Listening to Women, Learning for Justice: Evaluating Women’s Problem-Solving Courts

The Challenge

Women’s involvement in the criminal justice system is often shaped by complex and intersecting experiences of trauma, poverty, mental ill-health, and abuse. Traditional court environments can be intimidating and stigmatising, with limited opportunities for women’s voices to be heard. Problem-Solving Courts (PSCs) offer a potential alternative. However, despite growing national interest, little was known about how these courts work in practice, how women experience them, and what makes them meaningful. Our research set out to explore these questions, focusing on the lived experiences of women, probation staff, and magistrates involved in the Greater Manchester Women’s Problem-Solving Courts.

Our Approach

We conducted an in-depth, mixed-methods evaluation that placed women’s voices at the heart of the research. This included:

• Interviews with women attending PSC reviews, magistrates, and probation practitioners.
• Courtroom ethnography
• A collaborative symposium bringing together women, judiciary, practitioners, and the voluntary sector to reflect on findings and recommendations.

Our approach was grounded in participatory and trauma-informed principles, ensuring that women’s experiences were heard with respect, care, and authenticity. The research was a collaboration between Leeds Beckett University’s School of Law and School of Social Sciences, drawing on interdisciplinary expertise and partnerships with regional justice and voluntary sector organisations.

Our Impact

The research has already led to tangible change across the Greater Manchester PSC model:

• Consistency in the magistrates’ benches and improved support for women entering court spaces.
• Review reports revised to be forward-focused and less offence-based.
• Broader recognition of the crucial role of women’s centres in providing safe, relation, and holistic support.

In addition, we hosted a regional symposium, “Beyond the Bench”, to share learning and foster collaboration. Visual minutes from the event have been developed into an animated teaching resource to support training and critical reflection across the justice sector.

We have been invited to share our work with several organisations, including producing an evidence review for Clinks. Our work continues to shape conversations about gender, justice, and meaningful reform, calling for future developments that are evidence-based, compassionate, and led by women’s expertise.