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These specialist quarterly ebulletins keep 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 this quarterly bulletin.
In this edition...
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Farmer Review on family ties for women in the criminal justice systemClinks welcomes the publication of the Farmer Review for women, which launched in parliament on 18th June. Clinks was a member of the review’s expert panel and led its call for evidence, hearing from approximately 10% of the female prison population along with their families, the voluntary organisations that support them and academics. The review makes 33 recommendations, all of which the government has accepted, including the need for sustainable funding for women’s centres and the rollout of both virtual visits and in-cell telephony in the women’s prison estate. The government also accepted the more creative use of release on temporary license (ROTL) to support family ties. Clinks will be working with the department to support implementation of the recommendations. For more information and to access the full report, see Clinks’ blog here. The Advisory Board on Female OffendersThe Advisory Board on Female Offenders (ABFO) met in June 2019. Kate Aldous, Head of Strategic Development at Clinks, represents the women’s voluntary sector on the ABFO and attended the meeting. She raised the need to ensure that proposals for new probation arrangements are effective for the women’s sector, including the option of commissioning these separately to avoid disadvantaging them through standardised approaches. Other issues covered included: The Farmer Review; development of the National Concordat; and probation reform. In June, Clinks wrote a letter to Minister Edward Argar highlighting the lack of representation on the ABFO of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME)-led organisations or women with lived experience of the criminal justice system (CJS). We are pleased that a decision has now been taken to refresh the membership. If you would like to discuss the ABFO, please contact Kate at kate.aldous@clinks.org Proposed future model for probationIn May 2019, the government published its response to the Strengthening probation, building confidence consultation, which carried the announcement that from spring 2021, all offender management will become the responsibility of the National Probation Service (NPS). Since the publication in June of a draft operating blueprint for probation we have begun to learn more about plans for providing probation services. Opportunities for the voluntary sector to deliver services will primarily be through a proposed Dynamic Framework, through which the NPS will source all resettlement and rehabilitation interventions. Clinks is advising on the avoidance of large contracts that will shut out small and specialist providers and is currently liaising with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to capture and share learning from the women’s sector’s experiences of Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) commissioning. As more information is available, Clinks will keep the sector informed through blogs and briefings published on our website. Read the Clinks briefing on the operating blueprint here. Review of the inspectorate’s expectations for women’s prisonsHer Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) is reviewing its criteria for assessing the treatment of, and conditions for, women in prison. Published in 2014, the ‘Expectations’ document provides an inspection framework for the women’s prison estate across four key areas: safety, respect, purposeful activity and resettlement. HMIP is reviewing these expectations and will be consulting with stakeholders over the summer. HMIP intends to re-draft the framework in the autumn. An initial consultation took place at the latest women’s networking forum and Clinks will be hosting further events in the coming weeks to inform our response to the consultation. Statutory defence for women driven by domestic abuse to offendThe Joint Select Committee appointed to scrutinise the government’s draft Domestic Abuse Bill has published its first report. The Committee has made a series of wide-ranging recommendations, including that the government consider adding a new clause to the Bill which would provide a statutory defence for women who’s offending is driven by their experience of domestic abuse. It also recommends that the government review the impact of its welfare reform programme on victims of domestic abuse, in particular Universal Credit single household payments. Our members, the Prison Reform Trust are working to influence the draft Bill to ensure the links between victimisation and offending are recognised and to deter inappropriate prosecutions of women. Agenda are also working to ensure the Bill addresses the needs of survivors facing multiple disadvantage. Read the report here. Clinks women’s networking forum The last meeting of the women’s networking forum, hosted by Clinks and Agenda, took place on 18th June in London. Attendees heard from Sue Tibballs, Chief Executive Officer of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation, on how civil society can bring about social change. Members also participated in the first consultation session with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) about its expectations of women’s prisons. Some of the key issues raised by delegates included: the importance of trauma-informed approaches; engaging with community organisations to improve resettlement; and ensuring accommodation on release. Notes of the meeting will be published in due course. New Women’s Sector Member of RR3 Following an open recruitment process, Clinks is delighted to announce that Lisa Dando, Director of Brighton Women’s Centre has been appointed as the new women’s sector expert member of the Reducing Re-offending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3). Clinks chairs and provides the secretariat for this group which is the key interface between the voluntary sector and the Ministry of Justice, to increase mutual understanding and build a strong and effective partnership. Lisa brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the provision of gender-specific, trauma-informed holistic services for women affected by the criminal justice system. She can be contacted via Jackie.lowthian@clinks.org Howard League Community AwardsThe Howard League community awards 2019 are now open for nominations. The annual awards - which include a category for work with women - celebrate best practice in diversionary work and champion work in the community that challenges and changes people for the better. The deadline for nominations is 29th July. Find out how to enter here News from AgendaAgenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk, has appointed Jemima Olchawski as its Chief Executive permanently. Jemima has been leading Agenda for the past 10 months while Chief Executive Katharine Sacks-Jones was on maternity leave, but is now joining the organisation on a permanent basis. Agenda is an alliance bringing together 90 organisations to deliver positive change for women and girls at risk. All organisations that have an interest in and work with or represent women and girls at risk can apply to join the alliance. 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Women in Prison - #OPENUP campaignWomen in Prison held a Mass Lobby of Parliament in June to ask MPs to #OPENUP women’s futures. Women’s Centre support staff, campaigners and those with lived experience of the criminal justice system, met with 60 MPs to highlight the campaign which aims to reduce the women’s prison population and encourage greater investment and support for community-based women’s centres. MPs were asked to pledge their support by becoming a champion for their local women’s centre, lobbying Treasury Ministers to use the £80 million received from the sale of Holloway Prison to sustain the specialist network of women’s centres and to sign an Early Day Motion (EDM) #2522 (with over 40 signatures to date). Clinks has written to the Minister of State for Justice, Robert Buckland QC MP, to advocate for funds from the Holloway sale to be directed towards implementing the Female Offender Strategy. See an update on the EDM here. Women’s Mental Health Taskforce As part of the Women in Mind campaign, and six months on from the publication of the Women’s Mental Health Taskforce, Agenda will be campaigning to raise awareness of the taskforce findings in Parliament and implement the principles for gender and trauma-informed care in mental health services. They are holding an event with the Women’s Health All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), Commitment to Change, and working with backbench MPs to secure a debate in Parliament. To get involved, sign-up to the campaign here. Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)The Women’s Resource Centre, along with a number of other women’s organisations, sent a letter to Victoria Atkins MP, Minister for Women, regarding the UN’s recent review of the UK’s performance on improving the position of women in the UK and the progress made in achieving their rights. The letter seeks to hear about the UK government’s plans to effectively implement the UN’s recommendations for the benefit of all women in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Read the letter here. Pay back the Tampon Tax to women’s charities The Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) has launched a petition to build on its campaign to get funding from the money collected from VAT on period products, known as the Tampon Tax, directed towards women’s organisations. In 2015, the money collected from VAT on period products, known as the Tampon Tax, was pledged for women’s health and support charities. According to WRC, most of the money has instead been awarded to other charities that are not focused on women’s health and support and local women’s charities are missing out on money which was pledged for them. In April 2019 Clinks was a signatory to a letter sent by WRC to raise the issue with Mims Davies MP, Minister for Sport & Civil Society. Find out more and sign the petition here.[[{"fid":"6357","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"womens-network-bulletin_events.","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"womens-network-bulletin_events."},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"4":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"womens-network-bulletin_events.","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"womens-network-bulletin_events."}},"attributes":{"alt":"womens-network-bulletin_events.","title":"womens-network-bulletin_events.","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"4"}}]]
Training: partnerships Women’s Resource Centre’s ‘Partnerships, all you need to know’ course [10th September, London] will provide participants from women’s organisations with practical tips for creating meaningful partnerships and will provide a number of templates and tools for effective partnership work. It will help your organisation take a strategic approach to partnerships and overcome some common obstacles to effective collaboration. Find out more here Training on bid-writing Women’s Resource Centre’s ‘Training: Bid Writing and Presentation’ course [17th September, London] will demystify the procurement process and provide participants from women’s organisations with the tools required to improve success in writing bids and winning tenders. It will cover preparation and planning, both internal processes (credibility, credentials and evidencing) and external (networking, research and involvement in strategic groups) and highlight what makes a quality bid. Find out more here. Women’s networking forumClinks, with support from Agenda, will be holding the next 'Women’s Networking Forum' [17th September, Cardiff, £15]. Our networking forums provide support, information and networking opportunities to those working with women in contact with the criminal justice system. We welcome your suggestions for speakers and agenda items. Find out more here.[[{"fid":"6358","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"womens-network-bulletin_publications","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"womens-network-bulletin_publications"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"5":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"womens-network-bulletin_publications","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"womens-network-bulletin_publications"}},"attributes":{"alt":"womens-network-bulletin_publications","title":"womens-network-bulletin_publications","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"5"}}]]
A joined up approach to justice in Wales The Welsh government has published its blueprint for supporting women in, or at risk of entering, the criminal justice system and a corresponding implementation plan. The blueprint takes a whole-systems approach with focus on early intervention, prevention and community-based solutions. This involves diverting women where possible into women-centred, community-based, sustainable support services that meet their needs; exploring options for secure, safe and reliable accommodation for women in Wales; and working with sentencers to build confidence in community services. There is also a focus on supporting women in custody to resettle back into the community by working with rehabilitative services in prisons and post-release. Clinks is a member of the Women in Justice Group in Wales which contributed to the development of the blueprint and Head of Policy, Jess Mullen has written a blog about it. Read the blog here “A postcode lottery in imprisonment rates for women in England and Wales” Analysis of court data published by Prison Reform Trust reveal a postcode lottery in imprisonment rates for women in England and Wales. The average imprisonment rate for women in England is 30 per 100,000, and in Wales 48 per 100,000. Cleveland has the highest imprisonment rate in England and Wales at 67 women per 100,000 head of population. By contrast, Greater Manchester, where there is a co-ordinated strategy involving local authority, police diversion, a problem-solving court and women's support services, has an imprisonment rate of 25 women per 100,000 head of population. Resources to help inform understanding of local trends in the use of imprisonment for women in England and Wales are available here. Sisters in Desistance: culturally competent support for Muslim women prisonersThe Khidmat Centres has published this report which presents the findings from a project offering community based models of support for Muslim women leaving prison. The findings set out some of the key themes that impact specifically on this group of marginalised women, exploring how honour, family, faith, mental health and institutional inequalities shape their experiences. It offers insights into how learning from the women can transform the way the community responds and showcases the work of a pioneering resettlement hub in Bradford. Recommendations include the need for the Ministry of Justice to ensure investment reaches small, local organisations. Read the report here. Evaluation of a prison programme for women with complex needs The Ministry of Justice has published Intervening with Women Offenders; a process and interim outcome study of the Choices, Actions, Relationships and Emotions (CARE) programme. It presents the findings from a research study that evaluates the effectiveness this accredited custodial intervention had for adult women who have a history of violence and complex needs, and a medium to high risk of reconviction. The research showed positive short-term outcomes including statistically significant changes in scores measuring emotional management, coping styles and anger management and a reduction in the number of adjudications. Read the findings here. Changing outcomes for women affected by the criminal justice systemEnding the inertia for women offenders: a plan to transform outcomes is a report published by Crest Advisory. It presents practical steps that it says will help to end re-offending by women. It offers recommendations for improving outcomes for women in contact with the criminal justice system and developing a more joined up, preventative approach. The report finds that for more than a decade there has been widespread agreement that reform is needed in the treatment of women in contact with the criminal justice system, but despite the consensus there has not been a significant change in policy or outcomes for women. Read the recommendations here Girls in custodyOutnumbered, locked up and overlooked? The use of penal custody for girls in England & Wales is a research report published by The Griffins Society. The author, Pippa Goodfellow, argues that as the number of girls in penal custody reduces, they become increasingly overlooked by the penal system at both a policy and a practice level which exacerbates the marginalisation of their needs. The research found that the majority (56%) of girls held on remand do not subsequently receive a custodial sentence and one third (34%) of girls were sentenced to custody for non-violent offences. A higher proportion of BAME girls (67%) were placed in a Secure Training Centre (STC) compared to white girls (58%), potentially indicating that they are being assessed as less vulnerable. The report concludes that there is a need to develop more innovative and appropriate responses. Download a copy of the report here Women with learning disabilitiesOut of the Shadows is a report from Prison Reform Trust, in partnership with KeyRing, on women with learning disabilities in contact with the criminal justice system (CJS). It highlights over-representation of this group in the CJS and provides a qualitative study of their experiences. The report finds that women with learning disabilities are at risk of becoming drawn into the CJS due to failures to recognise their disability and a lack of appropriate support. The report makes ten recommendations for change, including the need for commissioners of Community Sentence Treatment Requirements (CSTRs) to ensure requirements are accessible for people with learning disabilities and, for women, are located where they feel safe and supported. It also urges the government to provide sustainable funding for women’s centres. Read the report here Models of trauma-informed careThe charity, One Small Thing, working with clinician and trauma expert Dr Stephanie Covington has been pioneering work to address trauma experienced by women involved in the criminal justice system. Others are now supporting this agenda. Engaging with complexity: Providing effective trauma-informed care for women is a report from the Centre for Mental Health and the Mental Health Foundation. It offers public services a brief guide to the principles of trauma informed care and how to put it into practice. Looking at the concept of trauma (including causes, impact and prevalence), the report explores the model of trauma-informed care, and UK organisations currently employing such approaches. Read the report 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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