Women in justice

We work to implement gender-specific responses for women in the justice system

Women make up a small proportion of our justice system but report higher needs related to mental health, substance use, debt, housing, and trauma, including domestic and sexual abuse. We work to implement gender-specific responses for women in the justice system, especially around violence against women and girls. This includes supporting practitioners to deliver gender-responsive interventions and victim services, trauma-informed practice and ensuring policy change recognises the distinct needs of women and girls. For practitioners who would like support with this, please see our how we can help page.

For the latest published data on women in the justice system, we've put together these data slides presenting the major trends. Watch them below in a short video. Each slide includes the data source in case you'd like to investigate further, and we'll update this resource yearly.

Publications

Briefing
Improving collaboration between police forces and women’s centres: an evidence and practice briefing

by Stephen Whitehead

This briefing offers strategies to enable better collaboration between police forces and women’s centres, and improve outcomes for women in contact with the justice system.
Briefing
The Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA): An Evidence and Practice Briefing

by Stephen Whitehead and Suzanne Smith

The Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA) is a gender-responsive, trauma-informed assessment tool designed specifically for use with criminal justice-involved women. Initially developed in the US to address the limitations of traditional assessment tools, it is currently used across England and Wales by women's centres involved in the Effective Women's Centres Partnership.
Financial analysis
Women’s problem-solving courts: A financial analysis

This research provides a financial analysis of problem solving courts for women in comparison to the costs of other more commonly used sentences.
Briefing
Problem-solving courts for women: An evidence & practice briefing

by Suzanne Smith

This evidence & practice briefing aims to support practitioners seeking to enhance their court-based response to women.
Briefing
Improving the criminal court experience for women

by Anna Watchman and Stephen Whitehead

This evidence briefing gathers evidence on the diverse needs of women attending criminal courts, whether as defendants, victims or witnesses, and highlights opportunities to improve experiences and better meet the needs of women.

Latest blogs

Publications

Improving collaboration between police forces and women’s centres: an evidence and practice briefing

The Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA): An Evidence and Practice Briefing

Women’s problem-solving courts: A financial analysis

Problem-solving courts for women: An evidence & practice briefing

Improving the criminal court experience for women