Understanding the ‘Complex Needs’ of Criminal Justice Involved Women in England

• In Event: Understanding the Needs of Justice Involved Women and the Service Providers Who Support Them

Abstract

Since the 2000s UK policy discourse has made frequent reference to the “complex needs” of criminal justice involved women. It is a term that attempts to capture the often “chaotic” nature of the women’s lives, as well as the inter-related nature of the issues that the women face. Despite the regularity with which the term is used, there is no established definition of ‘complex needs’ in this context.
This research draws on data collected as part of the recent validation of the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment in England. The sample consisted of 506 women, who were either on probation or part of a police custody diversion scheme. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to estimate the complex cause-effect relationships between the WRNA needs subscales.
The results show both the breadth and depth of need amongst the sample. Moreover our analyses demonstrate the inter-relationships between trauma, historic substance use and mental health issues, and the connections to forms of social marginalisation, which in turn drive a cycle of incarceration, anti-social friends and current substance use. These findings add clarity and specificity to the notion of complex needs and inform more effective policy design for justice involved women.

Author

• Richard Summers, University of Birmingham