Together with the University of Lancashire, we hosted a Reducing Recalls conference yesterday to share the first evaluation findings from our pilot project.

We were delighted to welcome academics and partners from policing, probation, and community justice to hear about the project’s early impact. Thank you to everyone who joined us and for your contributions to our roundtable discussions. The quality of conversation and collaborative thinking made for a truly productive day.

Huge thanks also to:

• Dr Rebecca Fish for leading the evaluation and presenting the findings
• Clive Tattum for providing overall research and context
• Nicky Hargreaves’s for highlighting the work at HMP Styal
• Anna Javed for your continued leadership across the Lancashire Female Justice Partnership
• Claire Ashworth for your powerful insights from probation
• And Sami, for bravely sharing your lived experience, reminding us that justice systems must be shaped by the voices of those most affected.

The Reducing Recalls project, developed two years ago by Sarah Norcross and Lisa Townsend, responds to the urgent need we see at Lancashire Women to better support women transitioning from custody to community.

As Carlton & Seagrave (2016) state, “women have been set up to fail.” Many face poverty, violence, ill mental health, substance misuse, and unsafe housing – factors that remain after release and make meeting probation conditions incredibly challenging. These systemic barriers increase the likelihood of recall.

We were proud to showcase the project’s success and we remain committed to continuing our work and sharing our learning nationally so that similar support can be developed in other regions.

16th January 2025