Young women and punishment within and beyond the penal system

In a culture in which lawbreakers in general are heavily stigmatised, and criminal women in particular are subject to negative labelling, young women with a criminal past face substantial barriers to social acceptance and economic and cultural inclusion. Drawing on data from qualitative longitudinal research with women in their 20s with a history of youth justice system involvement, this chapter examines the stigmatisation of working-class young women with a criminalised past. It is argued that welfare retrenchment and conditionality, criminal records disclosure requirements and degrading cultural stereotypes combine to produce a harsh climate for young women (former) lawbreakers. As such, young women are subjected to overlapping and mutually reinforcing forms of devaluation. Extra-legal judgements made across a range of state penal, welfare and health institutions on the basis of social class position, reputation and imputed moral character frequently devalue and shame girls and women with current or previous involvement in the youth justice system. Such judgements may subsequently impede their engagement with social support and education institutions, at the same time as rationing or prohibiting access to the financial and material resources required to live a dignified life. This has potentially damaging consequences for desistance from crime and also, more broadly, in relation to self-actualisation, social progression and hope for the future. The chapter concludes by discussing policy implications and making recommendations for support and advocacy in practice with criminalised girls.