Without immediate attention, girls and young women will remain locked in a cycle of harm, inequality, and re-offending
The new briefing, “We’ve not given up”: Young women surviving the criminal justice system, is released today as part of the Young Women’s Justice Project, with Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk. The briefing looks into young women’s pathways into the criminal justice system in collaboration with young women and expert practitioners.
The research lays bare the experiences of girls and young women in the criminal justice system and calls on the Ministry of Justice to make urgent reforms, showing that without immediate attention, girls and young women will remain marginalised and locked in a cycle of harm, inequality, and re-offending.
Key findings from the briefing include:
Young women in contact with the criminal justice system have limited access to specialist support despite extreme levels of need and face blame, re-traumatisation and discrimination whilst in contact with statutory services.
Disbelieved and struggling to make their voices heard, young women report that they have lost trust in the system, particularly when they have been held in police custody or prison.
Black, Asian and minoritised young women and young women with experience of the care face greater barriers still in accessing safety and support as overlapping forms of stigma and discrimination put them at greater risk of criminalisation.
To end the cycle of harm, inequality and offending. Decision-makers must work to rebuild young women’s trust in systems and services, recognise the realities of their lives, and value their input.
Here’s what young women told us:
“I think my behaviour was a reaction and reflection of how I was treated. I was given £36 [a week]. They just said, ‘This has got to last you ‘til next week when we pay you again.’ I think that I just mishandled it a lot. I don’t think a 13-year-old should be left to fend for themselves.” – Princess, 19
“Living in the care home, I’ve been exposed to things… I was hanging around with these girls who were being groomed… It ended up happening to me too…They [children’s home staff] shouldn’t have put me in that situation… I wanted to be heard. If you’re not going to listen to me, I’m going to break the rules…” – Niya, 22
“I feel like they don’t take you seriously, especially as a woman or young girl... And they never take you seriously until something actually happens to you or you get involved into something that leads you to getting arrested. That’s when they start taking you seriously.” – Sarah, 22
Read the full “We’ve not given up” briefing paper here.