Note of WNC Learning Exchange

18 March 2008

Those Present:

Joyce Gould (JG) Chair

Anita Gale (AG) Commissioner

Sabin Malik (SM) Commissioner

Jean Corston (JC) Invited speaker

Susan Green (SG) Acting Director, WNC

Daniel Barrow (DB) Deputy Director, WNC

Leon Bond (LB) Business Manager, WNC

Apologies:

Ranjana Bell Commissioner

Brenda King Commissioner

Liz Kelly Commissioner

Bronagh Hinds Commissioner

1. JG opened the Learning Exchange, welcoming Commissioners and Baroness Corston as the invited speaker. JG added that she hoped that the day would generate an outcome of `what WNC can do' in pursuit of the recommendations of JC's report. At the recent 6 O' meeting the MfW had suggested to WNC that this was an area it should look at.

2. JC thanked JG for inviting her to address the Board and gave the background and history to her report. This included the reported increase in women taking their lives while in custody, together with specific cases that had been prominent in the media.

3. JC gave a detailed and focused explanation of the key points of the report. This included the need to deal with women appropriately, since men and women require different but equal treatment due to their different needs. With only 9% of male partners looking after children when their partners are in custody, there is a need to place women in units that can accommodate them and their children and be situated close enough to their families to allow regular contact.

4. JC explained her belief that schools, GPs, etc. should be able to refer women with vulnerabilities directly to `women's community centres', while custodial sentences should be served in smaller units, within the locality. Wales was put forward as a potential pilot for such a scheme. However, there is still a need to engage with the senior levels of the Prison Service to convince them to reallocate funds for such a pilot, the DoH are a key stakeholder and could decide to add their weight to the proposal.

5. JC rounded up her introduction by adding that such a move would be popular with the public, with 86% agreement that community-based sentences are preferable to custodial ones, for lower-level offences.

6. JG thanked JC for her talk and explained that WNC would look to carrying out a project with its Partners on the issue. She would be taking this to the full board meeting as an agenda item. Areas to consider would be;

JC added that the Women's Institute is circulating related information to their branches. JC was hoping that WNC could bring the reality of the situation for the women involved and the background that these women have come from to Partners' attention.

AP1: Board to consider how Partners can be involved in a project related to the Corston report.

AP2: Ask GEO what is happening in terms of convening a meeting with Maria Eagle to discuss this.

7. SM talked about the need to do more than solely raise awareness. Social deprivation amongst white working class women was not being looked at, and the current policy of targeting resources at specific groups within society, left these women without assistance.

8. JC explained that around ten years is needed for comprehensive implementation of the recommendations. By building new units to house women, this would leave empty spaces in the current, larger prisons. These spaces could be used to house male inmates, helping with male overcrowding. If it is possible to show that the changes are successful for women, then the same methods could be looked at for dealing with vulnerable men.

9. JG asked where the current women's community centres are based. JC replied that the flagship centre is in Halifax, but there are around 150 centres across the country, including `ASHA centre' in Worcester (Jenny Roberts), `Glasgow 218' which is funded by the Scottish Executive and where staff have access to the courts and can recommend referral to themselves and `Adelaide' in Liverpool, which focuses on Domestic Violence.

10. JC added that referral at an early stage is extremely important, as young women who run the risk of self-harming, etc. can be helped by being referred to a women's centre before their situation deteriorates.

11. JG explained that WNC would look at text for a consultation WNC might do. Lucy Russell at `SMARTJUSTICE' who had produced a useful pamphlet would be contacted for some of the background material, the paper would be passed to JC for comment before Partners were contacted.

AP3: WNC to take forward work related to Corston.

12. JC was asked for her top three `wishes' to come out of her recommendations. These were;

13. It was suggested to JC that some of the inspirational women could be put forward for honours. JC agreed since it would also raise the profile of the work. In summary:

AP4: WNC to Speak to Lucy Russell about a consultation exercise on Corston.

AP5: Write to Beverly Hughes as Children's Minister about the £0.5M in funding announced to bring children out of poverty and tackling anti-social behaviour. To say “Well done and good luck, but also to ask whether this will include specific provision for girls.”

AP6: Write to Jack Straw to ask him to take forward the Corston report recommendations in full.

AP7: Make contact with the Women's Institute and Fawcett Society, to see what opportunities there are for closer working.

14. JG then thanked Commissioners for attending and adjourned the discussion until the full meeting the following morning.

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