Conditional cautions backed by needs assessments and support courses for women guilty of less serious crimes will be piloted for six months at Together Women centres in Leeds, Bradford and Liverpool as an alternative to jail sentences.

Solicitor General Vera Baird will launch the Leeds pilot at the Together Women centre, Tennant Hall, Woodhouse.

The new scheme follows Baroness Corston's 2007 review of women with "particular vulnerabilities" in the criminal justice system.
Concerned about the increased number of women jailed, the Government recently allocated £9.15m to establish Together Women Projects.

These are intended to deal with female offenders by establishing services to meet their needs at various stages of their offending history.

Services range from crime prevention and diversion from custody to resettlement on release provision and will be evaluated in 2009.

The conditional caution system will be available to chosen women who will have to attend the centres for full needs assessment before they are offered a wide range of help and courses.

While not required to take up the assistance and courses, it is believed many women will take advantage of what is offered.

Those who do not comply with the assessment conditions of their caution without reasonable excuse could still face prosecution for their original offence.

The Criminal Justice Act 2003 does not place any restriction on the types of offences for which a conditional caution can be issued.

Real alternative to prison

But Director of Public Prosecutions guidance recommends their use for offences which can be heard by magistrates, including some charges of common assault, assaults on police, obstructing police, public order offences, violent behaviour in a police station, drunk and disorderly behaviour, drunkeness, indecent exposure, prostitution, kerb crawling, taking a vehicle and interference with vehicles.

Other offences which could attract a conditional caution are those which can be addressed at either magistrates or crown courts, such as some theft and fraud crimes, criminal damage, possession of drugs for personal use and vehicle excise offences.

The topics likely to be covered by the support courses include training in information technology skills, basic English and maths, budgeting, anger management, healthy eating and nutrition.

Access to counselling and drug and drink treatment programmes could also be a key provision.

Justice Minister Maria Eagle, who heads the Government response to the Corston Report, said: "I welcome this project which, if successful, has the potential to contribute to our overall aim of ensuring that the use of custody is reserved only for women who really need to be there."

Many factors affect whether conditional cautions are offered, including whether there is sufficient evidence to charge the offender, is it an offence permitted under the scheme, public interest, the seriousness of the offence, likely court outcome, the impact on the victim, the offender's circumstances, the likelihood of further crimes and issues of multiple offenders and offences.

Though suitable cases may be flagged-up by police custody, investigating or reviewing officers, the final decision to offer a conditional caution will remain with a crown prosecutor.

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