Hope Street offers Magistrates across Hampshire a community-based alternative to short custodial sentences for women. Women with a community sentence, can meet the requirements in a nurturing environment, where their children can be safely with them.  It will also offer an alternative for women from Hampshire who face imprisonment on remand, or who are eligible for release from prison but do not have safe accommodation. It can also support women who are living in the community on Licence/Community Orders who are at risk of imprisonment from not meeting requirements.

It provides:

  • A residential hub with 24-hour support, purpose built and specifically designed to create a trauma-informed, gender responsive environment for women and their children.
  • Individually tailored programmes of support designed to help women address the reasons they have become involved with the justice system including factors such as childhood trauma, substance use issues, and domestic abuse.
  • Activities that allow women to fulfil the requirements of their community sentence including unpaid work, training and accreditation that will provide better future employment opportunities;
  • Move-on, supported houses across Hampshire for women leaving the hub where they can begin preparing for a move to a home of their own.
  • Ongoing support for women and their families once they are living in their own home.

By taking a trauma-informed and compassionate approach, we aim to create a blueprint for change that can be replicated across the country and achieve better outcomes for women, their children and society.

Services offered by this centre

Resources for women

Opening Hours

24 hour supported residential service

Hope Street

Referral Information

Hope Street is a service for women from Hampshire including:

  • Women aged over 18 who are facing a custodial sentence for low-level, non-violent and non-sexual offences (first or repeat) and do not have a safe environment to be given a community order at home. We are unable to accommodate those with Violence against women or children offences; Sexual offences against adults or children; Arson with intent to cause harm or Human trafficking offences.
  • Women who would otherwise be unnecessarily imprisoned on Remand.
  • Women who are eligible for release from prison but do not have safe accommodation.
  • Women living in the community on licence or with Community Orders who are at risk of imprisonment because they are not able to meet requirements.

Referral via Magistrates:

Hope Street is not an alternative prison or a place of detention – it is a voluntary option that women can be offered as an alternative to a custodial sentence. Women will be assessed for their suitability for Hope Street through a multi-agency partnership between the Hope Street team, the Liaison and Diversion teams working in the Police Investigation Centres and the Court Probation teams. If the outcome of the assessment is that Hope Street is a safe and more appropriate option for her, this will be written into the pre-sentencing report that assists Magistrates with their decision making.

Women will be given clear information about what support they can expect to receive at Hope Street and what is expected of them as a resident so they can make an informed decision as to whether a voluntary referral can be suggested. Women will have to sign a license agreement to stay in the accommodation.

Referral via Prison/Probation

Specific referral forms have been shared with Bronzefield women’s prison and the Hampshire Probation team.

Referrals Offered:

  • This centre does not offer Booking referrals
  • This centre does not offer Drop-in referrals
  • This centre does not offer Electronic referrals
  • This centre offers Other – See referral information referrals

Referrals Email Address:
[email protected]

Referrals Telephone Number:
N/A