Improving outcomes for women in the criminal justice system

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 8 Dec 2021 Closed: 2 Sep 2022 Parliament page
In 2018, the Ministry of Justice published a Female Offender Strategy , committing to reduce the imprisonment of vulnerable women who could be better supported in the community. The strategy aims to reduce the number of women entering the criminal justice system; increase the use of community sentences; reduce short … Read more
19 Recommendations
3 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
1 Letter
1 Event
Activity timeline 5 events
8 Sep
2022
Correspondence
2 Sep
2022
Report published
28 Apr
2022
Report published
2 Feb
2022
Oral evidence
2 Feb
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
2 Feb 2022
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Improving outcomes for women in the criminal justice system
Andrea Coomber QC (Hon) · The Howard League for Penal Reform Antonia Romeo · Ministry of Justice Dr Kate Paradine · Women in Prison Jerome Glass · Ministry of Justice Jo Farrar · HM Prison and Probation Service Joy Doal MBE · Anawim-Birmingham’s Centre for Women
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifty-First Report - Improving outcomes for women in the crimina… HC 997 28 Apr 2022 22 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
Clear
8 Recommendation Rejected
Fifty-First Report - Improving out…
The first two objectives of the strategy (intervening earlier and a greater proportion of women...
The first two objectives of the strategy (intervening earlier and a greater proportion of women managed in the community) each depend on improved community services for women.15 The Ministry told us the importance of work done in the community is … Read more
Government Response
The government disagrees with the recommendation to estimate the reduction in women entering the CJS, stating that it is not possible due to the independence of the police, CPS, and judiciary; instead, they have estimated the number of women that could be supported through existing women's services.
HM Treasury
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9 Recommendation Rejected
Fifty-First Report - Improving out…
The £9.5 million for grants for community services compares with £200 million the Ministry has...
The £9.5 million for grants for community services compares with £200 million the Ministry has committed to spend on an extra 500 prison places for women due to increases in police numbers.19 We asked stakeholders how far the £200 million … Read more
Government Response
The government disagrees with the recommendation, stating it is not possible to estimate a counterfactual and it would not be appropriate for the government to do so.
HM Treasury
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10 Recommendation Rejected
Fifty-First Report - Improving out…
We asked the Ministry if it had assessed the impact of spending the £200 million...
We asked the Ministry if it had assessed the impact of spending the £200 million on prison places for women. It has not. It told us this was because it has a duty to provide places for those sent to … Read more
Government Response
The government disagrees with the recommendation to estimate the level of funding required in the community and the proportion of women who could be supported in the community instead, stating that it is not possible due to the independence of the police, CPS, and judiciary; instead, they have estimated the number of women that could be supported through existing women's services.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 22 of 19 classified
Accepted 16
Not Addressed 3
Rejected 3
Total 19 recs + 3 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
8 Sep 2022 Correspondence from Jo Farrar, Second Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice to Dame Meg Hillier, Chair, Committee on Public Accounts, re Improving the outcomes for women in the criminal justice system, dated 07 July 2022
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