This study investigates the healthcare needs, barriers to access, and the role of unmet health needs for women in, or at risk of entering, the criminal justice system. The research focuses on the first-hand experiences of women in North Wales, prior to any involvement with the criminal justice system in relation to their primary health needs (mental and physical health), using a mixed-methods approach including a focus group, questionnaires, and interviews.
The report’s recommendations focus on addressing barriers to healthcare access, prioritising early intervention and preventative healthcare, implementing trauma-informed and gender specific areas, expanding and integrating community-based services, streamlining, and improving service pathways and promoting further data collection and research in this area to fill existing gaps in knowledge and understanding in this area.
