Women have made up a quarter of offenders in England and Wales over the last five years.
A number of these female offenders have passed through Greater Manchester's courts, which are among the busiest in the country.
The sentences these women receive frequently spark debate between M.E.N readers.
In comments sections below court cases, it's often claimed that women get off lightly, simply because of their gender, and that this is unfair to male defendants.
Earlier this year, Natalie Schmitz was narrowly spared jail after dealing cocaine and ketamine as she had turned her life around.
Mum-of-six Michelle Samuels escaped a prison term for her part in a street brawl, after her case took over three years to come to court and she had not committed any further offences during that time.
And Simara Knopka, who was spotted by an M.E.N photographer driving from court just minutes after being banned from the roads, too avoided jail due to her mental health issues.
Each of these stories led to heated discussions.
Two major factors are in the background.
The first is that each case is unique, and so sentencing is not an exact science.
Sentences depend on the circumstances of offenders and their crimes, their history, criminal or otherwise, the discretion of judges, the persuasiveness of arguments made by lawyers, and the interpretation and application of sentencing guidelines.
And there is also the debate, amongst campaigners and criminal justice professionals, about the societal cost of imprisoning women, who tend to commit less serious offences than men.
The issues informing this debate were laid out in 2018, in the Conservative government's Female Offender Strategy.
"We know that there is a higher prevalence of need amongst female offenders, such as mental health problems, and self-harm," the then-justice secretary, David Gauke, wrote.
"Many experience chaotic lifestyles which are often the product of a life of abuse and trauma; almost 60% of female offenders have experienced domestic abuse."
"70.7% of adult women and 62.9%of adult men released from custody between April to June 2016 following a short custodial sentence of less than 12 months re-offended within a year," he added.
"There is persuasive evidence that short custodial sentences are less effective in reducing re-offending than community orders," the politician went on, introducing the strategy.
"Short sentences generate churn which is a major driver of instability in our prisons and they do not provide sufficient time for rehabilitative activity.
"The impact on women, many of whom are sentenced for non-violent, low level but persistent offences, often for short periods of time, is particularly significant.
"The prevalence of anxiety and self-harm incidents is greater than for male prisoners. As more female offenders are primary carers than their male counterparts, these sentences lead to a disproportionate impact on children and families and a failure to halt the inter-generational cycle of offending."
Earlier this year, it was reported that the rate of self harm in women’s prisons increased by 8%, year on year, up until September, compared to a decline of 7% in men’s prisons.
Kate Fraser, Women in Prison Northern Development Manager, told the Manchester Evening News: “We know that most women in prison are there for six months or less which is long enough to lose your home, job and your children, with the Government's own strategy acknowledging that most women do not need to be there.
“Prison is a traumatic experience with the rate of self-harm in women’s prisons six times higher than men’s.
“However, there is another way.
“When women are sentenced in the community, they can be better supported to tackle the root causes of crime like domestic abuse, mental ill-health and harmful substance use.”
Here, the Manchester Evening News has looks back on cases where women have been spared jail in particular circumstances - and at how the system deals with such offenders.
Natalie Schmitz
Natalie Schmitz, 35, was found with more than £2,000 worth of drugs and £3,335 in cash at her house in Withington.
When officers with a warrant went to her home, Schmitz told them she 'couldn't believe she had been so stupid'.
A judge spared her from jail in February this year, after saying he was 'impressed' with testimonials submitted on her behalf, and accepting she had worked to turn her life around.
Schmitz, who previously worked in the events industry, including at festivals and music concerts, started dealing after becoming addicted to drugs and getting into debt with her dealer, Manchester Crown Court heard.
At her sentencing hearing, Schmitz's barrister Michael Johnson appealed for her to be spared jail.
"At the time she was in a very bad place emotionally," Mr Johnson said.
She had come out of a long term relationship and was having financial problems, he said.
Schmitz used drugs to 'help her get through her days', Mr Johnson told the court.
She has since taken positive steps to turn her life around, and has found new employment, working in customer support for a cosmetics company, the court heard.
She received an 18 month sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Schmitz, of Kingslea Road, must observe a curfew for three months, from 10pm to 6am, and complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Isma Farid
Isma Farid committed a number of crimes on behalf of an organised criminal gang in Rochdale.
The 31-year-old, who laundered money and allowed her home to be used to store cannabis, was also found to have a number of 24 carat gold bars worth thousands of pounds.
Three kilograms of cannabis was also found under the stairs at her home in Clifford Street.
The temporary crown court at the Lowry Theatre heard that five 24 carat, 100g gold bars were found at the property, with a judge saying at least three of them represented the proceeds of crime.
The gold bars are currently said to be worth about £4,500 each.
Prosecutors said the gang had used a restaurant in the town as a 'front' for their drug dealing.
They said Farid transferred money to Hong Kong which was generated through crime.
In this case, both male and female defendants alike were spared jail - their 'junior' membership of the gang being the common factor.
Farid was sentenced in December alongside two men who dealt cannabis for the gang, Inzmam Ali and Zainulabedin Rafique, both 24.
Farid, of Clifford Street, Rochdale, and call centre worker Ali, of Louise Gardens, Rochdale, both received 18 month jail sentences suspended for two years, and were ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work and observe a curfew for three months.
Rafique, of Hill Top Drive, Rochdale, was sentenced to 15 months in prison suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
All three defendants admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis, while Farid also admitted conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert or transfer criminal property.
Michelle Samuels
Michelle Samuels escaped prison for her part in a street brawl in which she punched and kicked another woman.
She was also said to have ripped out 'a clump' of her victim's hair.
"I'm very embarrassed," she told a judge who spared her a jail sentence after the case took almost three years to reach a conclusion in court.
Her victim was putting bin bags in her car in Hallworth Road in Crumpsall at 9.45pm on April 14, 2018, when Samuels approached her, prosecutor David Farley told Manchester Crown Court In February this year.
Samuels punched the woman to the left side of her face, kicked her and pulled 'a clump of hair' out, the court heard.
The woman fell and felt three blows to her head, said Mr Farley.
She suffered a sore chest, bruising and a scratch to her nose.
Residents complained there had been 'problems in the street' ever since Samuels moved in for about a month up until the incident. She has now moved out.
Brendan O'Leary, defending, pointed to the delay in bringing the case to court which he said was 'not acceptable'.
His client's crime was 'not something she's proud of', said Mr O'Leary, who added that she was responsible for six children aged between six and 19.
Samuels was handed a 12-month community order after she pleaded guilty to one charge of affray. She was also ordered to carry out 15 days of rehabilitation activity.
Sandra Greaves
Gambling addict Sandra Graves, who siphoned off more than £100,000 from her employers, has been spared jail - but only because she is particularly susceptible to coronavirus.
The 61-year-old spent most of the stolen money at online bingo gaming site Jackpot Joy.
She suffers from a number of medical conditions, including COPD, and has been told by medics that she is at particular risk from Covid-19.
A judge told the former accounts manager that she would be behind bars today were it not for her poor health.
Greaves committed fraud by abusing her position as Accounts Assistant at Mockridge Labels & Nameplates between January 1, 2016 and August 31, 2018.
The prosecution say the company lost £105,453.89 through Greaves’ offending.
Greaves admitted she had stolen the money to fund her gambling addiction and that she hoped to repay the money before anyone had noticed.
Andrea Lock, defending, said Greaves has chronic ongoing health problems including COPD and a serious heart condition, but pointed out that she still attended court, despite being classed as 'highly vulnerable'.
Judge Edwards handed Greaves an 18 month prison sentence, suspended for two years in July 2020.
She was also ordered to carry out 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Greaves, of Smallshaw Lane, Ashton-under-Lyne, pleaded guilty to fraud.
Simara Knopka
Simara Knopka got behind the wheel minutes after being disqualified from driving following a smash on the M60 has avoided jail - but was slapped with a hefty fine.
She was spotted by a Manchester Evening News photographer driving away in her son’s Nissan Micra following a court appearance.
Minutes earlier, she had been banned from the road by a judge.
Knopka was disqualified at Manchester Crown Court on November 5 having driven the wrong way down the M60 and smashing into a car head-on.
The 39-year-old - who has never held a full UK driving licence and has never passed a test - was pictured driving away from court just minutes after receiving a two-year ban.
She pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and driving without insurance at Manchester Magistrates' Court.
Recorder Nick Clarke QC made Knopka the subject of a two-month community order, a four-month electronically monitored curfew in November 2020.
He handed her a £500 fine.
Knopka was disqualified from driving for two years and told from that moment on, she should not drive until she passed an extended re-test.
Her defence lawyer Thomas McKail said Knopka had suffered with symptoms of anxiety and depression following the death of her mother from cancer 10 years ago, for which she has received therapy and medication for the past six years.
These symptoms had subsided until her split from her husband in January this year, though she did not tell the author of the probation report as she was ‘embarrassed by it’, Mr McKail added.
She has since been prescribed medication from her doctors including antidepressants and has sought counselling, the court heard.
“These symptoms presented themselves through this year, and in some parts contributed to her error and lapse of judgement,” he said.
Why treat women differently from men?
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Rosie Goodwin, a community director in the Merseyside Community Rehabilitation Company, part of the probation service, said it had been found community intervention is more successful for rehabilitating women than short community sentences.
Rosie, who has 36 years experience in the probation service in Merseyside, said how over a decade ago a report found, throughout Europe, 'women being sentenced in the same way as men wasn't reducing offending and wasn't making society a safer place'.
She said: "There are women who are very dangerous and need to be locked up.
"What I'm talking about is women who go to court for a non violent offence and get a short custodial sentence.
"Actually what the research is saying, and the Government has acknowledged, is this isn't doing society any good.
Rosie said: "Going into custody for a short period of time, the problems start when they come out.
"Some of the reasons for that is because they are in custody for say two or three weeks and haven't had time to start on the intensive programs in the community.
"When they come out their lives are even more disturbed because they might have lost their flat or their children might have been taken into care."
Rosie said that rather than short custodial sentences it has been found community intervention is more successful for rehabilitating women.
She said: "The minimum sentence they can get is a year, so they're working for a minimum of a year doing a range of interventions linked to their offending.
"Some of the common issues we have are to do with drugs, alcohol misuse and mental health."
Rosie said many women find it more difficult to face previously unaddressed issues than spend a few weeks in a cell.
She said: "The misconception is custody is somehow the better sentence for someone who has committed a crime, but a lot of the time it isn't."
Rosie said there are 75% of women in prison with 'some form of mental health issue', adding 'self harm is prevalent' among them.
She added some of the women they see are 'often victims of crime far more serious than the crimes they have committed'.
What happens to the mums and women spared jail?
Rosie explained the probation service offers a range of programmes which are linked to the woman's 'offending behaviour"' and specific to the issues they need to address.
The women can be forced to 'think about the consequences of their behaviour' and to 'understand the impact' of their crime.
Among the programmes offered are anger management courses, domestic abuse awareness courses, cognitive behavioural programmes and a thinking skills programme.
As well as being ordered to complete a programme an offender may have to carry out unpaid work, also known as the Community Payback Scheme, in which women have to 'repay their debt to society'.
Rosie said this is also a chance for women to gain qualifications, which can help with employment.
Rosie said: "It's two-pronged, to get them out of the criminal justice system and not reoffend and also make our society a safer place to live in."
Rosie added: "Last year 86% of our female service users completed their order successfully, which meant they didn't reoffend."
