Women are less likely than men to appeal their convictions because they fear ‘rocking the boat’ and doing anything that could increase their sentence, the Criminal Cases Review Commission has revealed.

The CCRC, a statutory body that investigates alleged miscarriages of justice, has been conducting outreach work to engage more with women who have been through the criminal justice system.

Cathy Dilks, head of applicant outreach, explained at a CCRC open board meeting last week why the CCRC was focusing on women given they were not underrepresented in applications. Women represent 5% of the prison population and 8% of applications to the CCRC.

Dilks said: ‘Many women are convicted in the magistrates’ court and might have received a custodial sentence. Women have very different needs and vulnerabilities. We know women are less likely to appeal than men.’

Reasons include a lack of trust or understanding their right to appeal, Dilks said. ‘There is great fear among women of rocking the boat. Women are less likely to do anything that will risk adding time to their sentence. Many will be primary carers of children or other family members.'

Dilks stressed that the outreach work was not about increasing applications but education and active engagement so that women with criminal convictions can make an informed decision in whether they want to apply to the CCRC.

As a result of the outreach work, the CCRC received applications from 124 women this year, up 11 from last year.

The CCRC has been working with charities and volunteer groups that support women with convictions. ‘Building this trust can be really hard but a good starting point for us to develop these good relationships with charities and organisations who support women, so that they feel confident in signposting our service, and we can learn from the experts themselves as to the needs of women and can speak to women directly.’

The CCRC has also provided free online training for staff working in 11 female prisons, and designed printed literature following engagement work on what kinds of messages women need to hear and what images they respond to.

Board members were told 21 women recently applied to the CCRC after learning about the organisation through the printed literature.