A Whole System Approach for women offenders - rhetoric or reality? Jackie Lowthian and Caroline O'Keeffe

What is the historical context for the WSA? How have we got to where we are now? 1987 to early 90s only a very small number of projects working with women in CJS Early 90s some expansion of service provision but little concept of gender-specific practice 1995 inspection of HMP Holloway suspended due to “appalling conditions” Thematic Review of Women in Prison 2000 onwards : Wedderburn (2000); Fawcett Society Commission on Women and CJS (2003 onwards); Corston (2007); Fawcett Society Provision for Women Offenders in the Community (2007) Women’s Justice Taskforce (2011); Justice Select C’t Women offenders: after the Corston Report (2013) and follow-up March 2015

Government’s Strategy for Women Offenders (Home Office, 2001), Women’s Offending Reduction Programme (2002) and Action Plan (2004) March 2005 Government announced £9.15 million for community initiatives to link women into services, Together Women ‘demonstration project’ 2008 onwards CIFC funding and advocacy for women in CJS Emergence of gender-specific practice in prisons & probation with NOMS publishing various guidance and PSO 4800 (2008) By 2010 a network of around 40 women’s community centres in England and Wales What is the historical context for the WSA? How have we got to where we are now?

What is the WSA and what is the rationale behind it? Gender-responsive support at three points of CJS - arrest, sentencing and upon release from prison Nine women's centres provide support 'hubs' Existing provision was inconsistent and gaps in the system Too few women being diverted from the criminal justice system via triage and resettlement support was patchy The Justice and Rehabilitation Executive striving to consolidate the network of local women centres and expand their capacity.

What are the structural foundations on which the WSA is built? Justice Re-investment Pilots Local authorities across the Greater Manchester working together – shared priorities Inter-agency cooperation and funding arrangements Women's centres forming an 'internal alliance' Governance arrangements

Who needs to be signed up to this and how do we 'sell it to them'? Senior strategic commitment and a willingness to commit funds A genuine and robust approach to partnership working that includes both statutory and voluntary sector agencies Police and sentencers must be engaged and must see the benefits Different benefits (therefore different messages required) in selling the approach to different groups of stakeholders. Evidence of impact will be critical in convincing multiple agencies to commit to a WSA and investing resources

What are the underpinning values of the WSA? Commitment to a 'gender responsive' approach that recognises achieving equality may require different treatment Acknowledgement that gendered roles result in complexity that impacts on women’s experiences as perpetrator and victim in the CJS Need for women-centred, holistic approaches that enable women to take the lead on their own pathway to change Commitment to reducing the use of imprisonment and offering women community solutions

How can we ensure appropriate levels of referrals across the Criminal Justice pathways? Effective referral systems are dependent on: – Established and trusting relationships – Having a clear 'offer' -clarity around eligibility criteria – Commitment (or not) to a gender-responsive approach

How can we ensure appropriate levels of referrals across the Criminal Justice pathways? Consistent presence of women's centre staff (e.g. in custody suites) Openness to innovative approaches (e.g. peer support) Young women and BAME women may not have the same opportunities to access this support 'You can lead a horse to water...'

How can we successfully engage women in the Whole System Approach? Recognise that women in the CJS are not a homogenous group! Take time and persist Be reliable, consistent, non-judgemental, warm and caring Understand women's world from their own frame of reference Take account of women being primary care-givers

How can we successfully engage women in the Whole System Approach? Strong theoretical underpinning for the work Recognise that the solutions to women's offending often lie outside the CJS and empower women to access other services

How do we define 'success' and how can we measure it? Evidencing outcomes needs to be adequately resourced and supported 'Square pegs and round holes' Pitfalls of relying on reduced re-offending as a measure of success

Do we have 'reasons to be cheerful'? Women’s prison population is gradually reducing Nov 2015 announcement of closure of Holloway (implications for women being moved out?) Need for WSA across Gtr London so that a genuine replacement of custody with community can happen Use Gtr Manchester model to build a similar approach across London (and in other parts of the country – Yorkshire & Humberside, West Midlands?) Model could be successfully replicated if local contexts are taken account of and evidence of benefits available

Do we have 'reasons to be cheerful'? The majority of women in prison are on short sentences for non-violent offences and are the most excluded women in our society. Most women in prison have experienced domestic and sexual violence, face mental health and substance misuse issues. Even just a few weeks inside can cause significant harm as a woman loses her children, her home, and her job and become trapped in an endless cycle within the criminal justice system. This costly system cannot go on and this announcement must be the start of real change. Women In Prison and-campaigns.php?s= hmp-holloway-closurehttp:// and-campaigns.php?s= hmp-holloway-closure Whole System Approach Report whole-system-approach-women-offenders-interim.pdf whole-system-approach-women-offenders-interim.pdf