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We sponsor research to bring about change in how women and girls are dealt with in the criminal justice system

Our research listings

Research Papers and Briefings

At the end of their year on the Griffins Society Fellowship Programme, Fellows produce a 10,000 word Research Paper on their findings. Research Papers are available here to view or download as a PDF (the size of each file is given).  

For all papers you will find the REPORT IN FULL, and also a single-page ABSTRACT.  For more recent papers, an EXECUTIVE SUMMARY is also available.

Fellows' research can be freely copied and distributed as long as the author and the Griffins Society are credited.

 

Survived...but at what cost? A study of women in the criminal justice system who experienced domestic abuse, and the potential for change

Author: Geraldine McGuigan and Ruth Walker
Published: 2019

This Northern Ireland based research focuses on the impact of domestic abuse and its implications for women who offend so that more appropriate responses can be identified and introduced across the criminal justice system.

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Probation officers' accounts of practice with women convicted of intimate partner violence (IPV) towards men

Author: Gareth Hole
Published: 2016

Comparatively little research has been conducted about the motivations and risk factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated by women when contrasted to that of men. Few studies have investigated the effectiveness of interventions delivered to women convicted for IPV and virtually nothing is known about the experiences of probation officers working in this field. This study arose from observations I made working as a Male Safety Officer for the probation service, a role which offered support to men whose partners were convicted for offences of IPV towards them: very few probation officers made referrals and when they did, the men were frequently described as the ‘real’ or ‘primary’ perpetrator.

This exploratory study investigates the reasons for this, through interviews with probation officers’ about their attitudes towards women convicted of IPV and how these impacted their work; it reveals insights about how participants dealt with two issues with which they were frequently confronted: women who reported perpetrating offences within the context of experiencing violence from partners and the high number who referred to experiences of trauma and psychological disturbance.

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An evaluation of The Freedom Programme: a prison support programme for women who have experienced domestic violence

Author: Lucy Watkins
Published: 2009

This research evaluated The Freedom Programme - a group work support programme for women in prison. Three research questions were addressed: does the programme
help women to develop ways of thinking and behaving that protect themselves, their children and others from harm; is the programme of equal value for BME women, lesbian women etc. as it is for white heterosexual women; and to what extent do women value the process of being able to discuss, share and explore issues with other women? The research questions were addressed through 14 interviews with women who attended the programme, four interviews with facilitators and observation of two sessions.

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A new probation partnership? Working with women to improve compliance with community sentences

Author: Kate Storer
Published: 2003

Historically, little research had been conducted on the reasons for non-compliance with community sentences, and even less relating to female offenders. This research project focused on women subject to community sentences, to identify factors that may influence their attendance rates. The study concentrated on four areas relevant to female compliance with CROs and CPROs: consistency of officer; physical appearance of the office; characteristics of female offenders; and attitudes towards Probation/Awareness of the role of the Probation Service. The research is based on case studies and in depth interviews with three women and their supervising probation officers.

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