“I wanted to be heard”: Young Women’s Justice Project Briefing
This briefing, in partnership with Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk, builds on the work of the Young Women’s Justice Project literature review and is the second in a series of briefing papers produced during the project.
I wanted to be heard focuses on young women aged 17–25 in contact with the criminal justice system and their experiences of violence, abuse, and exploitation which are often overlooked. In particular, it highlights the experiences of Black and minoritised young women and young women with experience of the care system with both groups being over-represented in the criminal justice system.
The briefing is based on new research undertaken by Agenda, existing literature, and publicly available data. It sets out key findings of young women’s experiences of violence and abuse, barriers they face in accessing support, and the policy context. It highlights what young women in contact with the criminal justice system facing multiple disadvantage need from statutory and voluntary services and makes recommendations for change in policy and in practice across the youth and adult criminal justice system.