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...
Covid-19 pandemic: representing and supporting the voluntary sector
Clinks chairs and co-ordinates the Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3), a formal advisory group to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). The RR3 has set up a special interest group (SIG) on Covid-19 and in recent weeks has submitted two evidence papers to the MoJ and HMPPS. The first is focussed on the long-term recovery of voluntary sector services in the criminal justice system and the second explores the financial sustainability of the voluntary sector working in the criminal justice system. Both papers will be published in due course. The SIG has also provided feedback on Exceptional Delivery Models - the pieces of HMPPS operational guidance related to the recovery of services in prisons. Anne Fox, Chair of the RR3 and CEO of Clinks is also attending meetings of the HMPPS Recovery Independent Advisory Group. For full information on Clinks' work in response to Covid-19, see our dedicated page here
MoJ funding for women’s services and an update on Clinks’ influencing work
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has launched a £2.5 million grants programme for specialist women’s organisations providing gender-specific services for women in the criminal justice system. Applications can be submitted for one-off grants for core costs between £30,000 and £60,000, by 10th August. We’ve published a blog with the full details and an update on our influencing work, including our attendance at the latest Advisory Board for Female Offenders (ABFO) meeting, which provides scrutiny to the MoJ on the implementation of the Female Offender Strategy. The meeting covered the design of the new residential women’s centre to be piloted in Wales and progress on the concordat for women. Find out more here
Re-unification of probation
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that, from June 2021, accredited programmes and unpaid work will be delivered by the National Probation Service. At the same time, the MoJ launched the Dynamic Framework, the mechanism through which rehabilitation and resettlement services which will be commissioned in the new model. Clinks welcomes the announcement on the basis that a simplified system that reduces complexity for people, and the need for contract management and monitoring, will mean a stronger focus on meeting people’s needs. Clinks has held a number of events to support organisations looking to apply be on the Dynamic Framework and continues to work with HMPPS to ensure a sustainable role for the voluntary sector in the new probation model. Read more here
Farmer review into maintaining family ties for women in the criminal justice system
Secure video calls are now being introduced to prisons and Young Offender Institutions across England and Wales to facilitate family contact during the pandemic. The technology is being rolled out 10 prisons at a time, with the women’s and youth estate being prioritised. Video calls are provided through secure laptops in a designated room in each institution, with one laptop per 100 visitors and calls limited to 30 minutes. The Farmer Review recommended that virtual visits using video-conferencing technology be made available to all women in prison. Nicola Drinkwater, Clinks Policy Manager, attends regular meetings of the Family Strategy Working Group which monitors the implementation of the Farmer review recommendations. Find out about video calls to prisoners here
Inquiry into Covid-19 and the impact on people with protected characteristics
Clinks has responded to the Women and Equalities Committee on the unequal impact of Covid-19 on people with protected characteristics. Our response highlights the disappointment at how few women, including pregnant women who are at higher-risk from Covid-19, have been released from prison through early release schemes. Our response also highlights the challenges women’s specialist organisations have faced in the context of Covid-19 and the need for more focussed government support to specialist organisations. Clinks is submitting a further response to the Women and Equalities Committee who has set up a sub-inquiry specifically focussing on the impact of the pandemic on black, Asian and minority ethnic people. Read the response here
APPG calls for release of more women from prison during the pandemic
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women in the Penal System has written to the Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland and called on the government to release more women from prison during the pandemic. The letter was signed by more than 40 parliamentarians and urged the Ministry of Justice to act swiftly to release pregnant women and mothers and babies from prison. The Secretary of State for Justice replied and stated that as of 29th May, 22 pregnant women and women and babies in mother and baby units had been released. By 12th June the number had risen to 23 women. Read the letter here
Project CAPPTIVE: prisoners’ experience of Covid-19 during prison lockdown
Prison Reform Trust (PRT) is consulting prisoners, their families and prison staff, to build a picture of how prisons have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic. This project, led by PRT’s Head of Prisoner Engagement, also includes consultation with Women’s Centres and other voluntary sector organisations working with women in the community. PRT wants to know: What is and has been your experience of the Covid-19 lockdown? How have you, your colleagues, the women you work with, been affected by and responded to the Covid-19 situation? Find out more here
The impact of Covid-19 on women experiencing multiple disadvantage
Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk, is carrying out research into how women facing multiple disadvantage and the services working with them have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Formed of qualitative interviews with women and professionals, as well as a survey of services, the research will be completed over three phases, to get a sense not only of the immediate impact of lockdown but also the longer-term effects, as we move to new phases of response and rebuilding. The first set of findings are due at the end of July. For more information see here
Reset: Rethinking remand for women
The Howard League for Penal Reform has published a briefing Reset: Rethinking remand for women. The briefing highlights the overuse of remand to prison for women awaiting trial and sentence and the devastating effects that remand into custody can have on women and their families. It argues that the current approach penalises women and calls for remand decision-making to be rethought and reformed to ensure that women are only remanded to prison in exceptional and serious cases. Read the full briefing here
Why are pregnant women in prison?
Rona Epstein and Geraldine Brown, researchers from Coventry University are carrying out new research to understand why pregnant women are in custody – on remand, on sentence, or on recall. An estimated 600 pregnant women are held in prisons in England and Wales each year, and about 100 babies are born inside. They are seeking to establish the reasons behind the decisions that lead to imprisonment and are asking women who have been pregnant in prison to fill in a confidential online survey. To find out more, email LawResearcher23@gmail.com. Women wishing to complete the survey can access participant information and take part here
Update from Clinks women’s network
The latest online Clinks women’s network forum took place on 23rd June. 27 participants from women’s services around the country shared good practice about adapted service models and moving towards ‘recovery’ as the lockdown eases. Clinks’ Director of Influence and Communications, Jess Mullen, presented on the probation Dynamic Framework and Jess Southgate, from Agenda and Lauren Nickolls from Clinks provided findings from work they have undertaken to monitor the impact of Covid-19 on women’s services. See details of upcoming events in the next section. Find out more about Clinks’ work on women and criminal justice here
Clinks women’s capacity building programme
Sofia Buncy, who leads the Muslim Women in Prison project, is presenting a webinar on ‘Improving engagement of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups and increasing diversity’ [28th July, online, free]. We’ll explore tools for meaningful and proactive engagement with BAME groups; how to address fears and motives for engagement and understanding the dynamics of BAME communities in relation to their lived experiences and position in society. This event is part of our programme of leadership development and capacity building support for organisations providing gender-specific support for women. Funding from the Ministry of Justice means there’s free places for staff from small, specialist women’s organisations on training courses and webinars. If your organisation matches this description, find out more and book here
The Young Women’s Justice Project
Agenda and the Standing Committee for Youth Justice (SCYJ) are hosting the first in a series of expert seminars on the transition of girls into young adulthood whilst in contact with the criminal justice system [30th July | online | free]. This was one of the key themes emerging for further investigation from Agenda's Young Women’s Justice Project. The project, run in partnership with SCYJ and funded by the Lloyds Bank Foundation, is looking at the unique position of young women (aged 17-25) in the criminal justice system, who are in a minority due to both their age and gender. Find out more here
Findings from women's mental health peer support programme
Women-only mental health peer support should be valued and invested in, according to a new report from Women Side by Side, a project run by Mind and Agenda. It funded 67 projects across England and Wales, as well as five regional hubs, to share knowledge and learning. The report highlights the importance of gender-specific trauma-informed work and the potentially transformational impact women’s peer support can have. Find out more here
Domestic Abuse Bill – improved legal protection for survivors driven to offend
The Prison Reform Trust’s proposals for effective legal defences were tabled as amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill by Jess Phillips MP and debated by the Public Bill Committee on 17th June. PRT now aims to build support for the proposals in the House of Lords, where the Bill is expected to start its passage before the summer recess. Two recent articles discuss why the new defences are needed. PRT associate Sarah Beresford’s blog is based on her recent conversation with a child whose mother is in prison for an offence attributable to her experience of domestic abuse. Barrister Paramjit Ahluwalia’s article for the Law Society Gazette explains why current defences are ineffective. For more information and to add your support, click here
Covid-19 response grants programme
We continue to welcome applications to our Covid-19 response grants programme from all voluntary organisations with an existing relationship with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and with under £500,000 annual income. We are delighted to be distributing this much-needed funding on behalf of HMPPS and the Ministry of Justice. For more information about who we welcome applications from, take a look at the grants programme in more detail here. Read this blog from CEO Anne Fox for more on the context of the programme and the impact of the pandemic on the sector here
Government funding for charities during Covid-19
The National Lottery Community Fund is distributing funding on behalf of the government to support communities through Covid-19. £200m is available for small to medium organisations in England. Organisations can apply for funds to cover spending for up to six months after the award. The fund will prioritise organisations: supporting people and communities who experience disproportionate challenge as a result of the crisis; providing support for vulnerable people; and which connect communities and support working together. Applications will be assessed in the order they are received. Find out more and apply 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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