We sponsor research to bring about change in how women and girls are dealt with in the criminal justice system
Our research listings
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Research Papers and Briefings
At the end of their year on the Griffins Society Fellowship Programme, Fellows produce a 10,000 word Research Paper on their findings. Research Papers are available here to view or download as a PDF (the size of each file is given).
For all papers you will find the REPORT IN FULL, and also a single-page ABSTRACT. For more recent papers, an EXECUTIVE SUMMARY is also available.
Fellows' research can be freely copied and distributed as long as the author and the Griffins Society are credited.
Missing Voices: Why women engage with, or withdraw from, community sentences
Author:
Sue Jordan
Published:
2013
Baroness Corston noted the ‘high rate’ of women in custody for breach and Hedderman calculated that a large proportion of the 60% of women imprisoned under the umbrella of ‘other offences’, will be there for breaching community sentences. Despite the interest in the subject, there appears to be little available research. This project was therefore undertaken to investigate the following issues:
• What are the main barriers to women engaging with community orders and are there clear patterns that are not recognised by contemporary practice?
• Are the aims of community orders understood and/or shared by the women involved?
• Does the rigidity of structure inherent in these orders affect women differently?
The research is based on interviews with women serving sentences for breach of community orders (including suspended sentence orders) in HMP New Hall and the
Together Women Project in Hull. Whilst this research is small-scale in scope, it is hoped that the findings will inspire more extensive research in the future.
• What are the main barriers to women engaging with community orders and are there clear patterns that are not recognised by contemporary practice?
• Are the aims of community orders understood and/or shared by the women involved?
• Does the rigidity of structure inherent in these orders affect women differently?
The research is based on interviews with women serving sentences for breach of community orders (including suspended sentence orders) in HMP New Hall and the
Together Women Project in Hull. Whilst this research is small-scale in scope, it is hoped that the findings will inspire more extensive research in the future.
Restorative Justice: Female offenders in Restorative Justice Conferences
Author:
Rosie Miles
Published:
2013
The use of restorative justice looks set to increase over the coming years. There is general academic consensus that restorative justice performs highly in terms of victim
satisfaction and Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) have demonstrated that it can significantly reduce the reoffending of those offenders who take part. However, much of the evidence is based on research with male offenders. This report examines the experiences of female offenders (women and girls) in restorative justice conferences, through a literature review of the available evidence and then through interviews with restorative justice practitioners who have worked with both male and female offenders.
The interviews with practitioners focused on the following questions:
1 Do restorative justice practitioners treat male and female offenders differently?
2 What types of cases involving female offenders go to conference?
3 Do practitioners notice any differences between male and female offenders in terms of how they react to the restorative justice process?
4 Are there risks with female offenders that practitioners think should be given particular consideration?
satisfaction and Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) have demonstrated that it can significantly reduce the reoffending of those offenders who take part. However, much of the evidence is based on research with male offenders. This report examines the experiences of female offenders (women and girls) in restorative justice conferences, through a literature review of the available evidence and then through interviews with restorative justice practitioners who have worked with both male and female offenders.
The interviews with practitioners focused on the following questions:
1 Do restorative justice practitioners treat male and female offenders differently?
2 What types of cases involving female offenders go to conference?
3 Do practitioners notice any differences between male and female offenders in terms of how they react to the restorative justice process?
4 Are there risks with female offenders that practitioners think should be given particular consideration?