the challenges which all participants - particularly Magistrates and District Judges - encounter when a woman is sentenced. The Howard League are considering, in particular, the case for amending the guidelines used by sentencers, as a way of ensuring that women’s distinct experiences and needs are addressed fairly. You can read more about this work here
Call for evidence on domestic abuse survivors who offend
The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) is looking for examples of women being charged or convicted on an offence as a result of domestic abuse. The Queen’s Speech in December confirmed the government will reintroduce the Domestic Abuse Bill. PRT, in partnership with others, intends to reintroduce amendments to improve legal protection for survivors who offend due to domestic abuse. The Court of Appeal cases of Farieissia Martin and Emma-Jayne Magson and BBC documentary about the case of Sally Challen, have helped to raise public awareness about women who are driven by abuse to offend. You can find out more and add your support here
Join a community of women’s organisations
Do you want to join a community of sisterhood, solidarity and activism? Women’s Resource Centre (WRC)’s network is made up of a diverse range of predominantly small, grassroots women’s organisations alongside organisations that stand in solidarity with their mission and for individuals who believe in and want to contribute to their work. Members are valuable collaborators and agents for change and WRC exists to represent their collective voice. WRC has 4 membership types: Sisterhood, Solidarity, Activist and WRC Community. Membership is free for women’s organisations and for other organisations and individuals it is priced according to income. Membership benefits include: full access to the WRC Research Library, discounts on training and events, job advertisements and our monthly newsletter in your inbox. Find out more here
Clinks: training and coaching for staff in specialist women’s organisations
Join our coaching and mentoring scheme! As part of our new capacity building programme for specialist women’s organisations, Clinks is looking for experienced leaders in the women’s sector to become peer coaches. Peer coaches will receive a one-day training course in coaching skills. Following this you will be matched to someone who has requested support. The scheme forms part of a programme of training courses, expert seminars and webinars covering sustainability and funding; involving people with lived experience; engaging diverse groups; and improving evidence of impact. Find out more and express interest in becoming a coach here
If you are interested in joining the scheme as a mentee, please email Jackie.lowthian@clinks.org and she will get back to you with details of how to apply in a few weeks.
Training: feminist leadership
Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) is running a number of ‘Feminist Leadership’ courses on various dates in different locations [7th February, London | 13th February, Glasgow |27th February, Newcastle | 5th March, Manchester | from £65]. Investigating and exploring what makes a feminist leader of social change, these one-day courses explore topics related to power, organisational cultures and structures, the relationship between leadership and empowerment, self-care and emotional intelligence. Real life experiences and examples are interwoven throughout the day. Aimed at women staff members or volunteers in the voluntary and community sectors, local authorities and private sector, the training will build capabilities and knowledge, enabling participants to move into leadership roles with confidence. Find out more and book a place here
Clinks' state of the sector findings on women’s organisations
We’ve launched our seventh state of the sector report, which explores the key trends faced by voluntary organisations working in the criminal justice system. The report includes a detailed snapshot of how organisations that provide tailored services to women are faring. The findings show that organisations that provide tailored support to women are seeing service user needs become more complex due to funding cuts, welfare reform and a reduction in gender specific services. Organisations delivering a tailored service to women reported being more likely (69%) to deliver services under contract, compared to those that do not provide specialist services for women (53%), but significantly less likely to achieve full cost recovery on the contracts they do deliver. Read the full state of the sector report and women’s snapshot (page 43) here
Implementing trauma-informed approaches
Agenda and the Centre for Mental Health has published a new report exploring how trauma-informed approaches are being implemented by public and voluntary sector services including women’s centres, prisons and mental health services. A sense of safety: trauma-Informed approaches for women, found that within the services looked at, those taking a holistic approach to supporting women’s needs were best able to make the change to becoming trauma-informed. But, in many organisations, becoming trauma-informed was made difficult by the environment they are working in or by short-term and fragile funding. A sense of safety calls for all public services to be gender and trauma-informed. Read the report here
Manifesto for women and girls
During the general election, Agenda joined with 33 other women and human rights’ organisations to launch a ‘Manifesto for Women and Girls’ to empower voters to have conversations with political candidates about issues facing women and girls and transformative policies for gender equality. The ‘Manifesto for Women and Girls’ built on our collective experience to recommend how the next government could end violence against women and girls, secure equal representation, promote equality at work and home, invest in public services that work for women and lift women and children out of poverty. Now the new Government is in place, Agenda will continue to campaign so that the most marginalised women and girls get the support and protection they need. Read more here
Reduce women’s imprisonment
If you are a women's centre and would like to join the campaign to reduce the women’s prison population please get in touch with Women In Prison (WIP). WIP gained widespread support from candidates at last year's General Election for its manifesto to #OPENUP Women's Futures which offers 10 solutions to reducing the women's prison population. These include ending imprisonment in relation to debt (such as non-payment of council tax) and reducing the overuse of remand. The central solution in #OPENUP is for investment and growth in the network of women's centres. Building a movement, raising the profile and strengthening the network of women's centres is WIP's core campaign goal for 2020. Funding for this project has come from Comic Relief's Power Up fund and Lloyd's Foundation. Find out more and pledge your support for the manifesto here
Pay back the Tampon Tax
Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) has launched a crowdfund campaign with the goal of raising £9,000 to promote the Tampon Tax campaign and activate and enable other organisations in holding the Government and local MPs to account. In 2015, the money collected from VAT on period products known as the Tampon Tax was pledged for women’s health and support charities. Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) wants to see a spending review to secure ring-fenced funding for women’s specialist charities as promised. Women’s charities and local women’s groups give women a lifeline, and are able to reach women that nobody else can. It is time to take action. Join them in calling on the Government to honour their promise and pay back the Tampon Tax to women’s charities. Find out more here
Taking action on domestic abuse
Join Agenda in campaigning for improvements in the way that public services identify domestic abuse and ensure that survivors access support. Agenda believes that public services need to transform their approach to this issue. Asking victims and survivors about their experiences of domestic abuse requires training. The Ask and Take Action campaign is seeking a duty on public authorities to ensure frontline staff make trained enquiries into domestic abuse, backed by sufficient funding to make this a reality. The Domestic Abuse Bill is once again passing through parliament. Agenda will continue to campaign ensure it means that all public services are trained to make effective enquiries about abuse. If not, we’re missing too many opportunities to help survivors of violence and abuse. Find out more and join the campaign here
Grants from £10,000 to £20,000 are available from AB Charitable Trust for charities working to support migrants, refugees and asylum seekers; criminal justice and penal reform; and human rights. Find out more and apply here
Assessing the impact of maternal imprisonment
The importance of Child Impact Assessments for children with a primary carer in the criminal justice system is explored in Sarah Beresford’s latest blog for Prison Reform Trust. It includes an update on the work being done in Merseyside to ensure that the needs of children are taken into account in sentencing decisions and that appropriate support is provided. Read the blog here
Transforming services for survivors of domestic abuse
The Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Hughes has written about the importance of placing victims’ voices at the heart of services designed to support them. Agenda and AVA (Against Violence and Abuse) took the findings of Breaking Down the Barriers: The National Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence and Multiple Disadvantage to an event attended by the Deputy Mayor. This brought together women with lived experience, practitioners and experts from across sectors to discussion the recommendations of the report and ensure systems and services worked between for survivors of violence and abuse. Read what Bev Hughes had to say here
If you have any comments about this ebulletin or ideas about how it could be improved, please email Jackie Lowthian.
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