This report is about girls and young women aged 17 to 25 years old in contact with the criminal justice system. In particular, it highlights the experiences of Black, Asian and minoritised young women, and young women with experience of the care system, as both groups are over-represented in the criminal justice system.

This is the final report of the Young Women’s Justice Project, run by Agenda and the Alliance for Youth Justice. It focused on young women’s experiences of the transition from the youth to adult justice system, and young women in the criminal justice system’s experiences of violence, abuse and exploitation. The research was informed by qualitative analysis of 18 interviews with 16 different girls and young women (aged 17 to 28) with lived experience, as well as one focus group involving a further six young women.

Published in March 2022 by the Young Women’s Justice Project