Women's Intensive Supervision Court Sits in North Tyneside

Women who commit low-level offences in North Tyneside can now be sent to a new kind of court, one where a judge keeps checking on their progress and the sentence is built around getting them off drugs and alcohol and dealing with trauma, rather than a short spell in prison.

The Intensive Supervision Court for women first sat at North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 14 October, according to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria. It began five days earlier, on Friday 9 October, at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court. Northumbria is one of three areas in the North of England to get one, alongside West Yorkshire and Merseyside.

How the court works

The scheme was first launched in 2023, and the three new women’s courts take the number in England to seven. Instead of passing sentence and moving on, the judge plays a more central part in rehabilitation, monitoring each woman’s progress and tightening supervision where it is needed.

The measures include electronic tagging alongside drug and alcohol treatment or trauma-informed services. The aim, the government says, is to hold women accountable for their offences while dealing with what lies behind them, and to keep prison for those who pose a risk to the public. It says the approach has been shown to cut reoffending by a third in the United States, and that hundreds of women across the North will be supported by the new courts.

The release gives the scale of the problem in women’s prisons: more than two thirds of women in prison have been identified as victims of domestic abuse, around 55% have a drug misuse need, and studies suggest more than half have sustained brain injuries.

What the commissioner said

Susan Dungworth, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria, whose office secured the court for the area, said: “So many reports and studies highlight the chaos and disruption caused to women and their families arising from prison sentences. And so I was delighted we were successful in securing the Intensive Supervision Court approach for women in our area.

“The ISC presents a real opportunity for us to work differently with women offenders, in a more trauma informed, supportive and holistic way and through community-based alternatives. This work is part of my focus on diverting women from custody through my flagship programme which focuses on women in the criminal justice system.

“We know when mums go to prison it can be devastating for their children often leading to trauma caused by separation, social isolation, and often shame. If we can reduce the impact of prison sentences on women we can keep families together, and hopefully reduce the risk of children following their mother into the criminal justice system, which can only be a good thing for everyone.”

Catherine McKinnell, the Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, said: “I’ve seen too many cases where horrendous domestic abuse and subsequent addiction has led women to a life of crime which can feel impossible to escape alone.

“Most of these women want to contribute to the community, and they deserve support breaking the relentless cycle they’re in. This is precisely what these innovative courts have been designed to do for women in the North and beyond. These courts combine firm punishment with the support women need to stop offending for good.”

What the evidence says so far

Suzanne Smith, Head of Women’s Justice at the Centre for Justice Innovation, which trained the judges and teams for each new court, said: “Problem-solving courts bring together the authority of the court and specialist services, including women’s centres, and show real promise in reducing women’s reoffending. An independent evaluation of the ISCs found improved wellbeing, stronger family relationships and reduced substance use, issues linked to offending.”

The release points to Birmingham’s court, which it says has helped hundreds of women since 2023. One of them, 26-year-old Geraldine Owen, said: “Going through the ISC has saved my life; I’ve made my way to my own truth. The experience has been powerful and has transformed my life; it has been a necessary chapter in my life.”

The wider money

The government says it is putting £32 million into local women’s centres and charities across the country to help steer women away from the justice system, and increasing probation funding by up to £700 million extra by 2028/29, including at least 1,300 more probation officers over the next year. It says there will always be a need for some women to be held in custody.

What it means for you

For most readers, nothing changes day to day. The court deals with women facing sentence for low-level offences. What changes is that a woman from Whitley Bay, Wallsend or North Shields who would once have faced a short prison sentence may instead be supervised in the community by a judge who sees her regularly, with tagging and treatment as part of the order.

If you or someone you know needs help with domestic abuse, addiction or offending, the commissioner’s office lists local services on its website.