Domestic abuse charity backs new women's court

A domestic abuse charity has backed a new specialist court in Merseyside designed to help women break the cycle of offending.

Eve Donnelly, from Reverse NorthWest CIC in Wallasey, said the new Intensive Supervision Courts (ISCs) were "fantastic" and offered a more "gentle" alternative to prison for some offenders.

The new courts, which tackle issues that can drive some women to offend, are being rolled out across the country, including in Merseyside.

Prisons and probation minister Catherine McKinnell said the courts combine "firm punishment" with "the support women need to stop offending for good".

Donnelly, whose charity supports women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse, said many offenders needed support to address the issues behind their actions.

"We see a lot of women who drink heavily and we have heard on more than one occasion about people turning to crime," she said.

The specialist court in Merseyside is one of three launched in northern England to tackle the causes of women's offending.

The Ministry of Justice said the expansion would support hundreds of vulnerable women and help them break the cycle of reoffending.

It said similar schemes have reduced offending by about a third in other countries.

Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said women given short prison sentences could often be better supported in the community.

"We want to keep women out of jail because that has massive knock-on effects for family and children, where women are predominantly the caregiver," she said.

However, she stressed: "It's not about letting anyone off the hook."

Dr Mark Walton, a consultant clinical psychologist at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, said the courts' personalised approach could help address underlying mental health difficulties and reduce reoffending.

The trust provides women appearing before the courts with mental health support, including up to 12 therapy sessions, and Walton said the new system "would be really pivotal" because of its individualised approach and wraparound support.

The courts were first introduced in 2023, with seven now operating across England.

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