In March 2014 the Prison Reform Trust published Brighter Futures. Working together to reduce women’s offending.
‘Brighter Futures’, supported by the Pilgrim Trust, profiles innovative approaches to reducing women’s offending and calls for the development of coordinated services that bring together police, health, women’s services and local authorities to help women turn their lives around.
The briefing is intended to:
- Raise awareness among justice, community and health service providers and commissioners about the characteristics and needs of women who come into contact with the criminal justice system, and their obligations to meet those needs.
- Provide an overview of multi-agency approaches, such as Liaison and Diversion services and Integrated Offender Management (IOM) arrangements, and illustrate improved outcomes for women and their families as a result of effective local partnerships.
- Ensure women-specific provision is included in the commissioning of Liaison and Diversion and other early intervention services.
- Inform and encourage the development of alternatives to prosecution where these are proportionate and effective responses to women who offend.
- Provide examples of good practice where women are enabled to take responsibility for their lives, and continue caring for their children and other dependants wherever possible.
- Help inform current practice and encourage agencies to continue to develop services and approaches that meet the needs of women, and build a robust evidence base on what works.
- Encourage the development of co-ordinated local strategies and services to support women with multiple needs, including those being supervised in the community.
Press release (26 March 2014)
Briefing: ‘Brighter Futures. Working together to reduce women’s offending’
