Women, crime and justice in Scotland

Citation

McIvor G (2022) Women, crime and justice in Scotland. In: Brown SL & Gelsthorpe L (eds.) The Wiley Handbook on What Works with Girls and Women in Conflict with the Law: A Critical Review of Theory, Practice, and Policy. Wiley Series in Offender Rehabilitation. Oxford: Wiley. https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/The+Wiley+Handbook+on+What+Works+with+Girls+and+Women+in+Conflict+with+the+Law%3A+A+Critical+Review+of+Theory%2C+Practice%2C+and+Policy-p-9781119886419; https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119874898.ch15

Abstract
This chapter begins by outlining briefly key reviews and policy developments as they relate specifically to women in the criminal justice system to contextualize services and approaches that have been developed. It considers initiatives that have evolved to either address women's needs in the community or to support them on their release from prison before describing and critiquing contemporary developments in relation to the female custodial estate. The issue of female offending attracted limited academic and policy attention in Scotland and there was an absence of initiatives designed explicitly to meet criminalized women's needs. The Willow service involves a partnership between the local authority and National Health Service Lothian in collaboration with a range of other service providers to address the psycho-social, health, and welfare needs of women in the criminal justice system. The chapter concludes by critically reviewing evidence for the effectiveness of Scottish approach and indicating directions for future research and policy.

Keywords
criminal justice system; female custodial estate; policy developments; Scottish approach; Willow service; women's needs