Abstract:
Following a number of postponements, the long awaited and much needed female
offender strategy for England and Wales was finally published in June 2018. The
strategy reflects the strong agreement across the sector of the need for a ‘distinct’ or
‘gender-specific’ approach to respond to the vulnerabilities of women in the Criminal
Justice System (CJS). Despite this, the strategy lacks clarity and offers little assurance
that the direction taken will result in actual change and positive reform. It is vital that
the government’s implementation of the female offender strategy provides and
demonstrates a genuine commitment to appropriate provision for females in the CJS
through ring-fenced permanent funding as well as top-down accountability.
