Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to Answer of 16 March 2026 to Question 119800 on Sentencing: Gender, what the evidential basis is for the conclusion that female offenders are typically lower risk to the public than male offenders.

The statement that women in the criminal justice system are typically lower risk to the public reflects a statement made by the Independent Sentencing Review (ISR) in its Part 2 Report.

Through its engagement programme, the ISR heard from third sector organisations working with women in the criminal justice system that many female offenders present with complex vulnerabilities and typically pose a lower level of risk to the public. This feedback was based on practitioners’ operational experience supporting women in custody and the community.

Government data, published here, supports this as women make up a small proportion (around 4%) of the overall offender and prison population. Women are also less frequently convicted of the most serious violent offences. For example, in the year to September 2025 data shows that out of all offenders where the sex is known, females account for only 17% of sentences for violence against the person, 2% for sexual offences, and 16% for criminal damage and arson. These patterns contribute to a different typical offending profile compared with men, though individual sentencing decisions must always be based on the facts of the case.

Sentencing remains a matter for the courts, which must assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in line with statutory sentencing guidelines.