Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what diversion from custody schemes are available for women who have been convicted of an offence in Wales.
While Diversion Schemes have been established in Wales through the Women’s Pathfinder, which diverts low risk women (where appropriate) away from the criminal justice system (CJS) into community support or interventions at point of arrest and voluntary attendees, there is currently no specific Diversion from Custody Scheme available for those convicted. However, the needs of women are always taken into account when National Probation Service officers undertake pre-sentence assessments for courts and a suitable community-based proposal will be recommended for those whose level of risk is assessed as manageable in the community. In line with the development of women’s services in Wales, the development of a diversion from custody scheme will be reviewed alongside the wider Women’s Pathfinder programme of work and the release of the MOJ Strategy for women.