Starting the conversation: an introduction to the Women, Family, Crime and Justice network

Abstract

This chapter introduces challenges women face in the criminal justice system (CJS) and towards the families affected by imprisonment. It cites concerns about the ineffectual promise of change following the publication of the Female Offender Strategy by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in England and Wales in 2018. It also talks about problems that lie with the social injustices that comprise the neoliberal and patriarchal society. The chapter outlines factors that constitute the inadequate social circumstances that women and families in contact with the CJS have had to negotiate, such as issues pertaining to housing, education, poverty, mental health, addiction, and abuse. It mentions the Women, Family, Crime and Justice (WFCJ) research network that was launched in April 2018 to provide a collaborative space to bring together like-minded people to critically discuss, disseminate and address some of the injustices.