Diverting women from custody

Abstract

There is an unusual degree of consensus around the idea that the trend towards using custody more frequently for women should be reversed. Both the current and previous governments in England and Wales have invested in the development of community-based one-stop shop centres for women with this in mind. Interviews with a small sample of judges and magistrates, after the Together Women project had been running in their areas for three years, suggest that the increased provision of community support for women has been welcomed. However, other changes may be needed before one-stop shops are seen as a replacement for prison rather than just as a useful supplement to community orders. These interviews also suggest that sentencers see the probation service as having a key role to play in bringing about such a transformation.