Women in the Criminal Justice System: Improving Outcomes through Resettlement and Rehabilitation

In January of this year, the Ministry of Justice published its comprehensive Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan. The plan sets out bold ambitions for achieving improved outcomes for women in the criminal justice system, including reducing rates of reoffending, improving custodial care, and encouraging more community managed sentences. This is linked to a growing recognition that female offenders are often victims of crime themselves, with Government data highlighting that they experience domestic abuse at double the rate of male offenders.  With greater pledged funding and systemic changes to allow for better partnership working, organisations working with women in the criminal justice system must continue to explore ways to improve outcomes through rehabilitation and resettlement.

• According to the Ministry of Justice in 2022, 71% of women serving custodial sentences reoffended within one year, compared to 63% of men
• From 2021-2022, The Prison Reform Trust found a 7% increase in self-harm incidents in women’s prisons
• Women In Prison found that two thirds of female offenders in custody have reported suffering from domestic abuse

Join us at Women in the Criminal Justice System: Improving Outcomes through Resettlement and Rehabilitation to hear further insight into the Government’s plans to improve rehabilitation services for women in the criminal justice system. High-level keynotes will discuss methods of delivering trauma-informed and gender responsive care, followed by case studies from a range of organisations delivering best practice in supporting women from various backgrounds. There will also be an opportunity to network with senior colleagues to discuss what works well in improving outcomes for female offenders.

Why Attend:

✓High-level keynotes from leading experts across the sector

✓Best practice of supporting women with complex needs, including mothers, women from ethnic minority backgrounds, and those suffering with substance misuse

✓Networking with senior colleagues across the criminal justice system

✓8 CPD points towards your yearly quota

NEW AND EXCLUSIVE TO YOUR
CONFERENCE PACKAGE – GE Insights:

This year’s conference package includes 12-months FREE access to GE Insights, our cross-sector learning resource of case study focused videos, articles, lived experiences and more (RRP £199). Gain unlimited access to our online platform when you purchase your conference ticket.

Key benefits include:

 ✓100s of Exclusive Case Studies – fingertip access to videos and articles covering all key sectors including Police & Criminal Justice, and ALL CPD certified

 ✓Key Sessions from All Our Conferences – gain valuable insights from our past, present, and future events (160+ pa)

 ✓Articles and Interviews – learn from our network of expert speakers and contributors explore further the key discussions from the conferences

 ✓Additional CPD Hours – automatically earn more for everything you watch, read, and hear

 ✓Your Own CPD Dashboard – charts your progress, allows you to add notes, download your activities, and save/print an official CPD certificate

 ✓Personalised Homepage – only see the relevant content you need to save time

 ✓30+ New Uploads Each Month – we’re adding new content every week to ensure you stay engaged and informed all year round.

For more information or to make a booking please call 0330 058 4285

• 09.00

  Online Registration

• 09.50

  Chair’s Opening Remarks

  Dr Gemma Birkett, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of London and Chair, Women, Crime and Criminal Justice Network (CONFIRMED)

• 10.00

  Keynote: A National Approach to Improving Outcomes for Female Offenders

  • Outlining the national landscape and progress in addressing the needs of women since the 2018 Female Offender Strategy
  • The importance of improving safety, health and wellbeing, and upskilling the prison workforce
  • One HMPPS: targeted approaches and opportunities for the successful resettlement of female offenders

  Carlene Dixon, Director of Women, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) (CONFIRMED)

• 10.20

  Lived Experience: Engaging with Women in the Criminal Justice System to Improve Rehabilitation Services

  • Sharing experiences of being in prison: identifying and addressing female offenders’ needs
  • Advice for encouraging women to engage with support services following release from prison
  • Tips for embedding co-design with those with lived experience into criminal justice service provision

  Tassie Ghilani, Reducing Re-offending National Lived Experience Lead, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) (CONFIRMED)

• 10.40

  Questions and Answers

• 11.00

  Comfort Break

• 11.15

  Keynote: Women’s Centres: Providing Holistic Support to Break the Cycle of Offence

  • Guidance on ensuring robust communication between services to provide wrap around support
  • Using data and evidence to identify gaps within support services and address any unmet needs
  • Tips for employing staff with lived experience to provide onsite support and an accessible point of contact
  • Designing staff training procedures to adopt a trauma-informed approach when working with female offenders

  Dali Kaur, Senior Services Manager, Women in Prison (CONFIRMED)

• 11:35

  Case Study: Developing a Whole-Systems Approach for Women in Contact with the Criminal Justice System

  • Providing staff with training to deliver trauma-informed and gender-responsive care
  • Engaging women leaving prison with resettlement initiatives to avoid homelessness and ensure continuity of care
  • Partnership working: creating a joint vision to strengthen the community response to women in the criminal justice system

  Kilvinder Vigurs, Regional Probation Director London, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) (CONFIRMED)

• 11.55

  Questions and Answers

• 12.15

  Lunch Break

• 12.55

  Case Study: Enriching the Police Understanding of Women Involved in Organised Crime

  • Insight into drivers and vulnerabilities that cause female participation in gang activity
  • Overview of the common activities and roles played by women in organised crime
  • Recommendations for improving police identification and intervention of women in the criminal justice system

  Michael Cox, Detective Chief Inspector, Calderdale District, West Yorkshire Police (CONFIRMED)

• 13.15

  Case Study: Helping Female Offenders Re-enter Society and Connect with Friends and Family

  • Strategies to build relationships early-on during a woman’s sentence to gain trust and encourage engagement with rehabilitation services
  • Encouraging women identify and work towards their long-term goals by breaking challenges down into smaller achievements
  • Supporting women in their interactions with the social care system to help secure housing
  • Initiatives to support women recovering from coercive and abusive relationships
  • Providing resources to professionals working with mothers to limit the impact of imprisonment on the whole family

  Katia Parent, Social Worker, Prison Advice (CONFIRMED)

  Becky Wray, Social Worker, Prison Advice (CONFIRMED)

• 13.35

  Questions and Answers

• 13.55

  Breakout Networking: Improving Outcomes for Female Offenders from all Backgrounds

  This session will provide the opportunity to network with colleagues from a range of organisations across the criminal justice system. Explore new solutions and ideas through discussing your shared challenges.

• 14.05

  Comfort Break

• 14.20

  Case Study: Tackling Inequalities faced by Ethnic Minority Women in the Criminal Justice System

  • Using culturally sensitive discussion techniques to effectively engage with offenders from ethnic minority backgrounds
  • Implementing a community resettlement model that supports female offenders to achieve financial independence and stability
  • Working in partnership with prisons to educate staff on religious and cultural sensitivities
  • Techniques to support ethnic minority offenders to overcome cultural stigmas and reintegrate into their communities
  • Referring women with English as a second language to learning providers and supplying support materials in their native language

  Mufeedah Bustin, Director of Operations, Hibiscus Initiatives (CONFIRMED)

  Silvia Berastegui, Policy and Public Affairs Coordinator, Hibiscus Initiatives (CONFIRMED)

• 14.40

  Case Study: Alternative Pathways to Help Ex-Offenders Tackle Substance Misuse and Prevent Reoffending

  • Advice for identifying and engaging with female offenders struggling with substance misuse
  • Methods for multi-agency collaboration and effective data sharing between organisations
  • Providing long term support to address female offenders’ underlying reasons for substance misuse through a range of strategies and therapies
  • Designing an alternative pathway and learning lessons from pilot schemes to develop a permanent service

  Abi Jones, Criminal Justice Project Manager, Southampton Drug and Alcohol Support Service (CONFIRMED)

• 15.00

  Questions and Answers

• 15.20

  Chair’s Closing Remarks

  *Programme subject to change

Who Should Attend?

Delegates who will have an interest in this event will be people who work with women in the criminal justice system.

*This Conference is open to Public, Private and Third Sectors

For more information or to make a booking please call 0330 058 4285

We are now taking bookings for our wide range of sponsorship and exhibition packages; we also offer bespoke packages tailored to your organisation.

Why Sponsor and Exhibit at this event:

✓ Network with key decision-makers across the Criminal Justice Sector
✓ Meet your target audience in the Sector
✓ Listen and Learn from leading experts across the Sector
✓ Opportunity to demonstrate your products or services
✓ Speak alongside leading experts
✓ Work with your dedicated account manager to generate the maximum amount of leads

Exhibition and Sponsorship Packages:

Strategic Headline Sponsor:

• 20-minute speaking slot followed by Q&A
• 3x2m Exhibition Space (In the Refreshments and Catering room)
• Pre show marketing email to all registered delegates
• Post show inclusion on presentation email
• Branding on Website and Event Guide (Logo and 100 Word Profile)
• A4 Insert or A4 Chair Drop
• 5 Delegate Conference Passes
• 1 Speaker Pass

Key Supporter Package:

• 20-minute speaking slot followed by Q&A
• Branding on Website and Event Guide (Logo and 100 Word Profile)
• A4 Insert or Chair Drop
• 1 Speaker Pass
• 2 Delegate Conference Passes

Exhibition Stand:

• 3x2m Exhibition Space (In the Refreshments and Catering room)
• Power, Wifi, Table and 2 Chairs (If required)
• Branding on Website and Event Guide (Logo and 100 Word Profile)
• 2 Delegate Conference Passes
• 1 Stand Manager Pass

Insert or Chair Drop:

• 1 Delegate Conference Pass
• A4 insert into delegate pack or A4 Chair Drop

For more information or to discuss your requirements, please contact the team on 0330 0584 285, or sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form and we will contact you.

• Public Sector Rate: £449.00+VAT
• Voluntary Sector Rate: £379.00+VAT
• Private Sector Rate: £649.00+VAT