women offenders

Mental health of women detained by the criminal courts

One of the ways in which the Commission monitors individuals' care and treatment is through the visits programme. It visits individuals in a range of settings throughout Scotland: at home, in hospital or in any other setting such as prisons where care and treatment is being delivered.

This report details findings from visits between May and September 2013 to 51 women who met the above criteria and makes a number of recommendations in response to these findings.

Learning for women in prison: report on the role of learning and skills in responding positively to the issues and circumstances faced by women in prison

Report that looks at how learning is key to responding positively to the issues and circumstances faced by women in prison and how programmes have been successful in progressing the learning for work and the reducing reoffending agendas.

The Scottish Government response to the Commission on Women Offenders

Document that sets out the Scottish Government’s response to the Commission on Women Offenders. In April 2012, the Commission on Women Offenders published its report based on a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system in Scotland.

The Commission recommended actions that will improve outcomes for women involved in that system and reduce their reoffending.

Equal but different?: An inspection of the use of alternatives to custody for women offenders

The increase in the female prison population between 1997 and 2000 caused such concern that it triggered a review of the existing initiatives for working with women. The subsequent report signalled the introduction of the Women’s Offending Reduction Programme which aimed to link strategic initiatives across government departments to address women’s offending and pursue alternatives to custody. This thematic inspection report was conducted by HMI Probation, HMCPSI and HMI Prisons.