The Home Office published the Women’s Offending Reduction Programme Action Plan [opens in new window] in March 2004. It contained action points for a range of stakeholders both within and outside the criminal justice system, designed to ensure that their policies, interventions and services are made more appropriate to meet the needs and characteristics of women offenders.
The main focus of the programme was to improve community-based provision for women offenders and ensure that it was tailored to meet their needs. This was in order to encourage courts to make greater use of community disposals for women offenders and to only use custody as a last resort. We also set up a Girl’s and Young Women’s Practice Working Group in October 2004 as well as programmes available in youth offending teams (YOTs) and young offender Institutions (YOIs) to focus on young women in the youth justice system.
Practitioner group
Quarterly meetings are held at YOTs/YOIs:
- providing an opportunity to share emerging practice
- provide a network for interested practitioners to come together and discuss issues associated with female offending
- provide opportunities for practitioners to access gender specific programmes and services on a consortium basis.
For details of the next meeting please contact Tracy Chopping on 020 3372 7967 or email tracy.chopping@yjb.gov.uk.
Young women in custody
Click read about our approach to young women in custody.
Research
The YJB commissioned South Bank University to carry out a study into patterns, perception and interventions of girls offending. This research has now been published. Links to this and other relevant research can be found below:
If you would like further information about the work we are doing please contact Tracy Chopping on 020 3372 7967 or email tracy.chopping@yjb.gov.uk.
Young women and serious youth violence
Visit the Metropolitan Police website [opens in new window] to access a series of resources put together by the Network Alliance, based on workshops and discussions around serious youth violence and young women.
The resources are meant for youth justice practitioners and therefore you will need a password to log-in to the page. Email Petrina.Cribb@met.pnn.police.uk to be sent details of how to access the page.