“…what is needed is a holistic, woman-centred, integrated approach…”

(Corston Report 2008)

The Problem

Women in prison constitute only 20 percent of those passing through the criminal justice system each year. Many are caught up in a spiral of offending, re-offending, victimisation and abuse with no means of exit. The majority are also mothers. By the time these women reach prison their problems are entrenched.

The Evidence

The Corston Report recommends the implementation of holistic, tailored responses to meet the wide range of women’s individual needs and to help them, above all, to be equipped to take responsibility for their own lives. The Offender Management Guide to working with Women (May 2008) states that ‘getting offenders into appropriate sustainable employment is one of the most important factors in helping to reduce re-offending.’

While Startup’s primary focus is on self-employment, we know that long term success is unlikely if we ignore the many overlapping needs that women often have around accommodation, skills and employability, finances, relationships, lifestyle, drugs, alcohol, emotional wellbeing, thinking, behaviour and attitudes.*

Startup’s Solution

We know how effective our supportive, seamless, ‘through the gate’ approach is in helping both men and women clients to rebuild confidence so that they may become self-employed and gradually re-engage with society. In the wake of the Corston Report we have tailored our tested model of grant funding and mentoring support to meet the more complex needs of women clients by adding an array of additional services.

Self-employment is an attractive option for many women. Many are serving community sentences or may have never been in previous employment. Often they are mothers who need more flexibility to meet family demands. Some may have learnt or discovered new skills in prison which can be turned into thriving small businesses. For these women, Startup’s hands on support can offer a route out of re-offending.

We know from Governors, prison education and resettlement departments that women-specific interventions are in short supply. With funding, our approach can be replicated to provide a long term response to female re-offending.

*As identified by the Cabinet Office Social Exclusion Taskforce OASys assessment.