On Friday, The Young Women’s Justice Project released a new report uncovering the systemic abuse and violence that young women in the UK justice system experience, leaving the group to be uniquely retraumatized by their experiences, perpetuating trauma.
From their research, the experts are now urging the Ministry of Justice to act swiftly to break the “cycle of abuse, inequality and offending.”
The new briefing, “‘We’ve not given up’: Young women surviving the criminal justice system” written with the Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ), also looks into young women’s pathways into the UK criminal justice system in collaboration with young women and expert practitioners.
While the research was conducted in England analyzing young women’s experiences within the UK criminal justice system, for many of the suggestions and recommendations for pathways for change, researchers note that these takeaways can benefit anyone across the globe.
The report is the culmination of two years’ worth of work, bringing together existing data and research about the UK justice system, as well as multiple qualitative analyses of interviews with young women aged 17-25.
One of the main findings showed that nearly all of the young women in contact with the justice system have experienced abuse from a family member or someone they trusted. In addition, the researchers found that over half of those surveyed aged 16-24 have experienced rape or domestic abuse.
“It’s shocking that most girls and young women in the criminal justice system have experienced trauma, and yet their specific needs are ignored in favor of punishment and exclusion,” Indy Cross, the chief executive of Agenda, which produced the report with the Alliance for Youth Justice, told The Guardian. “It’s time that the criminal justice system stopped retraumatizing vulnerable people and listened to what they are telling us.”
“We need girls and young women to be heard instead of harmed. Young women are being punished for their responses to trauma and the survival strategies they rely upon.”
Key Findings
Throughout their research, the The Young Women’s Justice Project found that young women in contact with the UK criminal justice system face multiple disadvantages, and likely have complex and overlapping needs — underpinned by violence, abuse, poor meal health, addiction, exclusion from education, poverty, and home insecurity, according to the full report.
One of the main findings showed that up to 90 percent of girls in contact with the youth justice system have experienced abuse from a family member or someone they trusted, and 63 percent of girls and young women aged 16-24 serving community sentences have experienced rape or domestic abuse.
In addition, the researchers found that Black, Asian and minoritized young women and young women with experience of the care face greater barriers still in accessing safety and support as overlapping forms of stigma and discrimination put them at greater risk of criminalization, according to the report.
“Disbelieved and struggling to make their voices heard, young women report that they have lost trust in the system, particularly when they have been held in police custody or prison,” the researchers add, noting that reform is possible.
A Vision for Change
Through their research, the experts discussed with the women what their vision for change would look like, and based on their experiences, how they would suggest battling the inequality and providing an opportunity for change.
To further the conversation, the researchers also brought together 80 professionals across the youth, women and girls’ and criminal justice sectors through two expert seminars.
Many of the young women interviewed emphasized to the experts the need to first recognize the harsh realities that young women who are justice-involved face.
“They [professionals and decision makers] just need to take into consideration that people do go through traumatic experiences [and] it could have been that that’s led them to go to prison,” said Saba, a 28-year-old study participant.
Others highlighted to researchers the need to rebuild trust in the system and within the services, and make it so that organizations engage in active listening, and follow through on agreed-upon actions of change. Many women interviewed also suggested that an intersectional approach to working with young women is important, along with “celebrating strengths and amplifying young women’s voices.”
“The fact that young women in contact with the criminal justice system are a minority should not make them less of a priority,” the report concludes. “Instead, policymakers should carefully consider what this means for their experiences of the system, and how to intervene to disrupt this spiral of disadvantage at a critical time in their lives.”
“Now is the time to listen to, learn from and campaign alongside them to drive improved future policy and practice.”
The full UK Alliances for Women & Girls at Risk report can be accessed here.
Summary written by Andrea Cipriano, the Associate Editor of TCR.
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UK: System Involved Young Women Come from Abuse, Trauma - Crime Report
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