Infographic: Women and the criminal justice system 2015
Source: data.gov.uk (2018-05-25)

Women and the Criminal Justice System. Statistics produced by a range of agencies relating to the experience of women within the criminal justice system.

4
1
19
13
5
38
73%
27%
73%
27%
Women were less likely to reoffend.
Men
Women
26%
18%
Statistics on Women 
and the Criminal Justice 
System 2015
England and Wales
Victims of crime
From offence to criminal court
At the criminal courts
Offender characteristics
Offenders in prison
Women
Men
The likelihood of being a victim of personal crime 
was less for women in 2015/16.
Women made up less than a quarter of those given an out of court disposal (23%, caution or PND) and even fewer of 
those arrested (16%) by the police.
Women are substantially underrepresented among those 
prosecuted, convicted and sentenced at just over a 
quarter of the total.
Women were consistently less likely to be 
remanded in custody.
The most common summary 
offence women were prosecuted 
for was TV license evasion, 
which was much less common 
among men.
Women were less likely to be 
prosecuted or sentenced for 
indictable offences. The most 
common indictable offence for 
women was shoplifting.
Conviction ratios were similar for women 
and men.
A smaller proportion of women were 
repeat offenders.
Women represented only 4.5% 
of the prison population.
Women in prison were serving shorter sentences.
Female prisoners were more likely to self-harm. There were 
more assaults in male prisons. 
Proportion of offenders who reoffended within the 
follow-up period (2014 cohort)
Proportion who were 
first time offenders
Proportion of 
offenders with 15 
or more previous 
convictions/cautions
Women had a lower custody rate.
Indictable offences
Indictable offences
All offences
All offences
Proportion of defendants 
prosecuted for TV licence 
evasion
% of persons remanded in custody
% of adults who were victims of personal crime in 
the past year (Crime Survey for England and Wales) 
% of adults who were victims of violence in the past year
% of persons given an OOCD by sex
% of persons arrested by sex
Women were less likely to be victims of violent crime in 
general, but more likely to be victims of domestic violence.
73%
6%
36%
27%
Prosecutions
Convictions
Sentences
15 out of 100 women sentenced received 
immediate custody.
28 out of 100 men sentenced received 
immediate custody.
2 out of 100 women sentenced received 
immediate custody.
10 out of 100 men sentenced received 
immediate custody.
20 assaults per 100 prisoners.
10 individuals self-harmed 
per 100 prisoners.
24 assaults per 100 prisoners.
30 individuals self-harmed
per 100 prisoners.
Shoplifting as a proportion of all indictable prosecutions 
36%
17%
Out of court disposal
Arrests
0.5 0.8
Acquaintance
0.4
1.4
Stranger
All violence
1.3
2.4
0.4
Domestic
0.2
Crown Court
Magistrates’ Court
Police
87%
71%
Women were more likely to be prosecuted, 
convicted and sentenced for summary 
offences at magistrates’ courts.
21%
35%
25%
15%
4.5%
95.5%
Practitioners
Less than a third of police officers and the judiciary were women, compared to two-thirds of those working 
in the Ministry of Justice and Crown Prosecution Service.
MoJ
Police officers
CPS
Magistrates
Judiciary
NOMS (excluding 
probation)
72%
28%
61%
39%
33%
67%
47%
53%
35%
65%
29%
71%
% of prisoners who were serving a custodial sentence
Women
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
4 years or more
12 months up to 4 years
Men
4 years or more
12 months up to 4 years
over 6 months 
up to 12 months
over 6 months 
up to 12 months
up to 6 months
up to 6 months
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Proportion of defendants prosecuted for 
summary offences
Men
4.5%
3.8%
Women
Women were more likely 
to be sentenced to a fine, 
the majority of which were 
for summary offences at 
magistrates’ courts. 
Proportion of offenders 
sentenced to a fine
82%
65%
Average custodial sentence lengths (ACSL) 
were shorter for women.
Indictable offences
All offences
19.7 months
16.9 months
10.5 months
9.5 months
indictable offences 
82%
83%
84%
85%