Women in the Justice System: Who Is It Really Built For?

Today, St George's hosted Fearless Women in the Justice System, panel that brought together speakers working at the forefront of justice: Professor Nancy Loucks, Chief Executive of Families Outside, and Professor Margaret Malloch of the University of Stirling. We were proud to welcome 200 students from a range of schools, continuing St George's history of women who do not shy away from tough conversations. The first half of the session was chaired by our Head and included insights from a woman with lived experience of the prison system. The panel looked at who the women in Scotland's justice system really are, and at the "hidden sentence" served by the thousands of children in Scotland who see a parent go to prison each year. They also discussed why remand figures remain stubbornly high for women, and whether there is ever a good reason to send a woman to prison. Students then had the chance to ask their own questions and engage directly with our speakers. Tying directly into the Advanced Higher Modern Studies and Higher RMPS courses, this unique event provided valuable insight for all who attended. Thank you to Professors Loucks and Malloch, who emboldened students to leave as fearless leaders ready to make change happen. Our speakers truly opened our eyes: we left more aware of the injustices many women face, and inspired to be part of the change.