We are working jointly with the Ministry of Justice to deliver improvements in a number of areas, for instance through our shared plan for prison health and well-being and the mental health crisis concordat, and the justice blueprints themselves. Over recent months, I have held a number of meetings with Edward Argar, Under-Secretary of State for Justice, former Minister for Prisons, Rory Stewart, and Minister for Policing, Nick Hurd. These meetings will continue to take place regularly as we move into the delivery phase of this important work.

Over the coming months, officials from across many departments within the Welsh Government, HM Prison and Probation Service and the Youth Justice Board will continue to work together with a range of stakeholders in the areas of justice, health and education. This continued engagement will provide an opportunity to further develop our new approaches to youth justice and female offending and to scope the views of stakeholders on proposed developments. 

I am grateful to the Youth Justice Board Cymru for its work and for its support in developing the youth justice blueprint, which builds on the key themes of the Charlie Taylor review of the youth justice system of England and Wales, but focuses on the system and support provided in Wales.

While the numbers of young Welsh people in custody has reduced significantly, many are in custody away from their homes, family and communities. The youth justice blueprint sets out a commitment for realising how devolved and non-devolved services can work together to realise children’s rights and develop a youth justice system in Wales that is based on rights-based principles.

The growing evidence of the impact of adverse childhood experiences—ACEs—is a key element in the Welsh Government’s approach, predicated on the basis of early intervention and prevention, a key feature of the youth justice blueprint. Welsh Government funding through the promoting positive engagement for young people at risk of offending grant is already offering preventative and diversionary support to young people at risk of offending in Wales.

As outlined in the implementation plan, it is our aspiration to develop a youth justice system that treats children with fairness and respect. We aim to help reduce the number of children in the system through effective diversion and prevention, and by addressing the vulnerabilities that often lead to a crime.

The female offending blueprint addresses the issue of women and the criminal justice system. I strongly endorse the principles set out in Baroness Jean Corston’s important report on this issue. Over 10 years have passed since Baroness Corston’s review, but the principles contained within it are as relevant today as they were then. It is clear that often women are sent to prison for low-level summary offences. The use of short-term prison sentences for women, and men too, who have not committed serious offences can have a catastrophic impact on them and their families. Short sentences do not enable rehabilitation in its fullest sense. Those handed short-term custodial sentences are often not in prison long enough to be able to complete programmes designed to achieve rehabilitation.

We need an urgent solution for female offending in Wales. There are around 250 Welsh women currently held in prison in England. The issues associated with being a long way from home facing Welsh women offenders and their families are considerable, and a very real concern in respect of the impact on children in particular, but also the rehabilitation of the offender. 

I'm exploring with the UK Government options for, and the implications of, the location of proposed new residential centres for female offenders. I've already made the case for at least one of these to be located in Wales, so that women can be in an environment that supports their needs, including rehabilitation and the ability to remain connected with family, friends and the wider community. I was pleased to see that the Welsh Affairs Committee’s report on prison provision in Wales highlighted concerns about the provision for distinct groups of people such as female offenders and made specific recommendations for residential centres for women to be established in Wales. I would like to thank our partners, particularly HM Prison and Probation Service for its work with us in developing the blueprint for female offending. 

The blueprints I am publishing today set out our key aspirations for women and young people in or at risk of entering the criminal justice system, and the guiding principles through which we aim to deliver these changes. Alongside the blueprints, I'm also publishing implementation plans that clearly and concisely highlight the issues and recommendations for each area, while also indicating, importantly, the work we are already doing. Together, these form the basis of a robust plan for action over the course of this Assembly and beyond. Over the coming months, each of the recommendations will be considered further, including and involving a full assessment of the impacts and feasibility of the proposals.