These reforms, and the expectation on third sector providers to aid their delivery, must be fully resourced to ensure that safety and justice for women is truly paramount. We welcome the recommendations that these services are properly funded and hope Ministers implement this following the publication of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
We contributed extensive insights and expertise to this review, and we are heartened to see so many recommendations made by Advance and sector partners echoed in the Review’s report. The recommendations for more sustainable and long-term funding for women’s centres, the expansion of the use of liaison and diversion, and the expansion of specialist courts have long been called for by Advance and other women’s specialist organisations.
We are grateful to the Review for showcasing the London Women’s Diversion Service, led by Advance in partnership with Women in Prison, Hibiscus, and other specialist service providers. This pioneering service proves that early intervention is absolutely vital to preventing women becoming trapped in the criminal justice system by intervening and providing support around the root causes of offending at the earliest opportunity.
The safety and justice of women must be paramount within any reforms to the criminal justice system. We echo the concerns around the management of those convicted of domestic abuse-related crimes, including the reduction in sentences served in prison. We welcome the recommendations to better identify domestic abuse perpetrators at sentencing to ensure that appropriate interventions can be put in place but urge the Government to go further to ensure that adequate protections for victim-survivors are implemented. This must be through robust protection orders and comprehensive access to accredited perpetrator programmes.
Liz Mack, CEO of Advance said:
“The Independent Sentencing Review is a monumental opportunity to improve the lives of women. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Government, through our work on the Women’s Justice Board Partnership Delivery Group, to shape the delivery of these recommendations. Working alongside the expert criminal justice third sector, we will amplify the voices of women affected by the criminal justice system, to ensure their safety and justice are at the heart of these reforms.”
Media enquiries
For more information, please contact Tracie Couper, Press Officer at Advance, at tracie.c@advancecharity.org.uk or on 0743 2700 287.
About Advance
- Advance’s vision is a world in which women and children lead safe, equal, violence-free lives so that they can flourish and actively contribute to society. The charity works with women who experience domestic abuse to be safe and take control of their lives, and women who have committed crime or are at risk of offending to break the cycle.
- As well as providing direct support, Advance works with statutory services, government agencies and other women’s charities to ensure a holistic approach to the issues these women face.
- Women must be referred to Advance, via statutory services or the charity’s self-referral scheme. For more information about who Advance can support, please visit Get help
- For facts and statistics about domestic abuse and women in the criminal justice system, as well as Advance’s work, please visit Our Impact
