Women in custody
Over the previous 15 years the variety of kids (aged 10 to 17 years previous) in custody has fallen considerably, down from 2180 in March 2010, to round 420 in November 2024. This has been one of many large successes of the youth justice system, delivered by way of a spread of things together with efficient prevention and diversion schemes and a powerful concentrate on lowering the numbers of youngsters coming into the YJS. The variety of ladies in custody has additionally declined, with solely about 10 within the CYPSE at the moment, making up lower than 2% of the general CYPSE inhabitants.
Ms Hancock concludes that these small numbers ought to have pushed companies to resolve the long-standing difficulty of acceptable placements for women, but discovered that the other has occurred. The system stays overwhelmingly designed for boys, leaving ladies with out strategic planning or gender-responsive companies.
Gender-responsive
Regardless of optimistic strikes in the direction of a child-first strategy within the Youth Justice System, ladies’ distinct wants (together with schooling, well being and equality protections), are sometimes uncared for. Many have skilled vital trauma, gendered violence, and abuse. Missing correct group assist, their trauma-driven responses can result in justice system involvement. Many of those ladies shouldn’t be in custody within the first place however as an alternative require intensive therapeutic care by way of social and well being companies. For many who do require placement into custody, proof reveals that small, trauma-informed, gender-responsive settings have the perfect outcomes.
The report makes it clear that this isn’t about ignoring the wants of boys, a lot of whom are additionally extremely susceptible. However with 98% of the safe property made up of boys, the wants of ladies are too typically ignored.
The report finds that “regardless of the perfect efforts of dedicated workers”, neither Younger Offender Establishments nor Safe Coaching Centres are acceptable environments for women in custody.
Conclusions
The report makes its conclusions clear:
“Probably the most acceptable placements for women are Safe Youngsters’s Properties and the newly opened Safe College. The proof and many of the professionals and ladies interviewed pointed to SCHs as being finest positioned to fulfill the wants of ladies, together with probably the most susceptible ladies. Whereas the Safe College continues to be in its early days, given the trauma-informed, entire system mannequin in place, it must be effectively outfitted to ship for women. Ongoing funding and coordinated assist are important to maintain and improve these provisions. Due to this fact, this overview recommends that the YCS transitions to a mannequin the place all ladies are positioned in both SCH’s or the brand new Safe College.”
The report’s principal suggestion is that the YCS collaborate with a devoted sub-group of SCHs and the Safe College, utilizing a consortia mannequin, to pilot a brand new strategy for putting ladies.
Suggestions
Different suggestions embody:
Finish using Younger Offender Establishments (YOIs) for women with rapid impact.
Finish using Safe Coaching Centre (STCs) for women by the tip of the contract with Oakhill STC in 2029.
The event of a nationwide pathway for women which defines the gender-responsive, trauma-informed companies that ladies in safe lodging want and the commissioning required throughout departments to fulfill these wants.
Women from Wales must be positioned within the Wales SCH wherever doable.
A Women Justice Strategic Board must be established to supervise the event and supply of a method for women throughout the youth justice system, together with ladies locally and within the safe property. This could hyperlink intently with the brand new Ladies’s Justice Board.
Because of Andy Aitchison for type permission to make use of the header picture on this publish. You’ll be able to see Andy’s work right here
