Revolving Doors welcomes the announcement of three new Intensive Supervision Courts (ISCs) for women in the North of England
Revolving Doors welcomes the announcement of three new Intensive Supervision Courts (ISCs) for women in the North of England, recognising the vital role these courts can play in tackling the trauma, addiction and disadvantage that often drive women’s offending.
The Intensive Supervision Court (ISC) pilot programme was launched by the Ministry of Justice in 2023 – with three substance misuse courts and one women’s court. The evaluation, that Revolving Doors delivered with CFE Research, found encouraging evidence of positive outcomes such as improved family relationships, self-reported reductions in substance use and improvements in people’s mental and physical health.
Our members consistently tell us that women become trapped in a revolving door of crisis and crime, precisely because of such needs.
ISCs offer a more effective response by addressing the root causes of offending – trauma, substance use, poor mental health and poverty – rather than simply responding to the symptoms – while reserving prison for those who pose a risk to the public.
These courts can provide both accountability – by enabling judges to take a more active role in monitoring progress and compliance, and support – linking women into drug and alcohol treatment, mental health treatment and local services.
Earlier this year, Revolving Doors’ put several new asks to the new Prime Minister Burnahm, in Beyond the Cycle – two years on we asked that all courts take a problem-solving approach and stay focused on the revolving door group, rather than dissolving into generic community sentencing reform.
To achieve this, we put forward the explicit policy aim of expanding Intensive Supervision Courts, focused on people caught in the revolving door of crisis and crime to reduce reoffending, improve individual outcome and divert people away from short custodial sentences.
As these courts develop, it will be important that they:
- remain well-resourced so staff can provide intensive and tailored support as intended
- continue to divert people who would have otherwise received short custodial sentences to avoid up-tariffing and giving women a more serious order than they would have otherwise received
- focus on those with co-occurring needs so that those who would benefit most from the partnership can access the joined-up support available
Alongside expanding Intensive Supervision Courts, government should scale up whole-system diversion approaches that intervene earlier, including police-led and pre-arrest diversion schemes that are effectively connected to treatment, housing, mental health and other community-based support.
Antonia May Cross, at Revolving Doors, said:
“We’re encouraged to see Government announce new Intensive Supervision Courts for women. We know that women caught up in the criminal justice system are dealing with homelessness, trauma, addiction and serious poverty. These disadvantages persist as the root of their offending and problem-solving approaches can hold people accountable while providing the intensive support and intervention urgently needed to address underlying needs.”
“Revolving Doors asks now acknowledge this momentum; not whether Government agrees with problem-solving courts as a direction of travel, but whether they can be delivered with enough discipline and urgency to make progress stick, and the presumption against short sentences actually work.”
“Short prison sentences frequently fail to tackle the causes of repeat offending and can make it harder for women to maintain housing, family relationships and treatment. Intensive Supervision Courts offer a more constructive alternative for women whose offending is driven by unmet need rather than risk to the public.”
“This announcement is an important step forward, but it should be part of a wider shift towards earlier, joined-up diversion that connects people to treatment, housing and support before they become further entrenched in the revolving door of crisis and crime.”
Localised problem-solving courts are much needed progress, but we want to work a cross section of government to reduce repeat low-level offending caused by unmet health and social needs.
It’s time to move beyond disconnected initiatives and into a prevention-first justice settlement, built around the people who are currently least well served by the system and whose repeated contact creates enormous human and financial cost.
