Inside Glasgow’s Female Offender Court

Blog from Victoria Weldon, Head of Communications and Engagement at the Council

“You should be proud of yourself.”

These are words not often said in court to the person standing in the dock.

But the woman in this case has fought back from addiction and stopped offending after being placed in the specialised Female Offender Court at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

One of several problem-solving initiatives, the court deals with women who repeatedly offend, often due to mental health issues or addiction. Many have suffered abuse and other traumatic experiences.

They have committed various crimes and caused harm to those on the receiving end of their offending. They are, therefore, being dealt with by the criminal justice system. But this particular court, presided over by Summary Sheriff Joanna McDonald, attempts to deal with the root causes of their offending with the right programmes, support and specialist services.

Before the court begins in the afternoon, Sheriff McDonald meets with social workers from Tomorrow’s Women, a multi-agency team who deal with women with very complex needs.

Here, the team updates the Sheriff on how the women have been since they last appeared in the court. Have they attended appointments? Have they relapsed or committed any further offences?

The meeting is welfare-focussed. The Sheriff is told what has been happening in the women’s personal lives and given a sense of their mental wellbeing and any adversities they might be facing.

It is a frank and open discussion, with Sheriff McDonald gaining real insight into the women’s circumstances.

Once it concludes, the sheriff considers the cases carefully before the court opens for business at 2pm.

As the women fill the public gallery of the small courtroom, it is apparent that they are at different stages of their journeys.

They have all been placed on a structured deferred sentence – a process which defers their sentencing to a later date for them to be of good behaviour and to complete different programmes, such as counselling or addiction treatment. This type of sentence is designed to prevent further crimes being committed as a means of public protection.

Some of the women are just at the start of the process, still in the grip of addiction or other issues, while others are close to being successfully discharged from the court.

However, at the time of this sitting, all have stopped offending while under the court’s supervision.

One of the first to appear is the woman Sheriff McDonald tells to be proud of herself. She has received positive updates from social workers and her defence solicitor.

The Sheriff praises her success in overcoming alcohol addiction, reconnecting with her children, and generally turning her life around.

The other women in court look on.

It is clear that the Sheriff’s comments are as much for their benefit as the woman in the dock.

While custody remains an option for those who repeatedly flout the court’s instructions, this specialist setting offers the women the opportunity to receive the support they need to transform their lives.

It offers them hope that they, too, can achieve what the woman in the dock has. And it offers hope for victims and society more widely that genuine rehabilitation is possible.

As the woman leaves the courtroom, her feelings of self-worth are obvious. She will return in a few months’ time to ensure that her progress is continuing.

While not everyone will be as successful as she has been (and may face other consequences as a result), the women who attend the Female Offender Court are at least afforded the chance to be.