Dissertation by Mica Searles, Criminology MSc, Winchester University

How do we successfully support female prison leavers to reintegrate them with their children and families?

Student Number: 1400031

MICA NADINE SEARLES September 2018 The University of Winchester

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the final requirements of the MSc degree in Applied Criminology.

Contents Page

Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. v List of Tables and Figures ....................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1 – Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2 – Review of Literature ............................................................................................ 4 2.1 Crime Type ...................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Recidivism ....................................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Impact on the family....................................................................................................... 9 2.4 Life after Prison ............................................................................................................ 11 Chapter 3 – Methodology ....................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 4 – Results and Discussion ...................................................................................... 19 4.1 Rehabilitation ............................................................................................................... 19 4.2 Accommodation for female prison leavers ................................................................ 21 4.3 Accommodation for children ....................................................................................... 22 4.4 Family Life ..................................................................................................................... 23 4.5 Mental Health................................................................................................................ 25 Chapter 5 - Recommendations .............................................................................................. 28 Chapter 6 – Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 32 Reference List ......................................................................................................................... 35 Appendices.............................................................................................................................. 42 Appendix 1: RKE Ethics Proforma..................................................................................... 42 Appendix 2: Consent Form ................................................................................................ 56 Appendix 3: Survey Questions and Responses ................................................................ 57

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Abstract Female prison leavers (FPLs) face many barriers when they are released from prison.

This dissertation will explore how the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton can assist in reintegrating FPLs with their children and families. The aim of this study is to reduce re-offending amongst female prison leavers to lessen the impact on the family.

Female prisoners/prison leavers and male prisoners/prison leavers (MPLs) have contrasting experiences of criminal behaviour. Female and male offenders in the UK share the most common crime type which is ‘violence against a person’. However, female offenders are over-represented in the offence type of theft and under-represented in the offence types of sexual offences and a possession of a weapon. Females have lower recidivism rates than males in the UK. Factors such as accommodation, education, health, drugs and alcohol, children and families and attitude to behaviour can negatively raise reoffending rates and put female prison leavers back into the prison system. Lack of rehabilitation services is another aspect of reoffending for female and male prison leavers as the criminal justice system (CJS) focuses more on capital punishment.

Having a female in the CJS can negatively impact her children and the wider family.

The child of the FPL may have to live with other family members or be listed for fostering/adoption. Mental health, substance abuse, school failure and stigma some of the main issues children of prisoners’ face. Life after prison can be challenging for male and female prison leavers. Women prison leavers are more likely to lose their accommodation, abuse drugs and to become victims of domestic abuse. However, MPLs have a higher

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probability to re-offend and have lower levels of education which hinders their employability.

Primary data was collected by a qualitative, online survey. The participants are made up of two CRC/Probation officers, a commissioner and a mental health practitioner.

Secondary data such as books, journals, online newspaper articles, reports are used for the literature review. The research method of the online survey is suited for this dissertation as it provided fast and honest responses, accuracy, fast analysis and easy use for the researcher and the participant. Narrative analysis is used to interpret the data findings as it helps to understand meanings and feelings through human experiences. An ontological assumption of this research project is that females should not be sent to prison or have short prison sentences as it may negatively affect the institution of the family. Another assumption is that females in prison suffer more than males in the context of mental illness.

From an epistemological viewpoint, all industries that deal with female prison leavers need to introduce new and successful rehabilitation services that will prevent reoffending and reintegrate women offenders back into society.

Although there are rehabilitation services for FPLs in the UK such as counselling and therapy, it is still lacking in other areas. With women centres, the gap in rehabilitation would be closed as they provide many facilities all in one building. Social housing is a must for FPLs if they want to gain full custody of their children. Without it, they may become homeless and start to re-offend. Accommodation for children is a stressful situation as they may bring financial, emotional and social ‘punishments’ or burdens to the family. A child may ‘act out’ and fall into criminal behaviour due to their mother being in prison. There are barriers between children and FPLs that can weaken their relationship. Keeping in contact with

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children and family members encourages FPLs to lead a better life once they have been released from prison. The mental health and wellbeing of female prison leavers can deteriorate once they have departed prison due to the struggle of finding employment, accommodation and regaining full custody of their children.

In this dissertation, it is recommended for the OPCC of Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton to:  Support female prisoners with maintaining relationships with their children and families.  Prioritise in making sure suitable accommodation is available by the time the female prison leaver is released.  Support rehabilitation services for female prison leavers such as women centres.  Support female prison leavers in the process of reuniting with their children and family.  Support more crime prevention services for the youth.

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Acknowledgements Firstly, I would like to thank the University of Winchester for giving me the opportunity to complete my postgraduate study here. Although at times my experiences were challenging, they were also greatly rewarding.

I would like to give a thank you to the lecturers that taught me whilst I was on my MSc Applied Criminology course. The lectures were engaging, and your expertise showed through your teaching. I thank Vincenzo Scalia for being my dissertation tutor and providing me with useful advice.

Courtesy of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, I was able to experience the world of work through my university placement. I especially give thanks to the small team of Anja Kimberly, Natasha Fletcher, Enzo Riglia, and Alan Hagger and for supporting and guiding me through my placement and dissertation. I thank Sorrell Kenny for her effective guidance at the beginning of my placement at the office.

Thank you to the participants that took the time to partake in my primary research.

Your assistance will be acknowledged by the future readers of this research project.

Finally, and most importantly, I thank my mother Valerie Myers, my father Robert Searles and my sister Ella-Marie Searles for supporting me throughout this my whole university experience. All of your encouragements helped me stay afloat throughout these past four years of university and during my undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations.

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List of Tables and Figures

Figure 1: Proportion of adult and juvenile offenders in England and Wales who commit a proven reoffence, April 2005 to June 2016 ................................................................................ 6 Figure 2: Flow chart showing the pathway to successfully reintegrate female prison leavers with their children and family .................................................................................................. 28

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Chapter 1 – Introduction

In contemporary society, the matter of females going into the prison system is a serious criminal issue. The interdisciplinary of criminology tries to understand how a female being imprisoned could have a negative impact on her children and the wider family. Also, criminological researchers are interested in how the criminal justice system can create effective rehabilitation services to prevent female prison leavers from reoffending.

There is statistical evidence of how the criminal justice system can have a significant effect on social groups throughout the UK and specifically in the Hampshire region. As of June 2018, the total UK prison population is 83,254. The male prison population is 79,361, compared to the female prison population of 3,893 (HMPS, 2018). In the county of Hampshire, the city of Southampton has the highest number of women offenders (718, 15.03%) working with the Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC). Whereas, the Hart district has the lowest number of offenders working with the CRC (12, 14.46%) (CRC, 2018). Across all districts in Hampshire, the most common offence type is Violence Against the Person – As of June 2018, Southampton has the highest number of offenders in this category which is 300 (CRC, 2018). The age group of 26-34 has the highest number of offenders working with the CRC in Hampshire, specifically the city of Southampton (326 offenders, 38.58%) (CRC, 2018). The stated ethnic group of White British has the highest quantity of offenders in Hampshire, precisely in the city of Portsmouth at 81.34% (CRC, 2018).

To achieve data results that will answer the title of this study, an aim and objectives were created.

The aim of this research is to reduce re-offending amongst female prison leavers to lessen the impact on the family.

The objectives/research questions are: 1

1. What impact does offending/re-offending have on the children of female prison leavers and why?

2. To what extent are female prison leavers re-offending and where they are re-offending, what are the barriers to rehabilitation?

3. To what extent are the support services in place to aid the rehabilitation of female prison leavers?

The subject of female prison leavers is an important issue in academia. Researchers need to explore how and why children who are affected by the prison system are more likely to be involved in criminality and anti-social behaviour. If a healthy mother and child relationship is reborn once she has completed her prison sentence, it may be less likely that the child will deviate and follow the same path as their mother’s delinquency. Women in prison have become a highlighted issue in UK government and politics over the recent months as there is an argument on whether there should be more or less money being put into women prisons. This research project will help the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton meet one of their main objectives which are to reduce offending, especially in young people. This organisation wants to tackle the root causes of offending and make early interventions to prevent this criminal issue.

The following chapters will focus on evidence to support the question of how do we successfully support female prison leavers to reintegrate them with their children and families? The second thematic chapter will be a review of the literature that outlines the topics of crime type, recidivism, the impact of prison on the family and life after prison. The methodology will examine the research strategy, use of instruments, sampling rationale and the research model in the third thematic chapter. The fourth thematic chapter will analyse and discuss the primary data results that were collected. Next, discussion on recommendations for the OPCC for Hampshire, Isle of Wight,

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Portsmouth and Southampton will be discussed. The final thematic chapter will conclude this project with a conclusion of the key findings.

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Chapter 2 – Review of Literature To understand how and why female prison leavers may have an impact on their children and the rest of the family, it is important to examine and compare the literature between female prisoners/prison leavers and male prisoners/prison leavers. The first quarter of this chapter will look at the type of crime female and male offenders are likely to commit. The second quarter will explore the factors of recidivism and reoffending rates between male and female offenders. How women and men being in prison has a negative impact on their children and the wider family will be analysed in the third quarter of this chapter. The last quarter will overview the life of female and male offenders after they have been released from prison and what issues they face.

2.1 Crime Type It has been recognised by the UK criminal justice system that female and male offenders are likely to commit certain criminal offences. Home Office (2017) found that in 2016/17, the offence group of violence against a person was the most common offence committed by both females (41%) and males (37%). In the prior year of 2015/16, the percentage for this offence group decreased with 39% of female arrests and 34 % of male arrests (Home Office, 2017). A common pattern that can be seen over the recent years is that females are over-represented in the offence type of theft. Females made up 26% of theft offence group arrests in 2016/17, compared to 21% of male arrests (Home Office, 2017). The offence groups that had the least amount of female arrests in 2016/17 were possession of a weapon, sexual offence and robbery (all at 1%).

Many scholars believe that women and men are likely to commit specific crimes due to biological, psychological and social factors. The biological, sociobiological and evolutionary psychology perspective argues that social interaction of aggression has a huge impact on sex differences in crime (Hyde, 1984; Dunbar et al., 2007; Staniloiu & Markowitsch, 2012; Renzetti et al., 2013). Due to the higher levels of testosterone in the male body, men are thought to be innately 4

more aggressive for status, territories, mating and finding resources (Vugt, 2006; McDonald et al.,2012). On the other hand, women have innately more oestrogen hormones and therefore their aggression levels may be lower. This could suggest why female offenders commit more crimes that do not require aggression and violence such as theft and fraud (Campbell et al., 2001).

The sociological perspective identifies a correlation between gender roles and crime. Due to primary socialisation in the institutions of the family, education and media, men and women learn from a young age that there are separate gender norms that they must follow to fit into society.

Women are socialised to be the passive, emotional and nurturing role in the family unit, whereas men are told to be assertive, boisterous and to become the main breadwinner (Bales & Parsons 1956; 1969; Blumer, 1980). These gender roles can relate to crime types. Women are believed to commit theft and fraud when they are in desperate needs to collect goods and money for their family, especially if they are a single parent. They may steal items such as clothing, groceries and health products to provide extra comfort where needed (Gamman, 1999).

The feminist criminological perspective argues that women may commit crime due to the social system of patriarchy (Adler, 1975; Chesney-Lind, 1997; Parker & Reckdenwald, 2008; Renzetti, 2013). Adler’s (1975) liberation thesis explains how women in the 1970s started separating themselves from patriarchal control and discrimination due to them gaining more equal opportunities. This may have led to the rise in female criminality and crime rate. This can relate to the topic of crime type as new life opportunities created a pathway for women to get into major crime such as white-collar crime and robbery (Adler, 1975).

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2.2 Recidivism Recidivism (re-offending) rates for female offenders differ from male offenders in the UK.

Figure 1: Proportion of adult and juvenile offenders in England and Wales who commit a proven reoffence, April 2005 to June 2016

In the April to June 2016 cohort, 17% of the adult and juvenile proven re-offences were females, which is a noticeable contrast to the 83% of male proven re-offences. The re-offending rate for females is at 23.3% compared to 30.7% for males. There is a small decrease from the previous cohort of April to June 2015 with -0.4% for female re-offenders and -0.1% for male re-offenders (Ministry of Justice, 2018)

The Federal Statistical Office conducted a study following 6,649 minors born in Switzerland in 1992 who had committed a criminal offence. After completing the longitudinal study between 6

1999 and 2015, they found that these minors were more likely to follow the path of delinquency into their adulthood. 73% of boys and 27% of girls made up the sample of convicted minors. The end results revealed that the recidivism rate for adult males was 31% and only 8% for adult females (Federal Statistical Office, 2017). However, in the U.S the recidivism rates were considerably higher than in the UK and Switzerland. In 2016, the rearrests rate was at 36.4% for females and 52.2% for males (United States Sentencing Commission, 2016).

There are many factors that influence male and female re-offending. Integrated Offender Management (IOM) is a scheme that ‘…brings a cross-agency response to the crime and reoffending threats faced by local communities’ (GOV.UK, 2015 [online]). The aims of this scheme are to support local communities by:  Reducing the negative impact of crime and reoffending  Reducing the number of people who become victims of crime  Helping to improve the public’s confidence in the criminal justice system (GOV.UK, 2015 [online]) The IOM found produced seven factors/pathways of reoffending (Hall, 2015:7). If these pathways can be prevented, then reoffending rates will be drastically lower: PATHWAY 1: Accommodation - Having somewhere to live and appropriate support helps offenders live more stable lives and to access support. This pathway seeks to source suitable accommodation and increase the Offenders transition from offender to civilian.

PATHWAY 2: Education, Training and Employment - Offenders often do not have the basic skills necessary to find and keep a job.

PATHWAY 3: Health - People within the criminal justice system often have problems gaining access to health and social care.

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PATHWAY 4: Drugs and Alcohol - Substance misuse is strongly associated with offending, with one survey showing around two-thirds of arrestees testing positive for drugs.

PATHWAY 6: Children and Families - Offenders’ families can be affected by the offender’s behaviour and punishment but can also be a source of support and stability.

PATHWAY 7: Attitudes, Thinking and Behaviour - This pathway seeks to improve the Offender’s responses to challenges and increase pro-social behaviour.

Rehabilitation is another key factor in reducing re-offending. In the UK and U.S, there is a lack of services to support prisoners. When they complete their sentence, many leave with no qualifications or technical skills to survive in the real world and to financially support themselves and their families. There is more of a focus on punishment and deterrence rather than rehabilitation (Morris & Rothman, 1998; Currie, 2013). Coles et al. (2018) revealed that the rehabilitation and probation services are to blame for the 94 deaths in UK women prisons since March 2007. Many of these women prisoners who died suffered from drug addiction and mental health, something that prison services ‘ignore’ or do not fully support. However, re-offending rates in Switzerland and other Scandinavian countries are at its lowest due to their focus on rehabilitation that will benefit the prisoner in short and long terms. The Halden Prison in Norway has maximum security but is named as the most ‘humane prison in the world’ (Gentleman, 2012 [online]). The prison cells have windows and there is access to the television and the internet. There is no solitary confinement and the prisoners get paid to leave the prison campus for sports activities and the library. There is a chance to complete education qualifications and to learn life skills such as cooking and technical work. The rehabilitation services are successful in Halden Prison as the re-offending rates are as low as 20% (Ugelvik & Dullum, 2011; Sterbenz, 2014).

Convict Criminologists Richards & Jones (1997) identify that the criminal justice system is also to blame for ex-convicts ending back in prison. They coined the term ‘perpetual incarceration machine’ which describes how harsh parole conditions and pervasiveness pre-employment criminal 8

background checks are the driving factors of prison leavers reoffending and going back into imprisonment (Laursen, 2017)

2.3 Impact on the family The prison institution has a significant impact on children and the rest of the family.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton states in a meeting at the House of Lords that ‘Approximately, 60% of women in custody have children…The average length of stay for women in prison recorded as having children is 1.5 years, versus 2.6 years for women not recorded as having children’ (Parlimentlive.tv, 2018). Many prisoners reported that they were close to their families before they were sent to prison (74%). They were still providing and receiving emotional support (63% and 73%) and wanted their families to be involved with their lives (88%). 40% of the prisoners saw the support from their families and 36% reported that seeing their children was an important factor in preventing them from reoffending in the future (Ministry of Justice, 2012). Valley & Cassidy (2012) illustrates that having a single mother in prison is detrimental to a child’s upbringing as it results in them being forced to live with other family members that may not want to become the primary guardians. ‘More than 4,000 children every year in England and Wales move in with their grandmothers because their mother has been sent to jail. Another 5,000 are taken in by other family members or friends’ (Valley & Cassidy, 2012 [online]). Lord Beecham argues that ‘17,000 children are affected by their mother going into prison and only 50% of them stay in the home where their mother was’ (Parlimentlive.tv, 2018). If there are no family members that are fit or prepared to look after the motherless child, then forced fostering and adoption is the next option.

This results in around 2,000 children going into fostering and adoption every year (Valley & Cassidy, 2012).

Having a mother or father in prison can have a negative effect on their children. A child’s behaviour can deteriorate when they have knowledge of their parent being in prison (Sack et al., 1976; Murray & Farrington, 2008; Liebling & Maruna, 2013). Lewis et al., (2008) supports this view 9

as they argue that the child prisoner is three times more likely to be involved in antisocial behaviour. A child’s mental health can deteriorate also due to stress, separation anxiety and loneliness (Murray & Farrington, 2008; Gill, 2009; Liebling & Maruna, 2013;). Drug abuse is very common as it becomes a coping mechanism for not having their mother or father in their life (Murray & Farrington, 2008; Liebling & Maruna, 2013; The Federal Interagency Working Group on Children of Incarcerated Parents, 2013). School failure can also be another negative factor of a child having a parent in prison (Murray & Farrington, 2008; Liebling & Maruna, 2013; Morgan et al., 2013). Because of the school failure and not getting enough qualifications, unemployment can also become an issue (Murray & Farrington, 2008; Liebling & Maruna, 2013). Children with a parent in prison can experience stigma by association. This is where the child and the wider family gets stigmatised and judged for the actions of the offender. This can especially have a negative impact on the children as they can be socially excluded from their school and neighbourhood.

Marginalisation may lead to the child ‘lashing out’ and perform in anti-social behaviour (Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, 2015).

It is argued that having contact with the outside world is beneficial for prisoners. Convict Criminologist Richard Jones (1993) identifies the value of keeping relationships strong between women prisoners and their family and friends. Contact with family and friends provides love and support for the prisoner which helps them get through the hardship of being locked away from the outside civilisation: ‘It’s like they’ve done my time with me. They’ve stuck by me through the hell, they come up every chance they get. They’ve just encouraged me to keep my [s…t] together’ (Jones, 1993:80). However, a lack of contact can unsettle the women prisoners and can make them believe that they have been ostracised from their family due to shame: ‘I have been here for three years and I have not seen one of my sisters… Prison is really hard on improving family ties. I wonder sometimes if I have been dumped by the family (Jones, 1993: 81).

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2.4 Life after Prison

It is argued that life after prison for women is more challenging than the experiences of male offenders. Housing has been identified as one of the main issues for female prison leavers face once they are put back into society (Bednar, 2001; Corston, 2007; Hucklesby & Hagley-Dickinson, 2012; Common Wealth Housing, 2016). Surprisingly 30% of women in prison lose their housing while they are in prison (Corston, 2007). This becomes a huge issue for female prison leavers as they may have nowhere to go, or they must rely on their family to accommodate them. Corston (2007) recommended that the UK government needs to have accommodation as the top priority for FPLs, especially if they have children. This could ‘break the cycle’ of repeat offending.

Another issue that a female prison leaver may face after being released from prison is domestic violence and abuse. In 2014, approximately 57% of women in prison have experienced domestic violence and 53% have reported experiencing physical, emotional or sexual abuse as a child, compared to 27% of men (Prison Reform Trust, 2017). The problem for FPLs is leaving prison and walking back into the abusive relationship. They may be conditioned into thinking their partner is only doing their abusive actions out of love or they are scared to leave in case they come after them. The charity organisation, Women in Prison, conducted a focus group and found that the women’s criminal behaviour was a response to violence and controlling behaviour from their abusive partner (Bulman, 2017).

Substance use has been identified as another main issue for female prison leavers. The 2013 Surveying Prisoner Crime longitudinal study found that more female prisoners reported using Class A drugs four weeks before entering prison than a male prisoner. Also, female prisoners were more likely to be in prison for the offence for supporting another individual’s drug use as well as own (Light et al., 2013, cited in HM Inspectorate of Prisons, 2015). In 2014, 7% of female and 7% of male prisoners in the UK developed substance misuse problems whilst in prison (HM Inspectorate of 11

Prisons, 2015). If substance misuse does not get treated during the prison, then the addiction will continue outside of prison and reoffending may occur as they need to fund their habit (Luekefeld et al., 2009; Binswanger et al, 2012).

However, many have argued that male prison leavers have equally or more of a challenging life after prison than female prison leavers. The low level of education and employment is a challenge for male prison leavers. Astonishingly, 47% of UK prisoners have been estimated to have no GCSE qualifications (House of Commons, 2016). Generally, females do better in the GCSEs than males – in 2017, 71% of female school pupils in the UK achieved at least a C or 4 grades compared to 61.5% of male school pupils (Busby, 2017). Many male prisoners had poor school experiences: ‘I was kicked out of three schools. I was kicked out in my first year in A. Thrown out in B. And then thrown out of a school for kids who (were excluded). I accomplished absolutely nothing except wasting 14 years of my life.’ (C at training) (Braggins, 2003:39). Getting an education whilst in prison can improve the probability of male prison leavers getting a job and decreases recidivism rates (Esperian, 2010; Zoukis, 2014; Coates, 2016). 101,600 UK adult prisoners participated in prison education in the academic year of 2014/15, a 7% increase from the previous year (Coates, 2016).

Another issue that male prison leavers face after leaving prison is reoffending. As previously mentioned, men are more likely to re-offend than women (Ministry of Justice, 2018). Women offenders may be more likely to learn from their time in prison and try to live a non-criminal life, for themselves as well as their children and family. A social factor that can influence reoffending is the power of peer pressure and relations (Esiri, 2016). Some peers can be of a negative influence on the offender if they are not strong-willed enough to make their own decisions. This can be seen in gang culture as the male may believe and act in gang affiliated crimes due to viewing their gang members as role models. If they decide to object to gang rules, they may be pressured and threatened into doing it if they want their family to be safe (Fair & Jacobson, 2017). Nevertheless, there is such a thing as positive peer pressure that can steer previous offenders down the right 12

path. For example, Finland had the ‘Through the Gate’ scheme which used former prisoners to work with prisoners that will be released by supporting them in resettling back into society through access to services. The Delancey Street Foundation in the U.S is staffed by ex-prisoners and they teach marketable skills to newly released prisoners (Fair & Jacobson, 2017).

To conclude, there is an overall agreement in this chapter that female prisoners/prison leavers and male prisoners/prison leavers have different criminal experiences. Female offenders participate in criminal activities such as theft and fraud whereas men commit more violent crimes.

Recidivism rates for females are lower than males and there are certain factors or pathways that can influence this. Having a mother or father in prison has a significant impact on the family, especially the children. The children may experience issues such as anti-social behaviour, school failure and mental health. Lastly, life after prison can look differently for female and male prison leaves. Female prison leavers may struggle more with housing, domestic violence/abuse and substance misuse. On the other hand, male prison leavers may be more likely to face problems with education, unemployment and reoffending. The next chapter will overview the methodology of this dissertation.

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Chapter 3 – Methodology 3.1 Research Strategy How an individual accumulates data is important as it can have a substantial effect on the credibility of the chosen information. Primary data was collected in this research project using online surveys. ‘Primary data is gathered at first hand and usually organised and presented by the person(s) who gathered them’ (Mabry, 1999, cited in Daniel & Sam, 2011:103). This can come in the form of quantitative or qualitative research. Eight questions were produced for the online survey to gather insight on how a mother in prison has a significant effect on her children and the rest of the family. The SurveyMonkey software was used to create the online survey. A consent form was put at the beginning of the online survey for ethical and moral reasons. It was made sure that the participants had to click ‘Yes’ at the end of the consent form in order for them to proceed to answer the survey questions. Four participants (two CRC/probation officers, a mental health practitioner and a commissioner) agreed to partake in the online survey. The justification for using the online survey method will be discussed in the sampling rationale segment.

Secondary data was also used in this research project, especially in the literature review.

Going to the library is a traditional method of finding relevant information as it has archives of academic books, journals, reports etc. Trips to the Martial Rose Library at the University of Winchester became a regular routine when researching for information for this dissertation.

Another research method that was used to gather secondary data for this dissertation is academic search engines. An academic search engine is ‘the search products that localize scientific information on the web’ (Codina, 2007, cited in Ortega, 2014:3). Google Scholar, Google Books, the library catalogue at the University of Winchester JSTOR, Oxford Journals and Taylor & Francis are examples of academic search engines that were used to research information. Ortega (2014) proposes that researchers and scholars should use academic search engines as they help discover

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reliable academic data. Furthermore, they act as a shortcut method in the world of research as they can filter out sources that are less useful.

3.2 Use of Instruments and Sampling Rationale The research method of online surveys was used to collect data for this dissertation. ‘A survey is a systematic method for gathering information from (a sample of) entities for the purpose of constructing quantitative descriptors of the attributes of the large population of which entities are members (Groves et al., 2004:2, cited in Wolf et al., 2016:4). However, the survey that was created for this project used open-ended questions, which therefore makes it a qualitative survey.

SurveyMonkey (2018) argues that ‘Qualitative survey research is a less structured research methodology used to gain in-depth information about people’s underlying reasoning and motivations’. The aim of using surveys is to gain a deeper understanding of issues, topics, meanings and feelings from individual participants.

There are many advantages in using online surveys for academic research. Sue & Ritter (2012) recommends using online surveys for these reasons:  Faster responses: By creating a survey electronically, the researcher is able to receive responses immediately, compared to postal surveys where the waiting period would be delayed to around 2-5 working days.  Honest responses: Because online surveys can be made anonymous, the participants are more likely to give more truthful answers. Interviews have more of a running risk of the participant lying or exaggerating on the spot.  Accuracy: The margin of error is drastically reduced as the answers are directly typed into the survey. Human error can occur in research methods such as interviews as memory and attentiveness are the key components in feeding back reliable results.

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 Quicker to analyse: The researcher can view the results and form their graphs and reports immediately.  Easy use for researcher and participants: There are many survey generator websites that can guide the researcher step-by-step on making their own survey. Additionally, the surveys are easy for participants to use for the majority of this generation have the internet.

Choosing the right qualitative analysis method can have a significant impact on how the researcher interprets their data findings. Narrative inquiry or narrative analysis was used in this research project. Polkinghorne (1988) argues that narrative inquiry helps researchers understand meanings and feelings through human experiences (Kim, 2015). They use thematic structures and patterns to interpret the narrative in the data they have collected. Polkinghorne (1988:1) defines narrative meaning as ‘a cognitive process that organizes human experiences into temporally meaningful episodes’. To paraphrase, different individuals have different narrative meanings that are unique to them and this can be analysed to explore and understand new concepts in society.

For this research, people from different industries (CRC/probation officers, mental health practitioner, commissioner) will be complete the online survey and this will collect diverse stories of their experiences with female prison leavers.

There are strengths in using the narrative design to analyse qualitative data. Firstly, it allows collaboration between the researcher and the participant (Ali et al., 2015). The participant will tell their story of events that relate to the research topic; this gives the researcher an opportunity to analyse and re-tell the story with insights and meanings. Secondly, the narrative analysis gives the educators a ‘voice’ (Alit et al., 2015). Depending on the research topic, it may be the first time for many participants to talk about their unique story. For example, a probation officer may share how their relationship was with a specific female prison leaver. This narrative could be beneficial in exploring the correlation between an FPL successfully completing their probation and the relationship they had with their CRC/probation officer. Thirdly, narrative analysis captures familiar 16

everyday life data (Ali et al., 2015). For example, the researcher can collect a narrative of a CRC/probation officer by interviewing them. After many interviews, the researcher can explore actions that likely come up in the everyday life of a probation officer e.g. rehabilitation, restorative justice.

3.3 Research Model The qualitative research model or approach was used for this dissertation. Creswell (2003:18) gives a detailed description of this type of approach: ‘…a qualitative approach is one in which the inquirer often makes knowledge claims based primarily on constructivist perspectives (i.e., the multiple meanings of individual experiences, meanings socially and historically constructed, with an intent of developing a theory or pattern) or advocacy/participatory perspectives (i.e., political, issue-oriented, collaborative. or change oriented) or both. It also uses strategies of inquiry such as narratives, phenomenologies, ethnographies, grounded theory studies, or case studies.

The researcher collects open-ended, emerging data with the primary intent of developing themes from the data’.

There are many strengths in using the qualitative research model. Firstly, qualitative research can be used to investigate highly sensitive issues. In this case, topics such as crime, sex, substance abuse and the family may come up when the probation officers are talking about the experiences of female prison leavers. Secondly, qualitative research uses words and meanings rather than statistics. These meanings can discover new themes that could answer the big research question. Thirdly, Creswell (2003) believes that the researcher’s psychological attributes are beneficial to qualitative research. The researcher’s ‘comfort with the lack of specific rules and procedures for conducting research, high tolerance for ambiguity [and] the time for lengthy study, makes them suitable for conducting qualitative research’ (Creswell, 2003, cited in Clarke, 2005:12).

The ontology and epistemology in research are important as it increases the awareness of philosophical assumptions, thus increasing the quality of the research and creativity of the 17

researcher (Patel, 2015). ‘Ontology is the study of being’ (Crotty, 1998:10). Ontological assumptions are always asking the question ‘what is reality?’. From a constructivist/interpretivist perspective, ‘there is no single reality or truth. Reality is created by individuals in groups’ (Patel, 2015 [online]).

An ontological assumption of this research project is that females should not be sent to prison or have short prison sentences as it may negatively affect the institution of the family. Another assumption is that females in prison suffer more than males in the context of mental illness.

‘Epistemology is concerned with the nature and forms of knowledge’ (Cohen et al., 2007:7).

Guba & Lincon (1994:108) state the epistemology asks the question ‘what is the nature of the relationship between the would-be knower and what can be known?’ (Guba & Lincon, 1994:108, cited in Scotland, 2012:9). To paraphrase, how can I know reality? From a constructivist/interpretivist perspective, ‘reality needs to be interpreted. It is used to discover the underlying meaning of events and activities’ (Patel, 2015 [online]). Society needs to know how and why about female prison leavers as they need the additional support once they have been released from prison. Individuals need to be educated on the experiences of females going to prison to prevent themselves from committing a crime and being incarcerated. The criminal justice system needs to be notified on the research of FPLs, so they can introduce new and successful rehabilitation services that will prevent reoffending and reintegrate women offenders back into society.

The next thematic chapter will analyse and discuss the primary data results.

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Chapter 4 – Results and Discussion In this thematic chapter, analysis and discussion of the data results will be explored. The survey responses are from two CRC/probation officers, a commissioner and a mental health practitioner. The first segment overviews current rehabilitation services that are being used in the UK for female prison leavers. The second segment part of this thematic chapter will look at how accommodation is an important part of getting an FPL back on track with reuniting with her family.

Next, the issue of accommodation for the children of the female prison leavers will be discussed.

The fourth segment of this chapter will explore how the children and wider family’s life has drastically been affected by a family member going into the prison system. The last part of this thematic chapter will discuss the issue of dealing with mental health inside and outside of prison.

4.1 Rehabilitation Rehabilitation methods are currently being used to an extent in different industries to support female prison leavers.

CRC/Probation Officer A: ‘I dealt with one that spent time in prison for shoplifting and theft, due to a drug habit. Engaged with counselling during prison, kicked the drugs and got her children back.

She struggled for some time to integrate herself into the local community but my last info on her was that she was still being successful.’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018).

Mental Health Practitioner: ‘From prison, the client is transferred to a medium/high secure mental health unit. After a period of time, they are then transferred to a low secure unit. After that, they are sent to a rehab unit. This is where they learn new skills to reintegrate them into society e.g. washing, cleaning, money budgeting and saving, jobs, social life.’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018).

There is evidence of female prisoners and prison leavers benefiting from counselling and therapy sessions. The CARE (Choices, Actions, Relationships and Emotions) programme has been running in the HMP Foston Hall since 2011. The only accredited women-specific behaviour 19

programme in England at the time was created for female prisoners who dealt with substance misuse, mental health, self-harm and relationship issues (Dixon & Jones, 2013). Through 30 group sessions and nine one-to-one sessions, the prisoners create life goals and develop mindfulness (focusing on the present and not the past).

The CARE programme ‘…gives the women a reason to get up in the morning... The programme looks at the positives and the future the women can achieve and this is motivating. Everyone should do it – it makes you reflect and realise there is a future.’ (CARE Advocate, cited in Dixon & James, 2013:19) There were many positive responses to this programme: ‘It’s taught me to appreciate myself... It has given me confidence and self belief. I feel safe – I was not safe for many years...’ (Learner, cited in Dixon & James, 2013:20) ‘I was really angry, the way I looked at people and I was very curt. But now I recognise my emotions and I have the tools to look after myself.’ (Learner, Dixon & James, 2013:20) ‘I went to college to do NVQ Level 3 in beauty. This was my preferred story and CARE gave me the motivation to do it.’ (Learner, cited in Dixon & James, 2013:21) Lipsey et al. (2007) used the method of meta-analysis to confirm that there are positive effects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to reduce recidivism of offenders. They looked at previous data results from academics such as Pearson et al., 2002; Lipsey, 2005; Bouffard & MacKenzie, 2005. The results revealed that there was a 25% decrease in the offenders reoffending within 12 months of using CBT (Lipsey, et al., 2007).

There is evidence of female prisoners/prison leavers benefiting from learning basic life skills.

In 2014, Justice Minister Simon Hughes set out a curriculum for women prisoners to learn life and educational skills (GOV.UK, 2014). Hughes stated that ‘I want to see all women benefit from targeted education and training in prison which meets their needs. This will prepare them in the 20

best way possible for eventual release and future employment opportunities’ (GOV.UK, 2014 [online]).

Many secure hospital houses for mental health have been teaching life and social skills to patients who are offenders and ex-prisoners with a mental illness. Swains (2016) believes that residential treatment can be a successful alternative to prison for offenders with mental health problems. Hospitals such a Guild Lodge in Lancashire provide wood and metal workshops, art and music rooms. However, not all hospitals have the budget to have these rehabilitation services so many patients’ mental state starts to deteriorate further whilst they are staying in the secure hospital ward.

4.2 Accommodation for female prison leavers Accommodation is vital for female prison leavers to successfully reintegrate with their families.

Mental Health Practitioner: ‘Once these skills are learnt, they are discharged to council accommodation that can be run by charities.’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018) CRC/Probation Officer B: ‘...linked into housing and sourced furniture for her’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018) CRC/Probation Officer B: ‘Specific accommodation that can take children…’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018).

Many offenders lose their housing when they go into the prison system. Approximately, two out of five UK prisoners (37%) reported that they will need support in finding new accommodation one they have been released (Ministry of Justice, 2013). Furthermore, it has been revealed that there can be up to a 15% decrease in reoffending due to the former prisoners having a stable home (MOJ, 2013).

There are many reasons why female prison leavers need suitable housing. First and foremost, FPLs need accommodation otherwise they will automatically become homeless. Mackie & 21

Thomas (2014) declares that across Great Britain, 41% of homeless people served a prison sentence. Living on the streets or bouncing from one house to another is an unstable lifestyle that can create problems such as drug abuse, domestic abuse and health issues. Secondly, once the FPLs having suitable housing, they are on the right path to earn back their parental rights of their children. Thirdly, hostel accommodation may expose risks to female prison leavers. Living in hostels lack connections to services that can help them e.g. free blood tests for drug users to check for needle transmitted diseases such as HIV (Mackie & Thomas, 2014). Finally, black and other minority ethnics (BMEs) face more discrimination against them when looking for housing. This makes them a higher risk of being homeless or even deported if they are not recognised as a UK citizen.

4.3 Accommodation for children It is very common for the children of the female prison lever to be accommodated with the family members. However, this is not always a positive outcome.

Mental Health Practitioner: ‘The family have to take home the child/children of the female patient.

There can be a bad or no relationship between the children and the guardian that looks after them as they may have never been close in the first place. Or the guardian sees the child as a 'burden'’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018).

A child of a prisoner may create some difficulties for the wider family. Families affected by the prison system can experience ‘invisible punishment’ as they feel they are too being penalised for the crime that a family member committed (Mauer & Chesney-Lind 2002, cited in Breen, 2008).

The financial punishments could include being responsible for maintaining or selling the prisoners’ house. Also, becoming the full-time guardian of a child with a parent in prison becomes costly as it is another individual to financially look out for (Breen, 2008). The emotional punishments could insist on becoming emotionally and mentally drained from the process of a family member going to prison. The Social Care Institute for Excellence explored the emotional pathway they have to take when a family member is going to prison: 22

 Arrest: Police may arrest a parent in front of the child. This causes upset and trauma.  Court: Is where sentence is decided. It may be the last time a child sees their parent before they go to prison.  Prison: Mother or father may be taken to prison miles from home. They may be moved around a lot. The child may never gain the opportunity to visit.  Release: The family might find it difficult to adjust when a parent comes home (Community Care, 2008 [online]) The social punishments the family can experience is stigma and judgement from the outside community. Others may ostracise the family members of the prisoner as they believe that they could be capable of becoming criminals (Dawson et al., 2013).

4.4 Family Life Offending/reoffending habits of female prison leavers can have a negative effect on their children and the immediate family.

CRC/Probation Officer A: ‘Alcohol misuse - drugs and the influence of a partner.’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018) Commissioner: ‘[Reoffending] cannot be positive and should be avoided wherever possible. It can destroy family life and lead to children being taken into care. The likelihood of the child being traumatised is therefore very high leading to ongoing problems in the short medium and longer terms.’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018) Mental Health Practitioner: ‘Fragmented families...Children act out and become offenders themselves’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018) CRC/Probation Officer B: ‘Family unit (however that looks) is negatively effected. Emotional impact on children having to go to a prison to see parent or not having parent’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018)

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There are many factors of how a parent reoffending habits negatively affects the family. It is likely that children of prison leavers may ‘act out’ due to seeing their parent getting arrested again and knowing there is a possibility of them going back into prison. Besemer & Farrington did a notable study on the intergenerational transfer of criminal behaviour. The results revealed that ‘children of criminal parents had 2.4 higher chance of falling into crime than children without criminal parents’ (NWO, 2017[online]). Furthermore, they found other factors such as teenage parenthood, socioeconomic status, family size and child abuse can have an impact on the criminality of children. However, the probability of a child with a criminal parent was still 1.8 times higher (NWO, 2017). A surprising discovery found by Besemer & Farrington is that the intergenerational transmission of criminal behaviour was more predominant in the United States compared to Sweden and Denmark. This could be due to the US government adopting harsh capital punishments, whereas as Scandinavian countries such as Sweden focuses on rehabilitation (NWO, 2017).

Children seeing their mother or father commit criminal offences can affect their mental and emotional wellbeing. For example, it can be traumatising for a child to see their parent going through substance abuse – the child may feel helpless as they are not mature enough to look after their parent and this can be emotionally straining. Additionally, a child visiting their parent in prison can become a stressful task due to the strict security process (body and bag search, invasive questioning, identification).

There are barriers between female prison leavers and their children that makes it more difficult for them to reconnect.

Commissioner: ‘At the moment there isn't enough support available to women with children leaving prison or within the prison. Returning to a family life and rebuilding relationships can be a major incentive to the mother to avoid reoffending…’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018).

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Maintaining relationships between the female prisoner and her children/family gives them the motivation to live a crime-free life once they have completed their prison sentence. Families of the prisoners in the UK have a lack of services and resources when a family member is in prison (Family Lives, 2018). Children and family members should have the right to have regular visits with the prisoner and it can positively encourage good behaviour and to reduce reoffending when they have been released from prison. These contact hours are especially beneficial to the children as it can develop their sense of identity, confidence and educational achievements (Family Lives, 2018).

4.5 Mental Health Mental health is a huge issue that female prisoners have to deal with once they have been released from prison.

Mental Health Practitioner: ‘...One case I have dealt with is where one of our female clients had to give their child to adoption services. Due to this, the female client's mental health deteriorated and she became very promiscuous with other male clients in the rehab unit. She refused female contraception. It was evident that she was trying to replace the baby she had lost’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018) The mental health of female prison leavers is something that it not taken into consideration by the criminal justice system. Putting a woman into the prison system could be the start of her mental health deteriorating or heightening any mental illnesses that were already present.

Hogenboom (2018) explained that female prisoners in the US are usually a product of ‘victimising the victimised’. They may have experienced childhood and domestic abuse which could be a triggering factor in committing crimes. When the FPL completes her prison sentence, they are expected to go back into society and figure out their next chapter in life on their own. Mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety can unfold if they are struggling to reunite with their children/family, finding employment and housing.

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A common suggestion from the respondents that there need to be more rehabilitation services that cater to mental health.

CRC/Probation Officer A: ‘More intense, cognitive and therapeutic sessions along with personal mentoring, over longer periods in prison, to set the scene more intensely before their release’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018) Mental Health Practitioner: ‘Need more mental health units. Need more individual/group therapy for ex-clients with mental health issues. Make the process from prison- to the rehab unit - to being discharged shorter’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018) CRC/Probation Officer B: ‘...female mentoring pre and post-release. Trauma-informed services available e.g. counselling, women only environments for all prison leavers to be seen at, regardless of agency.’ (SurveyMonkey, 2018) Rehabilitation services for the mental health of female prisoners are very uncommon. Dr Oana Burcu (2017) believes that first time offences for women could be drastically reduced if mental health was supported properly. Burcu (2017) suggested that using the rehabilitation method of women centres could be an alternative to being in custody. The ‘one stop shop’ women centre model was set up in the UK to give out multiple services under one roof to women in the CJS. Individual and group counselling/therapy, case management and family care are a few of the services they provide (Hardwick, 2013). The Anawim Women’s Centre in Birmingham was running rehabilitation programmes instead of the usual custody programmes and found that their clients had a small reoffending rate of between 1% and 6% (Burcu, 2017).

To summarise, rehabilitation services such as counselling/therapy, mental health units and learning life skills are used to an extent in the UK for female prison leavers. Many FPLs lose their accommodation once they enter prison - if they fail to find new housing after completing their prison sentence, homelessness, drug and domestic abuse could occur. Black and minority ethnics are found to find the process of getting accommodation for challenging due to discrimination.

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Children of FPLs may have to live with immediate family members and this can cause many financial, emotional and social strains. The female offender reoffending can further damage the family unit, and this can cause the child of the FPL to develop anti-social behaviour. If the criminal justice system can remove the barrier between the FPL and her children/family, the relationships can grow stronger and this is vital in preventing further offending. Mental health is an issue that all industries that work with female prison leavers should be considerate of as their health and well being can worsen during and after prison. More rehabilitation services such as women centres could be useful for FPLs with mental illnesses as mental health would be a top priority as well as family care and therapeutic counselling. The next thematic chapter will provide recommendations for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton.

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Chapter 5 - Recommendations

In Prison: Maintaining relationships between the female prisoner and her children/family

Leave Prison

Accommodation

Rehabilitation: e.g. Mental Health, Employment

Reuniting female prison leavers with their children and family

Figure 2: Flow chart showing the pathway to successfully reintegrate female prison leavers with their children and family

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RECOMMENDATION: The OPCC for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton should support female prisoners with maintaining relationships with their children and families.

The commissioning team could fund organisations such as Action for Prisoners’ and Offenders’ Families and Prison Advice Care Trust in making sure there are regular visiting hours for families to visit the female prisoner. Research has shown that prisoners who have lost contact with family and friends are more likely to re-offend. Losing a motherly figure at a young age can detrimentally affect a child’s life. Continuing a healthy relationship between the female prisoner and her children may prevent the cycle of recidivism for the mother and the start of a criminal life for the child.

RECOMMENDATION: The OPCC for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton should prioritise in making sure suitable accommodation is available by the time the female prison leaver is released.

The office should fund or partner with local housing organisations such as the Society of St James and Radian to ensure that every FPL that is relocated in Hampshire receives suitable accommodation. The OPCC for Hampshire could also fund in supported housing for FPLs that are more vulnerable and need extra assistance from on-site personal support workers. Halfway houses do not allow the mother’s children to live there with her. Therefore, the sooner suitable accommodation is found, the quicker the process will be for the FPL to gain custody of her children.

RECOMMENDATION: The OPCC for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton should support rehabilitation services for female prison leavers such as women centres

The commissioning team could fund women centres in Hampshire such as the Salvation Army (Booth Centre) in Southampton and Trinity in Winchester. Research has shown that rehabilitation services that use the ‘one stop shop’ model significantly have a positive impact on offenders.

Women centres use this model as they provide many services such as individual counselling,

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therapeutic support groups, employability advice and family care all in one place. The FPL needs to be mentally and financially stable before they are allowed full custody of their children.

RECOMMENDATION: The OPCC for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton should support female prison leavers in the process of reuniting with their children and family.

By supporting female prison leavers through the pathway (maintaining relationships, accommodation and rehabilitation), the social services will have enough concrete evidence to see that the FPL’s life is stable to have full custody of her children. Gaining full custody is not likely to happen straight away e.g. visiting hours, half custody. However, with the support of the OPCC, their probation officer/case manager and support workers from the women centres, the FPLs will have the encouragement to stay patient and keep out of criminal behaviour for not just themselves but for their children. Furthermore, the family members will see that the FPL is trying to better herself and this will make their relationship develop easier.

RECOMMENDATION: The OPCC for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton should support more crime prevention services for the youth.

Previous research has shown that a child of a prisoner is more likely to be involved in criminality. To prevent this, the OPCC should put funding into services such as youth centres. Over the recent years there have been cuts in youth services and policing in community safety – this is putting vulnerable children at risk of getting involved in anti-social behaviour. Having a safe haven for children and adolescents can encourage them to use their spare time efficiently. The number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in Hampshire have dropped over the years and there has been trouble with funding deals. The OPCC should encourage the Hampshire Constabulary to employ more PCSOs as they could have a positive impact on dealing with minor offences in the neighbourhood. The PCSO could de-escalate situations with youths before it escalates to them being arrested by police officers. Gaining a criminal record will affect a youths’ life opportunities.

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The next thematic chapter of the conclusion will have a summary of key findings and a concluding statement.

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Chapter 6 – Conclusion To conclude, the matter of female prison leavers being able to fully reintegrate back into society and with their families is a contemporary issue in the UK. Due to the possible biological (oestrogen) social (gender roles, patriarchy) factors, female offenders are over-represented in certain crime types such as theft. Factors such as education, substance abuse, attitudes and mental health have a significant impact on how likely a female prison leaver will re-offend. The lack of rehabilitation services for female prison leavers ends up back in prison. A child can be seriously affected by their mother being imprisoned and can experience separation anxiety and anti-social behaviour. Life after prison may be difficult for female offends as they may have the burden of having no accommodation. Also, domestic violence and abuse may still occur if they leave prison and go back to their abusive partner as they may have nowhere else to go.

Although there are currently rehabilitation services being used for prison leavers in the UK, there is a lack of them catering towards female offenders. Female prison leavers need suitable housing in order for them to reintegrate into society. Many can become homeless which can lead them down the path of health issues, substance and domestic abuse. Female offenders/prison leavers from a minority ethnic background may face more challenges when finding social housing due to discrimination and prejudice.

Most children of prison leavers have to live with a family member. However, they may not have a positive experience. The child/children may become a ‘burden’ as their guardian(s) may feel they are being ‘punished’ financially, emotionally and socially. The process of the mother being arrested, going to prison and being released can be emotionally and mentally straining on her children and wider family.

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When the female prisoner has regular contact hours with her children and family, it is less likely for her to re-offend once she is released back into society. The children also benefit from keeping in contact with their mother as their educational achievements, self-esteem and confidence can progressively develop.

The issue of mental health for female offenders is not properly dealt with inside and outside of prison. The health and well-being of female prisoners can deteriorate due to the ‘victims being victimised’ as many of them suffered from childhood trauma and domestic abuse. Furthermore, mental illnesses can be heightened when leaving prison as they can not handle the pressure of finding employment, housing and reconnecting with their family. Women centres have been found to be an alternative rehabilitation method. They directly deal with mental health issues through individual and group counselling/therapy.

There are a few actions the OPCC of Hampshire and other criminal justice industries could take to fully support female prison leavers. By supporting organisations that advocate for prisoner and family rights, FPLs can maintain relationships with their children and family. This can encourage FPLs to be in good behaviour in prison and to not re-offend once they have been released.

Supporting social housing companies could help female prison leavers find accommodation in a shorter period of time. Funding supported housing with additional support staff would be a great value to FPLs who are more vulnerable. Once they have suitable housing, their children can live with them. Women centres need to be funded as these have been proven to have a positive impact on FPLs. By using the services that are being provided, the FPL will be equipped with the life skills they need to survive on their own. The three steps of the pathway (maintain relationships, accommodation and rehabilitation) will help FPLs be prepared to gain full custody of their children and make strong bonds with their family members.

Criminological researchers have recognised that women offenders get ignored by the criminal justice system. Their main focus is on male offenders and how they need to be 33

rehabilitated as they make up the majority of the prison population. However, the current state of women prison systems has come to light in the UK. Many criminal justice secretaries want to cut funding in areas such as community prisons, even though they know this is a direct method of tackling reoffending rates. With the help of criminological research, the government can see what is not working for female prison leavers and enforce policies that cater towards their rehabilitation. If this research project was to be continued, the subject black and minority ethnic female prison leavers would be explored. BME FPLs get overlooked in the criminal justice system. Therefore, they may face obstacles in reintegrating back into society due to discrimination and cultural differences.

Word Count: 9,867

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Prison Reform Trust (2017) “There’s a reason we’re in trouble”: Domestic abuse as a driver to women’s offending. [online]. Available from: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Domestic_abuse_report_final_lo. pdf [Accessed 11 June 2018].

Prison Reform Trust (2018) Home truths: housing for women in the criminal justice system. [online].

Available from: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/portals/0/documents/home%20truths%20june%202018. pdf [Accessed 17 August 2018].

Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, 2015 (2015) Impact of punishment: families of people in prison. [online]. Available from: http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2015/10/SCCJR-Impact-of-crime-prisoners-families.pdf [Accessed 7 June 2018].

The Federal Interagency Working Group on Children of Incarcerated Parents (2013) Promoting Social and Emotional Well-Being for Children of Incarcerated Parents. [online]. Available from: https://csgjusticecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Promoting-Social-and-EmotionalWell-Being-for-Children-of-Incarcerated-Parents.pdf [Accessed 7 June 2018].

United States Sentencing Commission (2016) Recidivism Among Federal Offenders: A Comprehensive Overview. [online]. Available from: https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/researchpublications/2016/recidivism_overview.pdf [Accessed 4 June 2018].

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Journal Article Sources: Bednar, S. (2001) Reuniting Families and Breaking the Cycle. Marriage & Family Review. 33 (4), pp.

107-112.

Binswanger, I., Nowels, C., Glanz, J., Long, J., Booth, R. & Steiner, J. (2012) Return to drug use and overdose after release from prison: a qualitative study of risk and protective factors. Addiciton and Science Clinical Practice. 7 (3), . [Accessed 11 June 2018].

Blumer, H. (1980) Mead and Blumer: The Convergent Methodological Perspectives of Social Behaviorism and Symbolic Interactionism. American Sociological Review. 45 (3), pp. 409-419.

Breen, J. (2008) Prisoners' Families and the Ripple Effects of Imprisonment. The Family Today. 97 (385), pp. 59-71. [Accessed 17 August 2018].

Campbell, A., Muncer, S. & Bibel, D. (2001) Women and crime: An evolutionary approach. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 6 (5), pp. 481-497.

Coleman, R., Almond, L. & McManus, M. (2017) Do female offenders differ? Comparing the criminal histories of serious violent perpetrators with a control sample. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling. 15 (1), pp. 3-19.

Dawson, A., Brookes, L., Carter, B., Larman, G. & Jackson, D. (2013) Stigma, health and incarceration. Journal of Child Health Care. 17 (1), pp. 3-5.

Esiri, M. (2016) The Influence of Peer Pressure on Criminal Behaviour. IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science. 21, (1), pp. 8-14.

Esperian, J. (2010) The Effect of Prison Education Programs on Recidivism. Journal of Correctional Education. 61, (4), pp. 316- 334.

Hardwick, R. (2013) Integrated services for women through a One Stop Shop: a realist review. Journal of Integrated Care. 21 (5), pp. 263-275.

Hyde, J. (1984) How large are gender differences in aggression? A developmental metaanalysis. Developmental Psychology. 20 (4), pp. 722-736.

Jones, R. (1993) Coping with Separation: Adaptive Responses of Women Prisoners. Women & Criminal Justice. 5 (1), pp. 71-97.

Leukefeld, C., Oser, C., Havens, J., Tindall, M., Mooney, J., Duvall, J. & Knudsen, H. (2009) Drug Abuse Treatment Beyond Prison Walls. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. 5 (1), pp. 24-30.

McDonald, M., Navarrete, C. & Van Vugt, M. (2012) Evolution and the psychology of intergroup conflict: the male warrior hypothesis. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 367 (1589), pp. 670-679.

Morgan, J., Leeson, C., Dillon, R., Wirgman, A. & Needham, M. (2013) ‘A Hidden Group of Children’: Support in Schools for Children who Experience Parental Imprisonment. Children & Society. 28 (4), pp. 269-279.

Murray, J. & Farrington, D. (2008) The Effects of Parental Imprisonment on Children. Crime and Justice. 37 (1), pp. 133-206.

Parker, K. & Reckdenwald, A. (2008) Women and Crime in Context Examining the Linkages Between Patriarchy and Female Offending Across Space. Feminist Criminology. 3 (1), pp. 5-24.

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Richards, S. & Jones, R. (1997) Perpetual Incarceration Machine. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. 13 (1), pp. 4-22.

Sack, W., Seidler, J. & Thomas, S. (1976) The children of imprisoned parents: A psychosocial exploration. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 46 (4), pp. 618-628.

Scotland, J. (2012) Exploring the Philosophical Underpinnings of Research: Relating Ontology and Epistemology to the Methodology and Methods of the Scientific, Interpretive, and Critical Research Paradigms. English Language Teaching. 5 (9), pp. 9-16.

Staniloiu, A. & Markowitsch, H. (2012) Gender differences in violence and aggression – a neurobiological perspective. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 33. pp. 1032-1036.

Vugt, M., Cremer, D. & Janssen, D. (2006) Gender Differences in Cooperation and Competition. Psychological Science. 18 (1), pp. 19-23.

Dissertation/Thesis Sources: Gamman, L. (1999) Gamman, Lorraine. "Discourses on women and shoplifting: a critical analysis of why female crime mythologies past and present operate to legitimate the incompatibility between female gender roles and the idea of women as active agents of crime. Ph.D. Middlesex University.

Microsoft Office Document Sources: Ali, S., Atif, M., Ejaz, M., Ullah, S. & Ahmed, S. (2015) Narrative Research. PowerPoint Presentation.

Clarke, R. (2005) Research Models and Methodologies. Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation.

Hall, M. (2015) Integrated Offender Management in Warwickshire. Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation.

HMPS (2018) Population and Capacity Briefing for Friday 1st June 2018. Microsoft Office Excel Spreadsheet. [Accessed 8 August 2018].

Home Office (2017) A.02: Persons arrested for notifiable offences by type of offence and sex, 2015/16 and 2016/17. Arrest statistics - police powers and procedures, 2016/17. Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet. [Accessed 29 May 2018].

Website Sources: Busby, E. (2017) GCSE results 2017: Girls maintain lead over boys despite new linear exams | Tes News. Available from: https://www.tes.com/news/gcse-results-2017-girls-maintain-lead-overboys-despite-new-linear-exams [Accessed 12 June 2018].

Community Care (2018) Professional support for prisoners' families and children - Community Care.

Available from: https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2008/10/06/professional-support-forprisoners-families-and-children/ [Accessed 17 August 2018].

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Community Rehabilitation Company (2018) Demographic Data - Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC). Available from: https://public.tableau.com/profile/police.and.crime.commissioner.for.hampshire.isle.of.wig#!/ vizhome/DemographicProfilesfromCRCs/Story1 [Accessed 24 August 2018].

Family Lives (2018) Action for Prisoners' and Offenders' Families - Supporting families of offenders across the UK. Available from: https://www.familylives.org.uk/about/our-services/action-forprisoners-and-offenders-families/ [Accessed 20 August 2018].

Federal Statistical Office (2018) Criminal judgements: minors and adults - Convicted minors more likely to reoffend as adults | Press release |. Available from: https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/crime-criminaljustice/recidivism.assetdetail.2652489.html [Accessed 4 June 2018].

GOV.UK (2015) Integrated offender management (IOM). Available from: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/integrated-offender-management-iom [Accessed 5 June 2018].

Hogenboom, M. (2018) Locked up and vulnerable: When prison makes things worse. Available from: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180411-locked-up-and-vulnerable-when-prison-makesthings-worse [Accessed 22 August 2018].

Hogenboom, M. (2018) Locked up and vulnerable: When prison makes things worse. Available from: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180411-locked-up-and-vulnerable-when-prison-makesthings-worse [Accessed 22 August 2018].

House of Commons (2016) House of Commons - Support for ex-offenders - Work and Pensions Committee. Available from: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmworpen/58/5803.htm [Accessed 12 June 2018].

Laursen, L. (2017) When Ex-convicts Become Criminologists. Available from: https://www.sapiens.org/culture/convict-criminology/ [Accessed 21 June 2018].

NWO (2017) Children of criminal parents have a greater chance of becoming criminals themselves: study. Available from: https://phys.org/news/2017-11-children-criminal-parents-greaterchance.html [Accessed 20 August 2018].

Patel, S. (2015) The research paradigm – methodology, epistemology and ontology – explained in simple language. Available from: http://salmapatel.co.uk/academia/the-research-paradigmmethodology-epistemology-and-ontology-explained-in-simple-language [Accessed 31 July 2018].

SurveyMonkey (2018) How do we successfully support female prison leavers to reintegrate them with their children and families? Survey. Available from: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GSHJKVH [Accessed 16 August 2018].

SurveyMonkey (2018) Qualitative Survey Types & Examples | SurveyMonkey. Available from: https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/conducting-qualitative-research/ [Accessed 3 August 2018].

Swains, H. (2018) Better than prison: life inside the UK's secure hospitals. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/dec/23/better-than-prison-secure-hospitalsmental-health [Accessed 16 August 2018].

Valley, P. & Cassidy, S. (2012) Mothers & prison: Thousands of children being brought up by their grandmothers. Available from: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/mothers40

prison-thousands-of-children-being-brought-up-by-their-grandparents-8153540.html [Accessed 30 August 2018].

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Appendices Appendix 1: RKE Ethics Proforma

RKE ETHICS PROFORMA – FULL REVIEW APPLICATIONS Staff and Students

GUIDELINES Before completing this proforma, please refer to the University Research and Knowledge Exchange Ethics Policy which provides further information and also clarifies the terms used.

Please note that it is your responsibility to follow the University’s Policy on the ethical conduct of research and knowledge exchange and any relevant academic or professional codes of practice and guidelines pertaining to your study. This includes providing appropriate information sheets and consent forms, and ensuring confidentiality in the storage and use of data. The checklists will identify whether ethics approval is required and at what level.

This Ethics Proforma should be completed for each research, study or knowledge exchange project involving human participants or data derived from directly identifiable individuals. This should be done before any potential participant is approached to take part in the research/study.

The questions in this proforma are intended to guide your reflection on the ethical implication of your research. Explanatory notes can be found at the end of this proforma. Additional notes can be seen by hovering over the asterisks (*).

If any aspect of the project changes during the course of the research, you must notify the Faculty RKE Committee or the University RKE Ethics Committee, whichever is relevant, by completing Section 6 of this proforma.

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SECTION 1: DETERMINING WHETHER YOU REQUIRE ETHICAL APPROVAL Hover the mouse over the asterisks (*) for guidance on how to proceed with this triage questionnaire.

1. Is the proposed activity classified as Research or Audit/Service Evaluation?

Research * Audit/Service Evaluation * If the proposed activity is considered research, continue with question 2. If it is an Audit or a Service Evaluation, you do not need to seek ethical approval.

2. Does the research involve living human participants, samples or data derived from identifiable individuals?

Yes * No *

3. Does your research require external ethics approval (e.g. NHS or another institution)? (See note 1) Yes * No *

4. Does the research involve the use of animals?

Yes *

No *

5. Does the research involve the use of documentary material not in the public domain?

Yes * No *

6.

Does the research involve environmental interventions?

Yes * No *

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SECTION 2: DETERMINING THE LEVEL OF ETHICAL SCRUTINY Please mark with an “X” as appropriate

YES

NO

Does the research involve individuals who are vulnerable or unable to give informed consent? (e.g. vulnerable children, over-researched groups, people with learning difficulties, people with mental health problems, young offenders, people in care facilities, including prisons) Does the research involve individuals in unequal relationships e.g. your own students? (students recruited via SONA are not considered your own students) Will it be necessary for participants to take part in the study without their knowledge and consent at the time? (e.g. covert observation of people in public places, deception)? (see note 2) Will the study involve discussion of sensitive topics? For example (but not limited to): sexual activity, illegal behaviour, experience of violence or abuse, drug use, etc.). (Please refer to the Research Ethics Policy).

Is there a risk that the highly sensitive nature of the research topic might lead to disclosures from the participant concerning their own involvement in illegal activities or other activities that represent a threat to themselves or others (e.g. sexual activity, drug use, or professional misconduct)?

Will research involve the sharing of data or confidential information beyond the initial consent given?

Will the anonymity of the participant be compromised at any time during or after the study?

Is the study likely to induce severe physical harm or psychological distress?

Does your research involve tissue samples covered by the Human Tissue Act?

Is there a possibility that the safety of the researcher may be in question (e.g. research in high risk locations or among high risk groups)?

Does the research involve creating, downloading, storing or transmitting material that may be considered to be unlawful, indecent, offensive, defamatory, threatening, discriminatory or extremist?

If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, CONTINUE WITH THIS FORM. and submit it to the University RKE Ethics Committee (staff) or to the Departmental Ethics Committee (students).

If you have answered “yes” to the last question, in addition to ethical approval by the relevant ethics committee, you must also contact the Director of IT Services, who must provide approval for the use of such data.

If you have answered no to all of these questions THIS FORM IS NOT FOR YOU. Please complete the Low Risk Application Form and submit it to the Faculty Head of RKE (staff) or to your supervisor (students) 44

SECTION 3: YOUR PERSONAL DETAILS 1.1. Your name: Mica Nadine Searles 1.2. Your Department: Criminology 1.3. Your status: Undergraduate Student Taught Master Research Degree student

Staff (Academic) Staff (Professional Services) Other (please specify)

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1.4. Your Email address: M.Searles.14@unimail.winchester.ac.uk 1.5. Your Telephone number: 07512049368

For students only: 1.6. Your degree programme: MSc Applied Criminology 1.7. Your supervisor’s name: Vincenzo Scalia 1.8. Your supervisor’s department: Criminology

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SECTION 4: YOUR RESEARCH 2.1. Project title: How do we successfully support female prison leavers to reintegrate them with their children and families?

2.2. Expected start date: 14/05/2018 2.3. Expected completion date: 3/09/2018 2.4. Expected location: ? Hampshire, United Kingdom 2.6. If outside the UK, state country: ?

2.7. Has ethical approval been obtained at the host country? *

Yes

No

2.8. If not, why not?

2.9 If the research is taking place outside the UK, is it covered by the University’s insurance, or has the researcher obtained an appropriate insurance (e.g. travel insurance)?

Yes No 2.10. Does the research include risks or other factors that might cause it to be excluded from coverage by the University insurers? (see note 5) Yes No 2.11 Has funding been sought for this research?

Yes

No

2.12. If so, where have you applied for funding?

2.13. Has the funding been granted?

Yes

No

Pending

2.14. Other collaborators *

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SECTION 5 – QUESTIONNAIRE If you have answered YES TO ANY OF THE QUESTIONS IN SECTION 3 or have been referred by the Faculty Head of RKE (or Head of Department in the case of students) you should complete this questionnaire, where you can describe more fully how you plan to deal with the ethical issues raised by your research.

1- RESEARCH AIMS AND SIGNIFICANCE The aim of this research is to reduce re-offending amongst female prison leavers to lessen the impact on the family.

Objectives/Research questions: 1. What impact does offending/re-offending have on the children of female prison leavers and why?

2. To what extent are female prison leavers re-offending and where they are re-offending, what are the barriers to rehabilitation?

3. To what extent are the support services in place to aid the rehabilitation of female prison leavers?

The research area that will be investigated will be the issue of female prison leavers’ impact on their children. I would like to explore how and why parentless children are more likely to be involved in criminality and anti-social behaviour.

Specifically, I will investigate the existing rehabilitation services to see if they are giving the female prison leavers the support they need to reintegrate back into society and with their children. If a healthy mother and child relationship is reborn, it may be less likely that the child will deviate and follow the same path of their mother’s delinquency. Once conclusions of this research have been made, I will come up with recommendations to further aid female prison leavers and their children.

For my primary research, I will produce an online survey that will receive responses from industry professionals that work with female prisoners to get their perspective on how mothers in prison influence their children. Also, I will ask them on what they would recommend to further support female prison leavers and their children.

This research project will help the Hampshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) meet one of their main objectives which are to reduce offending, especially in young people. This organisation wants to tackle the root causes of offending and make early interventions to prevent this criminal issue.

2- RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS Mark with an X as appropriate

YES

NO

Not certain

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a

How will participants be identified and approached?

Code names will be used in the KEP e.g. CRC Officer 1, 2 and so forth.

b

Do you intend to recruit children under the age of 16?

c

Do you intend to recruit participant who may be deemed vulnerable in any way?

If you have answered YES to the above, please justify why their participation in the research is necessary and provide further details on how you intend to protect these participants.

d

Is it possible that a current or past relationship with potential participants could give rise to a perceived pressure to participate because are you in a position of authority or influence over them (e.g. they are your students, colleagues, family, etc.)?

If so, what steps will you take to mitigate this issue?

NO

e

Do you intend to collect tissue samples (blood, saliva, hair, or any other body part, including human skeletal remains?

Please indicate the procedures in place for safeguarding the sensitive materials, including storage and whether further use beyond this research is envisaged. If so, has adequate consent been obtained?

Human tissues/ remains: If the work involves obtaining a licence under the provisions of the Human Tissue Act (2008), please indicate who the named holder of the relevant licence is.

The named holder of the licence is

Licence number

3- INFORMED CONSENT Mark with an X as appropriate

YES

NO

Not Certain

Will potential participants be asked to give informed consent in writing and will they be asked to confirm that they have received and read the information about the study? Please attach a draft information sheet and/or consent form, if this is necessary.

If not or not certain, please provide more information a

b

Has information (written or oral) about the study been prepared in an appropriate form and language for potential participants?

If not or not certain, please justify. At what point in the study will information about the research be offered?

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c

How do you intend to discuss the study with potential participants or those who may represent their views?

I will discuss with the participants that I am doing a joint Knowledge Exchange Project (KEP) with The University of Winchester and the Office for the Police Crime and Commissioner (OPCC) in Hampshire.

The KEP will investigate the issue of female prison leavers’ impact on their children. I will inform the participants that they will participate in an online survey that will ask questions on their perspective on how mothers in prison influence their children.

Will potential participants be informed of any adverse consequences of a decision not to participate? Or of a decision to withdraw during the course of the study?

Please provide any further information that may be relevant d

e

Will participants be told that they can withdraw at any time, ask for their interview tape to be destroyed and/or their data removed from the project until it is no longer practical to do so (e.g. when you have written up your report)?

Please provide further information if necessary.

In the consent form, it will state that the participant can withdraw their information collected from the interviews at any time. If they do decide to withdraw, I will immediately delete the interview session and the interviewee’s identity details.

What provision has been made to respond to queries and problems raised by participants during the course of the study?

I will provide my university email address (M.Searles.14@unimail.winchester.ac.uk) if any of the participants want to contact me on any queries on the interview or study.

4- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY a

Where relevant, how does the research methodology justify the use of deception? Can the information be obtained by other means?

The participants will be informed that they can withdraw their data at any time. I will tell the participants general information about this project and what organisations that are involved.

b

How will data be collected and analysed during the project?

The data will be collected through the research method of an online survey. I will use the narrative analysis method to analyse my data. This method will consist of analysing each response by looking for patterns in themes, insights and meanings. I will use quotes from the survey to support the assumptions/theories that I create.

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c

How have the ethical and legal dimensions of the process of collecting, analysing and storing the data been addressed?

The ethical and legal dimensions of this project will be addressed in the consent form. It will ensure that the identity of the participants will not be revealed in the data analysis.

5- PRIVACY a

What arrangements have been made to preserve confidentiality for the participants or those potentially affected, and compliance with data protection law?

A solution to this is to get the participants to agree and sign for data security and confidentiality which will be included in the consent form. I will make sure that I will take anonymity into consideration. To protect the anonymity of the participants, the name, gender, age and ethnicity will be hidden. They will be identified with a code name e.g. CRC officer 1.

b

Will the research data be used for any other purpose? If you intend to re-use this data then please state this clearly on the Information Sheet & Consent Form, and state below what potential uses you may envisage.

NO

6- FINANCIAL INCENTIVES a

Please specify any incentives being offered to participants and a justification for their use.

NO

b

Please specify any payments to researcher or participants and state whether they may have an impact on the objectivity of the research NO

7- RISKS a

What are the specific risks to research participants or third parties?

The risks/ethical issues of:  Confidentiality: the identity of participants should not be revealed.  Permission: the researcher needs permission from the participant to proceed with the survey and to use the data in the written analysis.

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b

If the research involves pain, stress, physical or emotional risk, please detail the steps taken to minimize such effects.

c

Are there any potential risks to the researcher/s?

NO

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SECTION 6: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Please use this section to append consent forms, information sheets, questionnaires or any other documentation that may be relevant to your application. Please do this by copying and pasting from your original document.

You may also use this section to address any issues not covered in the previous sections.

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Ethics Declaration

I confirm that if a Risk Assessment is required I will complete it and have it co-signed by my Supervisor or Head of Department before data collection takes place.

I confirm that, if DBS clearance is required for my project, then I will seek it before commencement of my project.

I confirm that my research does not include risks that might cause it be excluded from coverage by the University’s insurers or I confirm that I have appropriate insurance for this research

I have read and understood the University of Winchester Research and Knowledge Exchange Ethics Policy and confirm that adequate safeguards in relation to the ethical issues raised by this research can and will be put in place. I am aware of and understand University procedures on ethics in Research and Knowledge Exchange and Health and Safety. I understand that the ethical propriety of this project may be monitored by the RKE Ethics Committee.

Researcher’s signature: MICA NADINE SEARLES Date: 08/05/2018 Supervisor’s name and signature (for research students only): VINCENZO SCALIA Date: 08/05/2018

For taught students (undergraduate, masters) only: The student has the skills to carry out the proposed research. I undertake to monitor the student’s adherence to the relevant research guidelines and codes of practice.

Supervisor’s name and signature: VINCENZO SCALIA

Date: 08/05/2018

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RKE Ethics Pro-forma Explanatory Notes: 1- Research involving NHS patients or individuals covered by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 requires NHS REC approval. Under the MCA, research involving adults aged 16 or over with learning difficulties or who otherwise ‘lack capacity’ will be subject to NHS approval if that research is deemed to be ‘intrusive’. For guidance see: http://www.hra.nhs.uk/resources/research-legislationand-governance/questions-and-answers-mental-capacity-act-2005/. Similarly, social care research involving adults, intergenerational social care studies involving adults and children or families and some proposals for social science studies situated in the NHS will fall under the remit of the Social Care Research Ethics Committee. For further guidance see:http://www.hra.nhs.uk/researchcommunity/before-you-apply/determine-which-review-body-approvals-arerequired/ If the principal investigator is based at another institution, the Ethics review needs to be conducted by the Research Ethics Committee (REC) at the PI’s institution.

2- Deception can occur at a variety of levels: for example, at one level, experimental methods may depend on participants being deliberately misled as to the true nature or purpose of the research in which they are taking part; at another, covert participant observation may entail an implicit deception as to the true identity and role of the researcher. Deception may be a legitimate and necessary feature of social scientific research, but its use must always be properly justified.

3- The The Data Protection Act (1998) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents For the School’s guidance on handling the Data Protection aspects of research data, see http://www.winchester.ac.uk/Freedomofinformation/Publicdocuments/Documents/Data%20Protection%20Po licy.pdf

4- For guidance on Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, please see https://www.gov.uk/disclosurebarring-service-check/overview

5- Details of the University’s insurance policy can be found at http://www.winchester.ac.uk/Freedomofinformation/Publicdocuments/Documents/Employers%20L iability%20Certificate.pdf

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Appendix 2: Consent Form

56

Appendix 3: Survey Questions and Responses Respondents: CRC/Probation Officer A Commissioner Mental Health Practitioner CRC/Probation Officer B

Export Q2 How long have you been a case manager/probation officer working with female prison leavers? 

Answered: 4

Showing 4 responses

On and off briefly during my 15 years service 8/9/2018 4:09 PMView respondent's answers

I have been commissioning services for prison leavers for four years 8/9/2018 1:53 PMView respondent's answers

I am not a probation officer. But I am a mental health practitioner with over 25 years experience working with female clients with mental health issues and who are also ex-offenders/prison leavers.

8/8/2018 4:04 PMView respondent's answers

5 8/3/2018 4:12 PMView respondent's answers

Q3 Can you give an example of a successful outcome with a female prison leaver? 

Answered: 4

Showing 4 responses

57

I dealt with one that spent time in prison for shoplifting and theft, due to a drug habit. Engaged with counselling during prison, kicked the drugs and got her children back. She struggled for some time to integrate herself into the local community but my last info on her was that she was still being successful.

8/9/2018 4:09 PMView respondent's answers

I don't work with individuals 8/9/2018 1:53 PMView respondent's answers

From prison, the client is transferred to a medium/high secure mental health unit. After a period of time, they are then transferred to a low secure unit. After that, they are sent to a rehab unit. This is where they learn new skills to reintegrate them into society e.g. washing, cleaning, money budgeting and saving, jobs, social life. Once these skills are learnt, they are discharged to council accommodation that can be run by charities.

8/8/2018 4:04 PMView respondent's answers

Yes linked into housing and sourced furniture for her 8/3/2018 4:12 PMView respondent's answers

Q4 Can you give an example of an unsuccessful outcome with a female prison leaver? 

Answered: 4

Showing 4 responses One was imprisoned for breaching and ASBO numerous times. On release, moved to Birmingham, started shoplifting and theft and eventually became an alcoholic before going back inside.

8/9/2018 4:09 PMView respondent's answers

I don't work with individuals 8/9/2018 1:53 PMView respondent's answers

The female clients from the rehab unit may re-offend before they even leave the unit. or they get discharged into society and re-offend and therefore they get put back into the prison system again.

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8/8/2018 4:04 PMView respondent's answers

Re offending leading to further custody 8/3/2018 4:12 PMView respondent's answers

Q5 Are there barriers for female prison leavers and successful rehabilitation? If yes, what are those barriers? 

Answered: 4

Showing 4 responses Yes, robust programmes before and after release that specifically target ways to engage and re-skill the leavers, so they can find employment, connect with their children, partners and families and avoid the pitfalls that create the vicious cycle many find themselves in. There are initiatives like this around, but for some reason, I don't think enough is done with them in prison to produce the change of habits that are necessary.

8/9/2018 4:09 PMView respondent's answers

The underlying needs, eg trauma in childhood, addiction etc may not have been addressed in prison and there may be no adequate way of addressing on release. Housing 8/9/2018 1:53 PMView respondent's answers

The system is slow with helping the female patients get discharged. Then the female clients get frustrated and this may be why they re-offend.

8/8/2018 4:04 PMView respondent's answers

Access to financial support Lack of understanding of trauma informed app approach sometimes;in court and community 8/3/2018 4:12 PMView respondent's answers

Q6 What do you believe is the primary impact of female offending / re-offending on their children and their immediate family? 

Answered: 4

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Showing 4 responses

Alcohol misuse - drugs and the influence of a partner.

8/9/2018 4:09 PMView respondent's answers

It cannot be positive and should be avoided wherever possible. It can destroy family life and lead to children being taken into care. The likelihood of the child being traumatised is therefore very high leading to ongoing problems in the short medium and longer terms 8/9/2018 1:53 PMView respondent's answers

-Fragmented families -Children act out and become offenders themselves 8/8/2018 4:04 PMView respondent's answers

Family unit (however that looks)is negatively effected. Emotional impact on children having to go to a prison to see parent or not having parent 8/3/2018 4:12 PMView respondent's answers

Q7 How common is it for children of female prison leavers to be accommodated with other family members? 

Answered: 4

Showing 4 responses

Very common 8/9/2018 4:09 PMView respondent's answers

I do not have figures on this and have been unable to find any.

8/9/2018 1:53 PMView respondent's answers

The family have to take home the child/children of the female patient. There can be a bad or no relationship between the children and the guardian that looks after them as they may have never been close in the first place. Or the guardian sees the child as a 'burden'.

8/8/2018 4:04 PMView respondent's answers

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Quite common 8/3/2018 4:12 PMView respondent's answers

Q8 How common is it for children of female prison leavers to be placed in foster care or subject to adoption proceedings? 

Answered: 4

Showing 4 responses

Quite common 8/9/2018 4:09 PMView respondent's answers

Again I have asked for figures from Hampshire children's services but have been told that it is unlikely that the information will be collated. This is a gap in our knowledge.

8/9/2018 1:53 PMView respondent's answers

If no family members agree to look after the female patient/offender's child, then the next step is for them to go into foster or adoption. One case I have dealt with is where one of our female clients had to give their child to adoption services. Due to this, the female client's mental health deteriorated and she became very promiscuous with other male clients in the rehab unit. She refused female contraception. It was evident that she was trying to replace the baby she had lost.

8/8/2018 4:04 PMView respondent's answers

This is more rare but will happen if there isnt suitable options 8/3/2018 4:12 PMView respondent's answers

Q9 Is there any further support you believe would be beneficial for female prison leavers that are not currently available? 

Answered: 4

Showing 4 responses

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More intense, cognitive and therapeutic sessions along with personal mentoring, over longer periods in prison, to set the scene more intensely before their release.

8/9/2018 4:09 PMView respondent's answers

At the moment there isn't enough support available to women with children leaving prison or within the prison. Returning to a family life and rebuilding relationships can be a major incentive to the mother to avoid reoffending. This is a chance that is wasted if the support for the whole family, and adequate housing are not available 8/9/2018 1:53 PMView respondent's answers

-Need more mental health units -Need more individual/group therapy for ex-clients with mental health issues. -Make the process from prison- to the rehab unit - to being discharged shorter 8/8/2018 4:04 PMView respondent's answers

Specific accommodation that can take children, female mentoring pre and post release. Trauma informed services available e.g counseling, women only environments for all prison leavers to be seen at, regardless of agency.

8/3/2018 4:12 PMView respondent's answers Ÿ

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END OF DISSERTATION

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