Abstract
This chapter analyses changes in the sentencing of women between 2000 and 2012. We update an earlier analysis conducted by Hedderman (2004) which explored why the number of women going to prison increased so steeply between 1992 and 2000. Since 2000, there have been important changes in sentencing policies and government responses to women offenders. Media portrayals have also shifted to emphasise a ‘ladette’ culture of female drinking, anti-social behaviour and violence. This chapter reflects on the consequences of these changes and considers how the sentencing of women has changed since 2000, including the use of custody and new sentences such as suspended sentence orders. It examines how far Labour’s policy of diverting women from custody during its second term of office fed through into court practice, and it assesses what has happened since the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition took power.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ashworth, A. (2010) Sentencing and Criminal Justice (5th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Carlen, P. (2002a) Introduction: women and punishment In: P. Carlen (ed.) Women and Punishment: The Struggle for Justice. Cullompton: Willan.
Carlen, P. (2002b) Women’s imprisonment: Cross-national lessons, in P. Carlen (ed.) Women and Punishment: The Struggle for Justice. Cullompton: Willan.
Corston, J. (2007) The Corston Report: a Review of Women with Particular Vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System. London: Home Office.
Dowds, L. and Hedderman, C. (1997) ‘The sentencing of men and women’. In: C. Hedderman and L. Gelsthorpe (eds) Understanding the Sentencing of Women. London: Home Office.
Easton, S. and Piper, C. (2008) Sentencing and Punishment: The Quest for Justice (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fawcett Society (2013) The Fawcett Society’s Policy Submission to the Review of the Public Sector Equality Duty. London: Faweett Society. http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Fawett-submission-to-Review-of-the-Public-Sector-Equality-Duty-April-2013.pdf.
Ford, R. (2009) Ladettes Push Girl Violence to New High: Sharp Rise in Assaults and Public Disorder. The Times, 30 January, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article5614844.ece.
Gelsthorpe, L. and Hedderman, C. (2012) Providing for Women Offenders: The Risk of Adopting a Payment by Results Approach. Probation Journal, 59: 374–390.
Gelsthorpe, L., Sharpe, G. and Roberts, J. (2007) Provision for Women Offenders in the Community. London: Fawcett Commission.
Hedderman, C. (2004) Why are more women being sentenced to custody? In: G. Mclvor (ed.) Women Who Offend. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Hedderman, C. (2010) Government Policy on Women Offenders: Labour’s Legacy and the Coalition’s Challenge, Punishment and Society, 12: 485–500.
Hedderman, C. and Gelsthorpe, L. (eds) (1997) Understanding the Sentencing of Women. London: Home Office.
Hedderman, C. and Gunby, C. (2013) Diverting Women from Custody: The Importance of Understanding Sentencers’ Perspectives. Probation Journal, 60: 32–45.
Hedderman, C. and Moxon, D. (1992) Magistrates’ Court or Crown Court? Mode of Trial Decisions a nd Sentencing. London: HMSO.
Hedderman, C, Palmer, E. and Hollin, C. (2008) Implementing Services for Women Offenders and Those ‘at Risk’ of Offending: Action Research with Together Women. London: Ministry of Justice.
Home Office (2001a) Statistics on Women and the Criminal Justice System: A Home Office Publication under Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991. London: Home Office.
Home Office (2001b) Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 2000. London: Home Office.
Home Office (2002) Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 2001. London: Home Office.
Home Office (2004a) Women’s Offending Reduction Programme (WORP) Action Plan. London: Home Office.
Home Office (2004b) Offender Management Caseload Statistics, 2003. London: Home Office.
Hough, M., Jacobson, J. and Millie, A. (2003) The Decision to Imprison: Sentencing and The Prison Population. London: Prison Reform Trust.
Howard League for Penal Reform (2013) ‘The magistrates courts most likely to send women to prison’, http://www.howardleague.org/magistrates-courts-women/.
Hudson, B. (2002) Gender issues in penal policy and penal theory. In: P. Carlen(ed.) Worn en a n d Pu n i shm en t: Th e S truggle for Ju s ti ce. C ull ompt on: Will an.
Jolliffe, D., Hedderman, C. Palmer, E. and Hollin, C. (2011) Re-offending analysis of women offenders referred to Together Women (TW) and the scope to divert from custody. Ministry of Justice Research Series 11/11. London: Ministry of Justice.
Magistrates’Association (2010) Use of Short-Term Custody — Policy Paper. London: Magistrates’ Association.
Mair, G., Cross, N. and Taylor, S. (2008) The Community Order and the Suspended Sentence Order: The Views and Attitudes of Sentencers. London: Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.
Malloch, M. and McIvor, G. (2011) Women and Community Sentences. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 11: 325–344.
McVeigh, T. (2009) Teenage Girls Driven to Violence by Feuds, Drink and Jealousy. Observer, 22 November 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/nov/22/teenage-girls-crime-bullying-increase.
Ministry of Justice (2008) Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 2007. London: Ministry of Justice.
Ministry of Justice (2009) Sentencing Statistics, 2007 England and Wales. London: Ministry of Justice.
Ministry of Justice (2010) Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2009. London: Ministry of Justice.
Ministry of Justice (2011) Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill-Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders: Full Equality Impact Assessment. London: Ministry of Justice.
Ministry of Justice (2012) Statistics on Women and the Criminal Justice System: A Ministry of Justice Publication under Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991. London: Ministry of Justice.
Ministry of Justice (2013a) Transforming Rehabilitation: A Strategy for Reform. London: Ministry of Justice.
Ministry of Justice (2013b) Government Response to the Justice Committee’s Second Report of Session 2013–14: Female Offenders. London: Ministry of Justice. https://www.gov.uk/governm ent /uplo ads /syst em/uplo ads /attachment_data/file/252817/response-jsc-female-offenders.pdf.
Ministry of Justice (2013c) Annual Tables-Offender Management Caseload Statistics, 2012. London: Ministry of Justice,.gov.uk URL /govemment/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/218109 /oms q-annual-tables-2012. zip.
Ministry of Justice (2013d) Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly — December 2012. London: Ministry of Justice,.gov.uk URL /govemment/publications/criminal-justice-statistics-quart erly-update-to-december-2012.
Ministry of Justice (2013e) Strategic Objectives for Female Offenders. London: Ministry of Justice.
Open University (2008–9) Endless New Criminal Laws, a Massive Increase in People Jailed, and a Rise in Fear of Crime. Society Matters, 11:4.
Player, E. (2005) The Reduction of Women’s Imprisonment in England and Wales. Punishment Sc Society, 7: 419–439.
Player, E. (2012) Sentencing women: towards gender equality. In: L. Zedner and J.V. Roberts (eds) Principles and Values in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice: Essays in Honour of Andrew Ashworth. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Sentencing Guidelines Council (2004) New Sentences: Criminal Justice Act 2003 Guideline. London: Sentencing Guidelines Council.
Stanley, S. (2009) The Use of the Community Order and the Suspended Sentence Order for Women, Probation Journal, 56(4): 362–378.
Travis, A. (2006) Fifty Bills Add 700 Offences As Jails Fill Up. The Guardian, 26 June. http://www.theguardian.corn/politics/2006/jun/24/ukcrime.immigrationpolicy.
Whitehead, T. (2009) Rise of ‘Ladette’ Culture as 241 Women Arrested Each Day for Violence. Daily Telegraph, 1 May. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5251042/Rise-of-ladette-culture-as-241-women-arrested-each-day-for-violence.html.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2015 Carol Hedderman and Rebecca Barnes
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hedderman, C., Barnes, R. (2015). Sentencing Women: An Analysis of Recent Trends. In: Roberts, J.V. (eds) Exploring Sentencing Practice in England and Wales. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137390400_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137390400_6
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-48259-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-39040-0
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social Sciences CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)