WOMEN across East Lancashire have been diverted away from the criminal justice system thanks to an innovative new project, police have said.

The Early Action initiative called Avert was launched by Lancashire Police and Lancashire Women’s Centres in November 2013 and the trial ran until June 2014.

Following its success, funding has now been secured until March 2015.

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The project began in Blackburn and Darwen and has expanded to include Accrington and the surrounding areas, with referrals to the project made from Greenbank custody suite and implemented within Eastern Lancashire Women’s Centres.

Avert aims to divert both low level and persistent female offenders through conditional caution or voluntary referral.

The most common offences are being drunk and disorderly, shoplifting and assault. It provides a different route into support services for women who would otherwise not have accessed support. To be suitable for the scheme, the women must first admit the offence.

Lancashire’s police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: “This is a unique initiative which I have funded alongside the Rayne Foundation.

“It focuses on providing early intervention and diverting women away from custody rather than trying to pick up the pieces once they have already been prosecuted and processed through the criminal justice system.

“These are the mothers of our next generation. Let me be clear this is not tea and sympathy. Engagement is often the tougher choice as many of these women are facing up to deep seeded issues and have often been victims of crime themselves.

“There is growing evidence that contact with the criminal justice systemcan turn first time offenders into career criminals by creating a ‘revolving door’. Avert provides another route into support services for women who otherwise would not have received any support.”

Since the project began almost 200 hundred women have been offered Avert which has led to 128 referrals being made. When women are referred to Avert they agree to attend three appointments at one of the East Lancashire Women’s Centres within a twelve week period where intensive one to one support is given.

Following their participation in the project, 93 per cent of participants have not reoffended.