Young Women Tell Us How the Criminal Justice System Needs to Change

Young women in the criminal justice system are in a unique position, minoritised by both their age and their gender. Left to navigate a system built without them in mind, young women too often have their needs overlooked and face further and significant trauma and harm.

This is what our Young Women's Justice Project aims to address. Run in partnership with the Alliance for Youth Justice, the project aims to make a positive impact on policy and practice for young women (aged 17-25) in contact with the criminal justice system (CJS).

As part of the project, we recently spoke to two young women with lived experience of the CJS, asking them what they think needs to change. In this two-part blog, they emphasise the importance of engaging with women’s needs through a trauma-informed approach, early intervention and diversion away from the system and involving women with lived experience in policymaking.

Engaging with women's needs

Our research shows that young women in contact with the criminal justice system often have historic experiences of violence, abuse or trauma which can drive or cause their offending. However, instead of receiving support, they face a lack of understanding which leaves them feeling disillusioned and disempowered.

The young women who spoke to us about their experiences explained how the failure to engage with their specific circumstances rendered the multiple disadvantage they face invisible to criminal justice agencies, increasing their likelihood of being drawn further into the system as these challenges go unrecognised and unaddressed.

Amria*, who had experienced domestic violence before entering the criminal justice system, wishes she had been able to speak to an "appropriate professional" with training on responding effectively to domestic violence. She says, "If I had someone that actually worked in the domestic violence field and understood what I needed, then it maybe would have worked. Instead of just putting a random person that doesn't have training in that field."

Recognising and taking account of how a person may be affected by trauma is described by specialist organisations as a 'trauma-informed' approach. As H*, who also has experience of being in prison and now works with young women herself, explains, it means understanding "that someone can be retraumatised at any point but it's up to you to safeguard that individual." H also references the need to be "mindful of the needs of the woman, especially if they're young, because everyone's needs are different."

For Black, Asian, minoritised and migratised young women in particular, their ethnicity or faith may mean they are further excluded from accessing support, due to a lack of specific expertise about the issues they face. Amria’s support came from the Muslim Women in Prison (MWIP) Project, who she describes as her "backbone":

"They understood my cultural needs because they're the same background as me [being] Muslim themselves. In terms of understanding the unmet needs, it's having someone from that background. For a young person especially, I wouldn't talk to a random person I don't know when there's no trust building."

On trust building, H shares,

"Having worked with women, I think the main thing is – and I know it probably sounds cliché – but actually listening. It's caring but respecting them as well, making them feel valued. There's that deep-rooted mistrust [so they may be] aloof and distant, but it's up to you. [Making] them feel as human as possible is really, really important. And, you know, just ensuring that their needs are being heard and met and just respecting and valuing that."

*Please note these names have been changed for privacy.

In part two of this blog, we hear more about how early intervention and diversion away from the system and involving women with lived experience in policymaking can improve outcomes for young women in contact with the criminal justice system.