Author(s):

Michele Burman, Annie Crowley, Mhairi Mackenzie and Lisa Mary Armstrong, Loraine Gelsthorpe and Margaret Malloch

Published date:

17/12/2025

This report presents findings from the Scottish Prison Service Assessment and Review of Outcomes for Women (SPAROW) evaluation, commissioned by the Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services. The primary purpose was to evaluate the early impact and emerging outcomes of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) new custodial arrangements for women and the application of the SPS Strategy for Women in Custody 2021-2025. This was carried out in the context of the recently established Community Custody Units (CCUs) which heralded a new approach to the custody of women in Scotland.