Criminal injustice continues….

Jean Corston:

Evidence collected by the Commission has demonstrated that throughout the criminal justice system female offenders, female victims of crime and women workers continue to face discrimination in a system designed for men by men.

Sending non-violent, vulnerable women to prison, many of whom who have been the victims of abuse, is not the answer for these women or their children. We welcome the changes introduced by the Government, particularly the end to routine strip searching and the funding announced for community provision for women offenders earlier this year. However, much remains to be done.

Attitudes and expectations as to how a ‘proper victim’ should behave continue to shape the criminal justice system response. Women who are victims of violence, particularly sexual violence are often made to feel like the perpetrator rather than the victim. There have been some commendable policy developments, particularly by the Crown Prosecution Service, but practices and attitudes continue to act as a roadblock to effective implementation.

Jack Straw probably shoved the Corston Report at bottom of his in-tray while bigging up Lord Carter’s Titan prison proposals which means warehousing the powerless, social dustbin for the mentally distressed. But alas, it wasn’t to be… Titans got junked…but Straw is still determined to carry on privatising the prison system.

Women are still being banged up for crimes that don’t need custodial sentences, many are vulnerable and powerless, and women are still dying.

The inquest into the death of Lisa Doe opened last month, she was found hanging in her cell, she had a history of self harm.

How many more women will needlessly die?

 

Links:

http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/standard.asp?id=1742

http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk//index.asp?PageID=934

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/aug/20/prisonsandprobation

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/corston-report/

http://inquest.gn.apc.org/pdf/2009/INQUEST_press_release_lisa_doe_inquest_opening.pdf

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