Emotion, Time, and the Voice of Women Affected by the Criminal Justice Process: Corston and the Female Offender Strategy
| Author | Beverley Gilbert, Kristy O'Dowd |
| Pages | 19-30 |
19
British Journal of Community Justice
©2019 Manchester Metropolitan University
ISSN 1475-0279
Vol. 15(1) 19–30
EMOTION, TIME, AND THE VOICE OF WOMEN
AFFECTED BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS:
CORSTON AND THE FEMALE OFFENDER STRATEGY
Beverley Gilbert, Senior Lecturer, University of Worcester and Director of Cohort 4, and Kristy O’Dowd,
formerly Project Lead and Director of Cohort 4
Abstract
In 2007 Baroness Corston articulated a vision of creating a ‘distinct, radically different,
visibly-led, strategic, proportionate, holistic, woman-centred, integrated approach’ with
women in the criminal justice system (Corston, 2007:79). These sentiments are echoed
within the Government’s Female Offender Strategy (Ministry of Justice, 2018). This article
argues that the core messages from these documents have not been implemented. It argues
that criminal justice processes are reducing the opportunity to work within th e women’s
timeframes in order to enable them to make long-term changes in lifestyle and to de velop
their personal capacities. The spectrum of presenting needs of women involved in crime is
broad. Therefore, the focus of this paper i s on the impact of domestic abuse on women ,
drawing on the voice of a survivor and her criminality, which occurred as a result of abu se
and the attempt to escape a violent and coercively controlling partner. Using an
autographical account, it is argued that limitations on time can signi ficantly hinder
individual progress, recovery and reintegration, given the experience o f trauma and
emotional su ffering. Agency practitioners have to take time to hear women’s emotional
needs, so women feel that their voices are heard in order to be connected with the process
of rehab ilitation. This article argues that the recommendations from the Corston repor t
have not been implemented and that significant organisational change is necessary to assist
women with multiple and complex needs to navigate a positive, non -offending lifestyle.
Keywords
Women; criminal justice; rehabilitation; emotion; time
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