Engendering Justice - from policy to practice. May 2009

Since 2003, Fawcett’s Commission on Women and the Criminal Justice has examined the experiences of women in the criminal justice system as victims, offenders and workers. This approach has allowed us to draw parallels across the system, demonstrating that women continue to be marginalised in a criminal justice system, designed by men for men.

This final report of the Commission reveals a persisting gap between strong policy development and consistent implementation. Evidence has demonstrated that throughout the criminal justice system, practices and attitudes continue to discriminate against women as women continue to be under-represented among top jobs in the justice system.

As a consequence the criminal justice system:

• Does not address the causes of women’s offending and too many women continue to be imprisoned on short sentences for non-violent crime;
• Fails to provide female victims of violence with support, safety and justice; and
• Creates a glass ceiling for women working within the system so that the higher positions remain strongly male dominated in the police, the prison service, the legal profession and the judiciary.