Improving magistrates’ awareness of vulnerable women in the criminal justice system: a pilot

Most criminal offences in the UK are committed by men which means that women make up a small proportion of offenders dealt with in the criminal justice system. In total, women who offend comprise around 5% of the custodial population and 15% of offenders in the community. The issues women in the criminal justice system face are significantly different to those of the male population with women more often having distinct vulnerabilities. For instance, women in prison are more likely to have a mental health problem and to have experienced abuse as a child or an adult. Therefore, addressing the sentencing of this population requires a specific approach.
This article describes a pilot study that aimed to improve magistrates’ awareness of vulnerable women in the criminal justice system. The Vulnerable Person Focus group delivered a series of ‘Focus on Women’ awareness sessions to over 100 court staff at four courts in Northamptonshire. Following the training, the participants reported improved confidence when sentencing women offenders; that the training had influenced them to seek information about the women’s health and social care circumstances before sentencing; and that the training had made them more likely to consider alternatives to custodial sentences.