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WOMEN OFFENDERS IN LOTHIAN AND BORDERS: HEALTH AND WELFARE ISSUES

CONTEXT FOR WOMEN. 90% increase in women's imprisonment in last 10 years;The use of community-based disposals is decreasing;Short periods of imprisonment can be particularly damaging for women;68% of all custodial admissions in Lothian and Borders are for under 6 months;Women have different and more complex needs than men which are reflected in their offending..

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WOMEN OFFENDERS IN LOTHIAN AND BORDERS: HEALTH AND WELFARE ISSUES

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    1. WOMEN OFFENDERS IN LOTHIAN AND BORDERS: HEALTH AND WELFARE ISSUES Dr. Monica Barry and Professor Gill McIvor

    2. CONTEXT FOR WOMEN 90% increase in women’s imprisonment in last 10 years; The use of community-based disposals is decreasing; Short periods of imprisonment can be particularly damaging for women; 68% of all custodial admissions in Lothian and Borders are for under 6 months; Women have different and more complex needs than men which are reflected in their offending.

    3. LOTHIAN AND BORDERS WOMEN OFFENDERS Women committed nearly 12,000 crimes; 3,000+ cases were referred to the courts; 1,000+ received criminal justice social work support; Nearly 200 received custodial sentences; Women comprise 17.2% of the total number of convicted offenders.

    4. WOMEN OFFENDERS IN EDINBURGH Average age: 26-33, with 20% under 21; Nearly 50% had their own tenancy; One quarter were living with relatives; One quarter were living with their children; Nearly one quarter had children living elsewhere; 87% were unemployed.

    5. ISSUES & RECOMMENDATIONS Issues: Mental health problems; Alcohol and drug problems; Past or current abuse. Recommendations: Gender-specific services; A one-stop shop approach; Diversion and deferred sentences; A focus on care and welfare

    6. GENDER-SPECIFIC SERVICES There is a lack of community-based disposals for women; Community-based disposals have limited resources and constructive supports; A focus on public protection and reducing re-offending is largely inappropriate for women, not least within the confines of a ‘criminal justice’ rather than ‘welfare’ system.

    7. A ONE-STOP SHOP Inter-agency cooperation is limited by funding, tight eligibility criteria and a wide geographical spread; A one-stop shop is an efficient, convenient and effective means of multi-agency service delivery; A one-stop shop offers a central, neutral, cost-effective and convenient means for professionals to work with women offenders.

    8. DIVERSION AND DEFERRED SENTENCES Earlier intervention to address women’s needs would reduce their involvement in the criminal justice system; Earlier risk/needs assessments would allow for greater use of diversion; Structured deferred sentences are successful in reducing offending and addressing wider needs of women.

    9. A FOCUS ON CARE AND WELFARE Women’s offending is a manifestation of other problems in their lives, but such health and welfare needs are rarely adequately addressed; A punitive and risk-focused agenda ignores wider welfare needs and limits workers’ ability to address these; There needs to be greater flexibility in breach criteria and procedures.

    10. CONCLUSIONS Women need different interventions to men when addressing their offending and other needs; A one-stop shop approach to both interventions and information sharing would be more cost-effective; Earlier intervention in women’s lives, focusing on health and welfare rather than punishment, would reduce criminal justice system involvement overall.

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