Hi my name is Jacqui and I am fundraising for the Feminist Justice Coalition, a new Pro Bono Law Centre for Women.
Women navigating the justice system, especially those in prison, survivors of domestic abuse, refugees, and those facing housing insecurity, are among the most disenfranchised and furthest away from accessing justice. The Feminist Justice Coalition, an initiative led by law students and supported by inspiring international lawyers and barristers, is determined to change that.
Operating as a social enterprise, this pro bono service provides comprehensive legal support and advocacy to women who cannot afford representation and have no access to legal aid funding. Our mission is to elevate the voices and experiences of women marginalized by systemic inequality and discrimination, and to hold institutions of government to account.
Why Women?
Specialist women’s services in the criminal justice system are both humane and economically smart, saving up to £9 for every £1 spent.
RECENT CASE STUDY STUDIES
Case Study 1
Systemic Failures in Cancer Care for Women in Prison
A new report by The Feminist Justice Coalition will expose systemic failures in cancer care across English women’s prisons. Women with cancer are routinely denied timely treatment, continuity of care and basic medical rights. Fragmented healthcare systems, poor data sharing and unqualified staff result in cancelled appointments, delayed diagnoses and life threatening neglect. Case examples will include Farah, chained to officers for 3 weeks after major surgery and denied chemotherapy, nutrition and dignity; Grace, was refused a double mastectomy, and her diagnosis and treatment were delayed, leaving her chained and unsupported post surgery; and Fran, forced into a mastectomy without informed consent and missing chemotherapy. These cases highlight systemic breaches of human rights, including Articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention. The Feminist Justice Coalition calls for urgent reform: women with cancer must not be incarcerated until prison healthcare achieves parity with community standards. Judges, governors and healthcare providers must be held accountable for preventable suffering and deaths. The report will be brought before the UN General Assembly, Council of Europe Justice Ministers' Meeting and the UK Parliament in Spring 2026.
Case Study 2
Early Release on Compassionate Grounds Application
The Feminist Justice Coalition is supporting the case of a 59 year old Prisoner F, a 59 year old woman imprisoned at HMP Eastwood Park. She suffers from aggressive stage 3 HER2 positive breast cancer and Complex PTSD. Despite repeated medical recommendations, she has been denied timely chemotherapy and radiotherapy, missing critical treatment windows. Reports from oncologists and psychiatrists confirm her condition is irreversible and life threatening, with a drastically reduced prognosis. Her continued detention violates Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment. Prison authorities have failed to provide adequate healthcare, a proper, fit for purpose care plan and obstructed hospital appointments. The Coalition argues that her imprisonment no longer serves any legitimate penological purpose and instead exacerbates her suffering. This case exemplifies the urgent need for feminist led legal advocacy to challenge systemic neglect and secure compassionate release for women whose health and dignity are at risk. The FJC instructed Bhartia Best to bring an urgent Judicial Review
Case study 3
Discrimination by Government Quangos
A woman who was convicted of drug importation offences had been granted compensation by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) before she was arrested, charged or indicted for these offences. Following her release from prison, having repaid her debt to society, the CICA withdrew her compensation award. The FJC is appealing this decision on the grounds that when she was awarded the compensation, she was still of good character and their to withdraw the award was unreasonable and unlawful.
Case study 4
Extradited Whilst Awaiting a Psychiatric Bed Despite Being Unfit to Fly
A 66‑year‑old dual Canadian/British citizen, born in Manchester, is incarcerated in Alberta under life‑threatening conditions after suffering multiple strokes and blackouts. Her ordeal spans more than a decade: financial abuse by a family member led to mistakes in Canada, followed by an eight‑year extradition battle in the UK, during which she spent 2.5 years on remand at HMP Bronzefield. Despite repeated psychiatric warnings, she was denied hospitalisation and essential pain medication. In May 2025, she was abruptly extradited to Canada, despite medical evidence deeming her unfit to fly. Her passport was confiscated, cutting her off from her only family support in the UK. She now faces overcrowded cells, untreated infections and no specialist care. With sentencing imminent, she risks homelessness and destitution abroad. While charities have failed to help, the FJC has written to officials and supported her daughter, who once arrived for her only visit to her mother in 18 months, only to be handed a bin liner with her mother’s possessions and informed her mother was not there and they did not know where she was, she thought she had died. She later learned her mother had been extradited minutes earlier.
Why We Need Your Help Now
To safely build the Centre and continue supporting women we urgently need to raise £10,000.
These funds will cover:
● A secure casework management system
● Insurance to protect clients and volunteers
● Essential operational costs, eg, web hosting and secure email service, laptops and phones for the volunteers & travel expenses. Also, seed funding to set up physical location for the Centre.
This initial investment will allow us to operate effectively in prisons, licensed community settings, asylum and refugee centres, homeless shelters and domestic abuse refuges.
Our Focus Areas
● Supporting Women in Prison: Legal advice and representation, ensuring access to healthcare, mental health support, and protection from abuse.
● Domestic Violence Survivors: Trauma-informed counsel to secure non-molestation orders and navigate family law.
● Family & Public Law: Representation in custody and public service rights cases.
● Housing Rights: Advocacy against eviction, discrimination, and unsafe living conditions.
Expert-Led, Collaborative, Pro Bono
The Centre benefits from the supervision of leading solicitors and barristers with expertise in human rights, criminal law, public law and family law. This ensures women receive high-quality legal support.
Ultimately, the Centre will be sustained through legal aid contracts, charitable donations, grants, and support from high-net-worth individuals. However, right now, we need your help to take the first steps.
Your Impact
By donating, you are helping us:
● Provide immediate access to justice for women who have none
● Challenge systemic biases in the legal system
● Build a safe, professional foundation for long-term advocacy
Every pound brings us closer to breaking down barriers and empowering women to reclaim their rights.
Please Donate Today
Together, we can ensure that women in prison, survivors of abuse, refugees, and those facing housing insecurity are no longer left behind.
Donate now and help us reach our urgent £10,000 goal to build the Feminist Justice Coalition Pro Bono Law Centre.
Conclusion
Evidence shows that investing in specialist services for women in the criminal justice system—whether as victims, suspects, or offenders—saves millions in social services, health, and crime/justice costs.
Systemic Failures: Women in the UK criminal justice system often face complex needs—mental health issues, trauma, poverty, and abuse histories. Traditional prison responses are costly and ineffective, with high reoffending rates.
Economic Case: Reports such as the Women’s Centre Model – The Financial Case for Alternatives to Prison (Women’s Budget Group & National Women’s Justice Coalition, 2025) show that community‑based women’s centres deliver holistic support—housing, health, employment, and trauma care. These interventions reduce reoffending dramatically (30% vs 73% for short custodial sentences).
Cost Savings: Analysis demonstrates that every £1 invested in women’s specialist services produces up to £9 in public savings, cutting costs across social services, health care, and the criminal justice system.
Policy Evidence: The National Audit Office report Improving Outcomes for Women in the Criminal Justice System (2022) highlights that investment in tailored services improves rehabilitation, reduces prison overcrowding, and prevents cycles of destitution.
Human Impact: Without these services, women risk homelessness, untreated health conditions, and repeated incarceration. With them, women gain stability, reducing demand on police, courts, prisons, and social care.
Why This Matters
Justice reform: Women’s needs differ from men’s; ignoring this perpetuates failure and costs.
Public savings: Investment prevents expensive custodial sentences and emergency interventions.
Social impact: Supporting women reduces intergenerational harm, protecting children and communities.