Prison
Service
Order
Women Prisoners
ORDER
NUMBER
4800
Date of Initial Issue
28/04/08
Issue No.
297
PSI Amendments should be read in conjunction with this PSO
Date of Further
Amendments
PSO 4800
Page 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
To provide regimes and conditions for women prisoners that meet their needs
DESIRED OUTCOME
Women prisoners are held in conditions and within regimes that meet their gender specific needs
and which facilitate their successful resettlement.
MANDATORY ACTIONS
Governors of establishments, and Area Managers and ROMS in respect of Contracted prisons,
must ensure that women’s prisons under their jurisdiction put in place by October 2008 plans to
implement this PSO and the accompanying gender specific standards.
References in this PSO to Governors also apply to Directors of contracted prisons/YOIs.
RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS
Most of these standards are “best practice” already in many establishments but it is
recognised that it will not be possible to implement all standards immediately because of
resource pressures.
IMPLEMENTATION DATE:
22 May 2008
(signed)
Michael Spurr
Chief Operating Officer
Area/Operational Manager
Further advice or information on this PSO or the systems contained within it can be sought
from: Terry Harvey or Barbara Treen in the Women and Young Peoples' Group: 0207 217
5048
Issue No. 297
Issue date 28/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 2
PSO 4800 Women Prisoners
1.
Introduction
1.1
There has until now been no Prison Service Standard or Prison Service Orders written
specifically about how the Prison Service should manage women prisoners to meet their
different needs, except in the case of women located in Mother and Baby units.
1.2
It is important to establish appropriate consistent standards for the treatment of women
prisoners, for implementation across the estate.
1.3
This PSO is written against the background of the new Gender Equality Duty (GED) which
took effect in April 2007. The GED places a statutory General Duty on all public authorities



to eliminate unlawful discrimination
to eliminate harassment
to promote equality of opportunity between men and women
1.4
Criminal justice agencies need to produce evidence and outcomes to show all three strands
have been considered. The Act allows provision of services to one sex in certain
circumstances, such as establishments providing special care or supervision to one sex to
meet general needs.
1.5
A Gender Specific Standard is being introduced to ensure the different needs of women are
consistently addressed across the estate as well as the generic standards which are also
applicable in male prisons. Women’s establishments will be audited against this from April
2009. The Standard will be kept under review with the aim that it will, in due course
become a comprehensive Standard for women’s prisons, replacing a number of the current
generic Standards.
1.6
It is important to note that although some aspects of how imprisonment affects a woman is
clearly gender specific and will only apply to her and not a male prisoner (an example
would be facilities for pregnant women), other elements of imprisonment are likely to impact
women differently or to a significantly different degree and therefore it is appropriate to set
a different standard.
1.7
Annex A sets out guidance notes on the gender specific baselines and how establishments
might meet them. The development of the Standard and why there is a gender specific
element is also explained.
2.
Some Statistical and Research Information about Women Prisoners
2.1
There was a 196% increase in the number of women remanded into custody between 1992
and 2002 compared to a 52% increase for men. Since that date the population appears to
have stabilized at around 4,500.
2.2
Women more frequently than men are the main carers of children. They are often single
parents. Two-thirds of women prisoners are mothers. Only one quarter of children of
women prisoners live with their biological or current fathers. Only 5% of children stay in
their own homes after mother’s imprisonment.
2.3
Women in prison bring with them a considerable amount of vulnerability: one in 10 will have
attempted suicide, half say they have experienced domestic violence and a third sexual
assault. Now half of all incidents of self-harm in prisons will be committed by a woman
even though women represent only 6% of the total prison population.
Issue No. 297
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PSO 4800
Page 3
2.4
Around one-third of women prisoners report having experienced sexual abuse in childhood.
A survey for HMCIP in 1997 found 49% of young women said that they had experienced
sexual abuse, compared with 17% of young men interviewed.
2.5
Two-thirds will be drug dependent or with hazardous levels of drinking
2.6
15% have been so seriously mentally ill that they have previously been in a psychiatric
hospital and 80% have had diagnosable mental health problems.
2.7
60% of women remanded into custody do not receive a custodial sentence.
2.8
Many women will be entering custody from positions of poverty and with very little social
contact.
2.9
The gender specific requirements contained within this document take into account the
particular nature of the women’s prisoner population which is disproportionately likely to
have suffered domestic and sexual abuse, mental health problems and self-harm which
both impacts upon on their offending behaviour and their ability to cope within custody and
after release.
3.
Mandatory Action
3,1
Governors and Directors of women’s establishments must ensure that women’s prisons under
their jurisdiction must put in place by October 2008 plans to implement this PSO and the
accompanying gender specific standards by April 2009.
4.
Development of the Gender Specific Standards
4.1
The standards have been produced following widespread consultation with managers, staff
and prisoners in establishments, HMPS and NOMS groups, and outside groups with
special interest in women prisoners.
5.
Role of HMPS Women and Young People’s Group
It will be part of the core work of the W&YPG to support women’s establishments as they
work to implement and maintain gender specific standards.
6.
Monitoring and audit arrangements
Standards defined as critical standards will be audited by SAU. Others will be monitored
through internal auditing and monitored by W&YPG.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 28/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 4
ANNEX A TO PSO 4800 WOMEN PRISONERS
GUIDANCE NOTES ON
GENDER SPECIFIC
STANDARDS
WOMEN PRISONERS
Issue No. 297
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PSO 4800
Page 5
Table of Contents:
This document is divided into 19 sections:
A
Pre-custody
B
Reception and First Night Procedures
C
Induction, Resolving Urgent Issues
D
Health: Physical Health, Mental Health, Substance Misuse
E
Offender Management, Offender Supervision, Personal Officer Schemes,
Allocation Decisions and Through the Gate Support
F
Supporting Women at Risk of Self-harm
G
Day-to-Day living:
1. Incentives and Earned Privileges
2. PE
3. Property and Clothing
4. Hygiene
5. Environment
6. Diet
7. Association Activities
8. Religion and Faith
9. Prison Shop
10. Complaints
H
Managing Order in Women’s Prisons: Promoting Pro-Social Behaviour,
Adjudications and Segregation
I
The Pathways to Resettlement - Reducing Re-offending National Action Plan
July 2004
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Accommodation
Education, training and employment
Health and Detoxification
Drugs and alcohol
Finance, benefit and debt
Children and families
Attitudes, thinking and behaviour
Supporting women who have been abused, raped or who have experienced
domestic violence
9. Supporting women who have been involved in prostitution
J
Young Women Prisoners
K
Older Women Prisoners
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
L
Women from Black and Minority Ethnic Groups
M
Women Foreign Nationals
N
Women Prisoners with Disabilities
O
Indeterminate/ Life Sentence Women Prisoners
P
Mother and Baby Units
Q
Management Issues
R
Training of Staff and Volunteers
S
Security in Women’s Prisons
Issue No. 297
Page 6
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PSO 4800
Page 7
Issue: A
PRE-CUSTODY
REFERENCE
REQUIRED
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
OUTCOMES
Women can feel isolated and distressed in court
cells and extremely anxious about what is going
to happen.
If women are held following an arrest then given
a custodial sentence, they are very likely to be
inappropriately dressed. Women should be given
the opportunity to freshen up, brush their teeth
etc prior to appearing in court, and If possible
have access to a change of clothes – if
necessary by calling a friend or family member to
arrange this.
New prisoners may be concerned that they will
have to withdraw from drugs at the prison without
medication or support. This may even encourage
them to secrete drugs.
Women may have left children with child minders
and may not have been expecting to go into
prison.
Women, often already in a state of great anxiety
frequently have to deal with abuse from male
prisoners in court cells and whilst being
transported in escort vehicles. This can be
particularly distressing if women have been
sexually abused in the past.
Delays between finishing at court and arriving at
prison exacerbate apprehension and distress.
Women often experience escort vehicles as
uncomfortable and cold. This can add to distress
particularly if they are withdrawing from drugs.
Issue No. 297
[Note: HMPS
Standards and
Prison Service
Orders (PSOs) are
available on the
Prison Service
Intranet or via the
Internet at
www.hmprisonserv
ice.gov.uk]
HMPS Standard 14:
Escorts
HMCIP: Women in
Prison 10/5/97 and
16/1/96
PSO 2700 Suicide
Prevention and
Self-Harm
Management
The mood of women who are already feeling distressed is unlikely to
be improved if located in dirty or cold court cells. They may also be
vulnerable to intimidation if located near male prisoners. The
Prisoners’ Escort and Custody Services (PECS) as part of their role
monitor the condition of court cells where prisoners are held and
report to Courts Services and through the Court Users Group
Best practice is that local prisons nominate a manager to ensure there
is up-to-date information at courts and local police stations about the
prison, which women can read. This should include information about
what they can expect on their first night in prison including availability
at the prisons of drug detoxification support and treatment, and some
basic information about how to apply for bail. Women may find it very
reassuring to know at court, what property can be taken into prisons.
Up-to-date information should be made available at court for families
as well about the receiving prison, visiting arrangements and property
that can be taken in.
If women prisoners are transported in the same vehicles as male
prisoners, great care should be taken by escorting staff to avoid their
intimidation by male prisoners. Women are likely to be on their own,
distressed and vulnerable. Women should be taken to prison as early
as possible following court hearings. This is to minimise the possibility
of distress and self-harm and allow for a reasonable settling-in period
before the prison is locked up at night.
Escort vehicles and court cells should be clean, well maintained and
the heating working. Regular toilet breaks should be available and
sanitary provision should be available in courts and on escort vehicles
and prisoners be made aware of its availability. “Gel paks” designed
for men must not be offered to women. Pregnant women and women
withdrawing from drugs will need more frequent access to the toilet.
Women’s
experience while in
court cells and while
travelling to and
from prison is
decent and serves
to reassure them
about their wellbeing and safety in
custody.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
1. Up-to-date
Information about
local women’s
prisons is available
in courts for women
and their families.
2. Maximum use is
made by prisons of
video links to enable
women to avoid
unnecessary
journeys to court.
3. Pregnant women
are not transported
in cellular vehicles
unless exceptionally
the risk has been
assessed as
acceptable by the
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 8
PECS have a responsibility to monitor and report on delivery and
contractors self-reporting system for penalties, specifying how well
women’s needs are being met by the contractor. Escort staff will
benefit from information about the specific needs of women in terms
of their likely vulnerability, likely experience of abuse and
proportionally higher risk of self-harm. They will also need knowledge
about the specific needs of pregnant women and women who may be
undergoing detoxification. There should be a female member of staff
present in cells and on escort transport when a woman prisoner is
present. Any evidence that these issues are not being dealt with
appropriately should be referred to PECS.
Women are liable to be delivered last into prison
at night if they have been on the same escort
vehicle as men, often waiting on the vehicle while
male prisoners are processed.
Courts may give priority to block booking video
link appearances of large numbers of male
prisoners, resulting in an inability of women’s
prisons to book individual women’s appearances.
A few women will have been abused using the
internet and/or cameras. This may make them
unable to participate in a video link.
prison’s healthcare
manager. Reception
staff are aware of
the rule and any
case of
unauthorised use of
cellular vans for a
pregnant woman is
reported by the
Governor to PECS.
If required to travel long distances to court, women should wherever
possible be transferred to local prisons beforehand to be produced.
Prisons should not “lock out women” into police cells except in
exceptional circumstances. Sometimes however, especially in the
case of long-distance trials, arrangements may be made to provide
proper temporary custody arrangements to avoid debilitating journeys.
This must be with the agreement of the prisoner and defence counsel.
Some women may be too embarrassed to ask for
sanitary protection particularly of male staff.
Court transfer arrangements should be made to take place in
accordance with S30 1 and 2, Courts Act 2003.This enables courts to
transfer straight-forward cases to courts closest to prison.
Court escort staff representatives should be invited to Suicide and
Self harm Prevention meetings in prisons.
If there is evidence that courts are giving priority to block booking for
video link appearances, to male prisons, resulting in an inability of
women’s prisons to book individual women’s appearances, prisons
should challenge this through PECS. Video link facilities should be
used to their maximum to reduce the need for unnecessary court
journeys.
Hazel Banks,
Head of W&YPG
‘Movement of
pregnant women’
note to Governors
and Area
Managers of 8
May 06
Issue No. 297
Pregnant women should not be transported in cellular vehicles unless,
exceptionally, the health care manager has assessed the risk to be
acceptable. Reception staff should be aware of the rule. Any case of
unauthorised use of a cellular van to transport a pregnant prisoner
must be reported by the Governor to PECS.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Issue: B
Page 9
RECEPTION AND FIRST-NIGHT
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
40-50% of women in local prisons have never
been in custody before. Twice as many women
as men are jailed for a first offence.
HMPS Standard
49: Reception
Initial needs usually relate to fears about family
i.e. childcare arrangements and drug or alcohol
withdrawal in the case of prisoners entering local
prisons. As a result of withdrawal women’s
periods may start again and be very heavy, and
women may suffer diarrhoea, dehydration and
smoking cravings. Behaviour may be erratic and
impulsive and women are at high risk of suicide
during withdrawal.
PSO 2700 Suicide
and Self Harm
Prevention
At least one 5 minute free phone call should be offered on reception
to enable women to resolve urgent family and childcare issues.
Women should be allowed to split the call where necessary to sort out
complicated childcare arrangements. Women should be told when
they will be able to have a visit and how they will be able to ring their
families when moved to a wing.
Women are often unwell on entry to local prisons
and may have injuries.
Waits in reception can add to anxiety, particularly
if women have arrived late. First night is a very
high-risk time for suicide.
Peer support by prisoners – sometimes called
“Insiders” - and “Listeners” (prisoners who are
trained by the Samaritans to provide a
confidential listening service to their peers) can
be very reassuring to prisoners. The information
the former collect however is not always
integrated into the induction process.
Women often enter custody without any basic
provisions or external support to get any.
All agencies under the terms of the Children’s
Act, have a responsibility to ensure the safety of
children and we have a duty to check whether
the woman’s dependent children are in a place
Issue No. 297
HMCIP: Women in
Prison 10/5/97 and
16/1/97
Home Office
statistics 1999
Inquests into
series of deaths at
HMP Styal Nov
2005
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Women should not be required to wait for long periods in reception.
They should be moved through the process promptly and then taken
to the First Night Centre (target 45 minutes). This is a shorter target
than the generic guidance which states the process should be
completed in 2-3 hours – DTOs 1 hr), to enable quick movement to
First Night centre (in local prisons) where the rest of the process
should continue. Additional time must be given for a longer health
care assessment, where required. Prisoners should be allowed to
discuss personal issues in privacy.
The risk of allowing prisoners to hold medication, particularly in
dormitories should be carefully assessed in individual cases because
of the risk of self-harm and theft.
Staff in reception and First Night centres should be specially selected
and well trained in how to communicate with and reassure distressed
women and those with vulnerabilities, to enable trust to develop
quickly.
Reception holding areas should contain magazines and other items
(i.e. greenery) that soften the environment and provide distractions.
The prison’s reception should be a bright, clean, pleasant
environment to enable a ‘respectful and reassuring experience’.
Women should be offered a hot drink on reception.
Notices should be simple, relevant, up to date and importantly
reassuring in content. Notices that might frighten vulnerable women
into believing they are at imminent risk of becoming the victim of
bullying, for example, are not advised. Essential information should
be fixed securely to holding room walls. Audio information should be
Women’s
experience of the
reception process
helps them to feel
safe and reassured
that they will receive
help to address any
urgent needs.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
4. Women are able
to make phone calls
to resolve urgent
family and child
care issues,
regardless of ability
to pay for the calls.
5. The reception
environment is
clean, bright and
pleasant. There is
appropriate reading
matter available.
6. Clear, reassuring
and up to date
information is
available in
reception and the
first night centre
about what will
happen to the
woman in the first
24 hours. This is
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
of safety and being cared for. Women prisoners
however may feel frightened to talk to staff about
their children’s position, fearing they may be
taken into care. Trust and a supportive
relationship with staff needs to be built up
quickly.
Women may feel very frightened of other
prisoners. There is a real risk that particularly if
known to be a drug user, other women may think
a woman is concealing drugs internally on entry
to the prison and may try through intimidation or
violence to get them from her.
Page 10
available too. Information in foreign languages or in different formats
relevant to the needs of the population should be provided.
Peer support should be provided in all prison receptions – not just in
local prisons. Peer supporters (“insiders”) should be regularly
debriefed and supported. The information they collect from prisoners
must be passed on as an integrated part of the induction process.
Women should be supplied with decent and appropriate clothing if
they have none, including a second set and a daily change of
underwear.
Staff should be available in Reception who are first-aid trained.
also available in
different formats
tailored to the needs
of the population.
7. On first reception
women receive
relevant provisions
to meet their
immediate needs
and appropriate
clean clothing if
required.
New receptions should be given a “reception pack” if they wish one,
containing items such as tea, milk, sugar, sweets, tobacco, reading
material, a radio/music player if they request one (particularly if they
have difficulties with reading), writing materials and pin phone credit.
Aids to assist prisoners to abstain from smoking should be available
(as advised by healthcare staff).
Women should be given any items required to meet essential
personal needs for their first 24 hours, including toiletries, clean
clothing and a towel. Women must have easy access to a choice of
sanitary provision. Tampons with applicators must be one of the
choices.
Women must be able to have a shower or bath if they wish, before
being locked up for the first night.
Cell sharing should be available to take account of women’s
companionship and vulnerability needs (if the cell sharing risk
assessment allows this). Note: some women may feel safer alone;
others may feel safer with other women. Where possible prisoners
should be selected to be together who are likely to be compatible.
First night prescribing in local prisons should be in place.
There should be a dedicated First Night Centre in place at all local
prisons with appropriately trained staff.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 11
Issue: C
INDUCTION, RESOLVING REFERENCE
URGENT ISSUES AND ASSESSMENT
Women may be suffering distress, frustration
and confusion following imprisonment and will
need a good deal of reassurance and support.
HMPS Standard
42: Induction
However from Jan 2006 – end June only 10% of
women on remand were given a bail information
report in comparison to 19% of their male
counterparts.
HMPS Standard
30: Legal Services
and Bail
60% of women on remand are not eventually
given a prison sentence. Bail is often refused
due to the lack of information available to the
court.
Bronzefield First
Night and
Induction packs
Women and black and minority ethnic (BME)
defendants should be targeted for bail
information as there is evidence that they are at
a disproportionate risk of custody
Eastwood Park
and Low Newton
Housing Peer
Advisors Scheme
Women may have missed the opportunity for
bail at court, not answered questions correctly,
or become too distressed to consider all the
options open to them.
‘Lacking
Conviction’
Women
Remanded to
Custody PRT 2004
If women have been receiving housing benefit to
cover rent payments it is essential that they
notify the housing benefit office of a ”change of
circumstances” i.e. that they are in prison.
Strategy and
Resource Guide
for the
Resettlement of
Women Prisoners,
Spring 2006
The Corston
Review
Issue No. 297
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
An integrated first-night and induction process is required. The
induction process should not be dropped because of other priorities –
except in emergencies. After reception, priority should be given to
assessing and stabilising any health problems including drug
dependency issues, and the woman’s risk of self-harm, and address
any urgent domestic issues. Prisoners undergoing detoxification or
unable to take part for other reasons, must not miss out on any
information provided on reception, first night centres and induction.
There needs to be a system in place to ensure they are able to catch
up later. A thorough assessment is essential to determine other
immediate needs addressing the possibility of bail, the needs of
children, family relationships, ongoing drug and alcohol issues,
ongoing health needs, accommodation, and the woman’s
benefits/debts. Well-trained peer advisers (well supported by trained
staff) can be helpful in encouraging women to take necessary action.
(See also Pathway 1 Accommodation). Information must be shared
between agencies to avoid duplication and confusion. Information
needs to be available to prisoners throughout their time in prison, as
women may not seek help at first because of language barriers, lack
of awareness and other worries. Notice boards must be up-to-date.
Women should be advised how best they can live with others within
the prison community and where they can access support. [See
Section H ‘Managing Order’]
Bail support should be provided at all local prisons and ring-fenced so
it is not dropped at busy times. This should cover providing prisoners
with a list of solicitors, helping them to understand the bail application
process and what information they might need to provide. This staff
member needs good access to prisoners but does not need to be a
unified grade. Women and BME defendants should be targeted for
bail information. Bail Information Officers should identify and refer
those receptions who might be bailed if able to benefit from the
accommodation and/or support available from the Bail and Home
Detention Curfew Accommodation and Support Service (BASS).
The Induction and
Assessment
process meets the
needs of women
prisoners.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
8. An integrated
immediate needs
assessment,
building on the
OASys report
(where available), is
completed for all
women entering
local prisons.
9. Bail information
officers are aware of
the higher risk of
remand into custody
for women and why.
Appropriate bail
advice and support
is offered to all
remanded women
and referrals are
made where
appropriate to the
BASS scheme.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
HEALTH – PHYSICAL,
MENTAL, SUBSTANCE MISUSE
Page 12
Issue: D
Physical Health
Women in custody are more generally socially
excluded, abused and unhealthy than population
norms. Their problems are often made more
profound by personal and family history, their role
as primary carers, the stress of imprisonment,
isolation and drug dependency.
85% of women prisoners smoke
23% of general adult women’s population smoke
Women are much higher users of primary care
services both prior to and whilst in custody. This
puts more pressure on resources than is the
situation in male prisons
Women who have been sexually or physically
abused by men will often only wish to be
examined by female doctors and nurses.
Women may have to terminate pregnancies while
in custody. This can be a very traumatic and
difficult experience for the woman and staff.
Mental Health
Women prisoner’s needs are particularly acute in
the areas of mental health, self-harm, substance
misuse, maternity care and sexual health. A
much higher percentage of women than men will
require psychiatric reports to be written.
A special 12 place treatment unit ‘the Primrose
Project’ has opened at Low Newton for women
who are deemed dangerous and have a severe
personality disorder.
The Democratic Therapeutic Community at HMP
Issue No. 297
REFERENCE
HMPS Standard
22: Health
Services for
Prisoners
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
There must be an effective partnership between the woman’s prison
and the PCT, which ensures that each partner fulfils their respective
functions in relation to securing and maintaining the health of their
women prisoners. Some particular gender specific needs are:
PSO Governors’
responsibilities for
prisoners’ health
and health services

‘Women at Risk’
Care Services
Improvement
Partnership
Jan 2006

‘Mainstreaming
Gender
and Women’s
Mental Health
DOH Sept 2003
‘The Health of
Women
in Prison’ Oxford
University
published Nov 06
‘Mainstreaming
Gender and
Women’s Mental
Health
DOH Sept 2003
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES





Mental health and dual diagnosis training should be available
for all staff working with women prisoners
Women entering local prisons should as necessary be located
from reception into a dedicated detoxification wing which
should be well decorated and cheerful
Induction processes should commence once the woman is
ready. For many this will be after the detoxification process is
complete
Ongoing opiate substitute prescribing programmes should be
in place
Where appropriate and with the agreement of prisoners,
families should be involved in plans to support the prisoner
If for any reason a woman undergoing detoxification is located
other than in the stabilisation unit or healthcare centre, the
healthcare must meet the same criteria as if she were located
in a substance misuse or healthcare unit i.e. unrestricted
observation and a nurse based on the unit 24 hours a day
ante-natal and post-natal services include specific provision
for pregnant drug users should be available
Women in prison
are able to access
health services and
substance misuse
services that meet
their gender specific
needs.
(Audit baselines are
contained within
other HMPS
Standards)
Note: to meet local, regional, pan regional and national need some
prisons will be required to provide specialist resources such as
accredited programmes or health care beds.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Send offers 40 places for women with a range of
psychological problems
BME women and foreign nationals are more likely
to experience isolation in custody leading to
increased levels of depression but may be less
likely to seek help from health care staff.
Learning Disability
About 8% of the female prison population have
an IQ below 70, and around 15% have an IQ
below 75.
Substance Misuse
There are strong links between many women’s
substance misuse and previous experience of
trauma - often sexual abuse in childhood. There
is a strong correlation between drug or alcohol
misuse, previous abuse and self-harm. We know
that many women “self-medicate” to try to forget.
Data from Holloway between 1998 – 2003
demonstrated 60% of all new Receptions into
prison required clinical detoxification. Women
were typically using between 6-9 substances at
the time of arrest with 50% of those treated also
reporting alcohol dependency. 75% of these
women were injecting drug users. Of the
remaining 40% of women not admitted for a
clinical intervention, half were also found to be
misusing substances. It can be concluded that at
least 75% of women entering Holloway were
misusing substances at the time of arrest.
There has been significant progress in
introducing a consistent approach to drug and
alcohol detoxification across women’s prisons in
England. This includes access to opiate
substitute maintenance regimes for most short
term and remand women, where appropriate.
Issue No. 297
Page 13
The National
Framework
For Mental Health’
DOH
National Strategy
Positive Practice:
Positive
Outcomes: A
Handbook for
Professionals in
the Criminal
Justice System
working with
Offenders with
Learning
Disabilities, CSIP,
2007
‘The Health of
Women in Prison’
Oxford University
published Nov 06
PSO 3550 Clinical
services for
substance
misusers
Women's Prisons
Substance Misuse
transfer policy
(Offender Health)
“Clinical
Management of
Drug Dependence
in the Adult Prison
Setting” - DH 2006
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 14
Issue: E
OFFENDER MANAGEMENT,
OFFENDER SUPERVISION,
PERSONAL OFFICER SCHEMES,
ALLOCATION DECISIONS and
THROUGH THE GATE SUPPORT
The needs of many women offenders are
complex and need to be met in a holistic and
integrated way by agencies.
The distance many women may be held away
from their homes will make attendance at case
conferences difficult for many Offender
Managers. Note: There are currently no
women’s prisons in Wales.
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
HMPS Standard
57: Sentence
Management and
Planning using
OAsys
Women prisoners should be held as close to their home and family as
possible unless they are intending to resettle in a different area.
Foreign Nationals will normally be transferred to one of the prison
services’ specialist centres, but this should not be an automatic
decision – there may be more important reasons why they should go
elsewhere. Wherever possible women serving long sentences (i.e.
over 3 years) should be transferred back closer to home (or to a new
area if appropriate), before release to take advantage of resettlement
opportunities.
Revolving Door’s
link Worker
Schemes
There will be potential conflict too, between the
need to locate a woman at a prison with relevant
interventions, and the need to locate her as near
as possible to her family.
‘Connections’
programme West
Midlands
Women are likely to lean on staff heavily at least
at first, to help to cope with feelings of isolation
from family. They can become very dependent
on staff.
Exodus holistic
caseworker
support HMP
Holloway
Women will often look to others to share
problems and support them. Therefore individual
support, mentoring (by trained mentors), peer
support, and advocacy “through the gate” will
play a critical part in the ex-prisoners successful
resettlement into the community.
HMCIP: ‘the
Responsible
Prisoner’
1/11/2001
The voluntary and community sector can and do
provide an enormous range of support for
women in prisons, which would not be available
without their contribution.
Issue No. 297
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Offender Managers need to forge face-to-face relationships with
women. Relationships should be established as soon as possible to
build up trust. Maximum use should be made of video links to
facilitate offender management. Realistic sentence plans should be
put in place for each woman. Wherever possible, and appropriate,
families should be involved in setting targets.
Personal officers will be required to provide a good deal of emotional
support to women. They will need to be able to listen to women for
long periods of time, particularly women with vulnerabilities and know
how to support them, while encouraging them to take personal
responsibility. Staff should endeavour to encourage women to
become more independent as time passes. Offender management
should not be resourced at the expense of necessary ongoing
personal officer support necessary to help women cope with daily life.
Offender Managers and prison staff should value and work in
conjunction with the Community and Voluntary sector. Ideally
support ‘at the gate’ when the woman is released should be provided.
Accompanied transport to a safe environment where initial needs can
be met is the ideal.
Offender
management
arrangements are in
place which meet
the gender specific
needs of the women
prisoners held.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
10. Women serving
long sentences are
transferred where
appropriate closer
to home (or to a
new area if
appropriate) before
release.
11. A personal
officer scheme
exists to facilitate
the high levels of
support that many
women will need to
help them cope with
daily life in prison,
as well as to
support Offender
Management.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 15
Issue: F
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
SUPPORTING WOMEN AT RISK OF
SELF-HARM
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
Research shows that over a half of self-harm
incidents in prisons nationally are carried out by
women, yet women account for only 6% of the
prison population.
PSO 2700 and
HMPS Standard
60: Suicide and
Self-harm
Prevention
All staff and volunteers working with women prisoners should receive
training to understand why women may self-harm and how best to
respond. They should be supported by professional welfare services,
as they deal with this often upsetting and very difficult area of their
work.
Self-harm by
women is
understood and
managed well within
the establishment.
PSO 2700
contains specific
guidance about
supporting women
prisoners
Women who self-harm should be offered interventions that are
responsive to their individual needs, and that form part of a realistic,
multi-disciplinary care plan. Interventions should include advice on
harm-minimisation. They should include in-cell activities and regular
access to education and therapeutic activities. Specific interventions
which may reduce self-harm, should be provided, such as DBT
(Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) at Holloway, the “Carousel” reduction
of self-harm programme at Eastwood Park and the Holloway Day
Centre.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
Many women prisoners enter custody already
struggling to cope with a wide range of difficult
issues including drug misuse, a history of abuse,
mental health problems and family background
problems. These have all been identified as
significant risk factors for suicide and self-harm.
There are a variety of useful approaches to help
women who self-harm but these must be
appropriate and well managed.
Some women may be unwilling to seek
counselling if they are required to refer
themselves through mental health services
because they do not want to be seen as
“mentally ill”.
Some women will frequently and seriously selfharm, and actively fight staff when they
intervene.
The ACCT system
(Assessment, Care
in Custody and
Teamwork)
introduced in 2005
helps staff identify
and care for
prisoners at risk of
suicide or selfharm
“The Pain Inside”
Bristol Crisis
Services for
Women
“Understanding
Self-harm” pack –
Safer Custody Unit
site on prison
service intranet
Issue No. 297
Wherever possible women should be out of their rooms/cells. Where
they have to be locked up they must have access to activities that can
help to distract them from their problems. These activities can be
simple craft-based activities such as cross-stitch or knitting. Women
may find it difficult to organise activities themselves and will need staff
to be prepared to actively instigate things for them to do. It is
particularly crucial that staff interact with prisoners - particularly those
with vulnerabilities – and not just observe them.
Listeners should be able to visit women who request this service in all
areas of the prison, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and women should
be able to contact the Samaritans at any time.
Counselling should be advertised as available particularly for women
who have suffered abuse or domestic violence or who have suffered
bereavement. Note: Only appropriately trained and supervised
counsellors should be used. (See reference) Information and advice
12. Staff working
with women
prisoners
understand how to
manage women’s
self-harm including
how women can be
encouraged to use
alternative coping
methods.
13. A regime is
provided which
keeps women busy,
particularly those
with vulnerabilities
and offers specific
interventions which
are likely to
contribute to a
reduction in selfharm.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 16
on sources of help should be readily available.
Offender Health
“Good Practice
Guide”
“Supporting
Women in Custody
who have been
Affected by
Violence”
Guidelines for staff
W&YPG
January 2008
The Corston
Report March
2006
Samaritan facilitated “Listener” peer support can be very helpful if well
managed (only for over 17s). Peer support “self-help” groups for
women who self-harm are generally not advised because of negative
outcomes that sometimes have arisen around issues such as
confidentiality. Safer Custody Group are able to offer advice if it is
proposed to set up such a self-help group in a prison.
Women who self-harm should not automatically be excluded from
Offending Behaviour or other Programmes, as these can assist with
coping strategies.
Wherever possible, and appropriate, families should be involved in the
support of the prisoner. Family contact staff or volunteers should be
available to help women and their families support each other.
At times of crisis when prisoners are violently attempting to self-harm
it may be necessary to briefly remove the articles that are being used
or take other measures to preserve life – such as the imposition of
“constant observations” (often called “constant watches”). Every effort
should be made to normalise the conditions as soon as possible,
reintegrating the woman into the prison community.
Cells which have camera surveillance, can be useful for short periods
but should not be a substitute for personal interaction.
The care of animals such as budgies can be very comforting to
women at risk of self-harm.
Managing self-harm in women’s prisons because of large numbers of
incidents, can be extremely time-consuming and resource-intensive
and the effect on the rest of the regime should be monitored.
Prisons should access support from PCT specialist self-harm groups
in the community.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 17
Issue: G
DAY-TO-DAY LIVING : 1.
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
HMPS Standard
25: Incentives and
Earned Privileges
Children should not be penalised from visiting or contacting their
mother because of the mother’s behaviour. The number of visits by
children should not be restricted in order to serve the needs of an
incentives scheme. Incentives schemes therefore should never be
linked to access to family visits.
The daily regime of
the establishment
provides for the
gender specific
needs of women
prisoners.
Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP)
Women are more likely to be attracted by
incentives that offer closer contact with their
family and friends such as longer and more
frequent visits. However, losing a parent to
imprisonment is often an extremely damaging
life event for a child and it is one of the
international rights of the child that they are able
to keep contact with their parent unless it is not
in the child’s best interest.
On average women use the telephone more
often to maintain relationships and contact with
children. Women often try to continue managing
family issues and problems from within prison,
although this is obviously very difficult.
In the case of Foreign Nationals in particular,
opportunities to earn money to send home to
dependent families are usually the woman’s
highest priority.
The 1989 UN
Convention on the
Rights of the Child
states that
“Children should
not be separated
from their parents
except in their best
interest; that both
parents should
have responsibility
for their child; and
that the best
interests of the
child ‘shall be a
primary
consideration’ “
A Strategy for
Family and
Parental Support in
Women’s Prisons,
October 2005
Establishments should identify ways of introducing IEP schemes with
the identified needs of women prisoners in mind.
Incentives which may be of particular interest to women include:
-
group activities
community living
personal furnishings i.e. duvets, cushions, lighting, rugs
additional toiletries, spa products, hair equipment, clothing,
costume jewellery
electrical goods i.e. sandwich makers, DVDs, toasters, games,
kettles etc
plants
KEY AUDIT
BASELINE
14. An incentives
scheme is in place
that meets the
gender specific
needs of the
particular women’s
population.
Timescales to be able to achieve targets, particularly for women with
mental health problems or other vulnerabilities, should be short.
Access to toiletries or hair care products are more necessary to some
women (i.e. from particular BME groups) and should not be restricted
dependent on the woman’s IEP status
PSO 4000
Incentives
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 18
Issue: G
DAY-TO-DAY LIVING : 2.- PE
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Improving physical health can lead to
improvements in self-esteem and mental health.
HMPS Standard
38: PE
There is a difficulty engaging many women into
sporting activities (inside and outside prisons).
Body image is a very sensitive issue for many
women. Few girls too, are likely to continue with
competitive sport after school.
HMP Styal’s OCN
accredited
programme for
women undergoing
detoxification
which covers
exercise, healthy
eating, managing
stress, through
yoga, meditation
and acupuncture
The use of the gymnasium should be promoted to meet the needs of
women - improving health and fitness, weight management and
provide opportunity to create social activities with other women.
These activities should be integrated with other functions in the
prison.
The daily regime of
the establishment
provides for the
particular gender
specific needs of
women prisoners.
Women may be happier to join in if they are able
to take part in activities with women of similar
fitness.
Vision at some prisons is to create a ‘community
leisure centre.’
Programmes that link in PE with learning and
skills and other activities like health promotion
can work well.
There is a need for PE staff working with women
to be trained in motivating and engaging
women, as well as to understand the particular
types of activities likely to be popular.
Issue No. 297
www.whatworksfor
women.org.uk
New Hall’s PE
programme
focuses on small
group needs
Team building exercises, yoga, aerobics, and step activities are
particularly popular.
PE staff need to actively “sell” physical exercise to women, many of
whom have rarely experienced it. PE staff in the community have
been successful at increasing physical activity among women by
addressing barriers such as age, body consciousness and lack of
confidence. (See web reference for examples). Women from the
same cultural group may appreciate the opportunity to exercise
together (see BME section L).
Women with vulnerabilities may be persuaded to attend the gym if
they can be in a class of their own.
Prisons should regularly survey the needs of prisoners and focus on
the needs of groups with particular vulnerabilities.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINE
15. The prison
provides physical
activities that meet
the needs of their
women prisoners –
aiming to improve
health and fitness,
self-esteem and
providing
opportunities for
positive social
interaction with
other women.
PE staff should be able to access skills training to work with women,
including training on appropriate exercise for pregnant and postnatal
women.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 19
Issue: G
DAY-TO-DAY LIVING : 3.
Property and Clothing
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Most male prisoners wear prison issue clothing
and exchange dirty for clean from the prison
laundry.
HMPS Standard
45: Prisoners’
Property
Women should be allowed to wear their own clothing.
The daily regime of
the establishment
provides for the
particular gender
specific needs of
women prisoners.
Women do not wear uniform and have not for
many years. It is generally recognised that part
of the rehabilitation for many women prisoners
involves the ability to maintain and raise selfesteem. Self-esteem is linked for many women
with personal appearance. Many women will
want to have regular changes of clothing, to
have varied clothing, to use make up and dress
their hair.
This means that women need greater amount of
clothing than men and thus will need access to
more property – including toiletries - particularly
lifers and women serving long sentences.
Women should be supplied with at least two changes of reasonable
quality clothing if they have no money to buy it.
Women who are likely to remain in the prison for longer than a few
days, should have at least 5 sets of underwear and 2 changes of
outer wear.
Establishments should hold a wide range of different size underwear.
Women can have as many toiletries as they wish within volumetric
limits.
Women will want to lend each other clothes; however this can be an
easy opportunity for bullying. Local rules on this practice must be
clear.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINE
16. Women are
allowed to wear
their own clothing
and are provided
with suitable
clothing if they do
not have their own.
Many women prisoners however will enter
prison with nothing and have little or no access
to outside money or clothing.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 20
Issue: G
DAY-TO-DAY LIVING : 4.
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
HMPS Standard
24: Hygiene
Women should ideally have a shower in their rooms. If this is not
possible they should be able to have a shower or bath daily. Baths
should be available as well as showers. Bathing is found by many
women to be relaxing and help ease pain.
The daily regime of
the establishment
provides for the
Particular gender
specific needs of
women prisoners.
Hygiene and Personal Care
Women’s self esteem may be affected by
whether they can keep themselves, their
surroundings and their belongings clean and in
good order.
Women may enter prison ill and/or undergoing
detoxification. They may have mental health
problems. Some women may have lost the
ability to take care of themselves in terms of
personal hygiene. This may cause particular
problems for women who are menstruating.
Poor personal hygiene and lack of motivation
i.e. in getting out of bed, may be a symptom of
an underlying depressive illness.
Bedding, mattresses and towels may easily
become soiled. They must not be reissued to
other prisoners until cleaned or replaced.
Women are unlikely to allow others to wash their
underwear.
Issue No. 297
The Corston
Report March
2007
Women should be provided on a regular basis with the following:
Clean bedding – and if soiled exchanged immediately
Regular haircuts (and hairdressing wherever possible)
Safety razors or depilatory cream upon request
A choice of sanitary products (including tampons in applicators)
KEY AUDIT
BASELINE
Women should be able to change their bedding at least weekly and
immediately if soiled.
There should be clean mattresses in every cell. Soiled mattresses
should be disposed if they cannot be cleaned.
17. Women are
provided with the
necessary means
and provisions to
maintain their own
hygiene and
personal care.
Women should be able to wash, dry and repair their own clothes.
Women must be able to wash underwear in sinks that are not used for
crockery washing or body washing.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 21
Issue: G
DAY-TO-DAY LIVING : 5.
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
HMPS Standard 1:
Environment (for
the Confinement of
Prisoners)
The environment should be a bright, light, airy and as “homelike” as
possible
The daily regime of
the establishment
provides for the
particular gender
specific needs of
women prisoners.
Environment
The environment can significantly alter women
prisoners’ moods for better or worse. Women
offenders are likely to feel worse if located in an
austere, claustrophobic, clinical, or cold
environment.
Safer Custody Unit
It is important that women who are suffering a
crisis needing special supervision or location,
are returned to as normal an environment as
possible, as quickly as possible.
‘Care, Custody
and Carpets’
:Howard League
2006
The Corston
Report March
2007
The environment should be designed with the needs of the women in
mind. In closed prisons in particular the design should allow for the
possibility of self-harm, arson and even “dirty protest”. However the
overall aim should be to keep the environment generally as pleasant
and cheerful as possible.
Ideally there should be a mix of single and double accommodation in
the main living areas to allow women to share if they wish to do so.
Dormitories for women should be avoided – particularly for women
with vulnerabilities and/or drug issues.
There should be full specification “Listener suites” in closed prisons.
Cells in which women are undergoing detoxification, cells in Care and
Separation (sometimes called “Segregation”) units, and any cells in
closed prisons where women are located for short periods when they
are highly and actively suicidal should be of “safer cell” specification.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINE
18. The prison
‘physical
environment is
conducive to
women prisoners’
health and well being.
Cells in Care and Separation units and cells in which women will be
undergoing detoxification should have hatches which can be safely
left down to enable less restricted communication with staff and better
observation. Talking to a prisoner through a hatch however, should
never be a substitute for allowing the prisoner out of her cell whenever
possible.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 22
Issue: G
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Most women prefer and need a lower
carbohydrate diet then men and that this should
be reflected in the menus.
HMPS Standard 4:
Catering and Food
Safety
Many women prisoners however, enter prison
with a history of drug misuse and are very under
weight. They will need nutritious food to build
them up.
HMCIP: Women in
Prison 10/5/97 and
16/1/96
Diet is such an important feature of life for women that catering
providers should hold regular consultations with the prisoners. The
dietary requirements of different women should be met i.e. foreign
nationals, women with religious requirements, elderly women, women
from BME groups, pregnant women, nursing mothers. Caterers
should receive appropriate training if necessary. The group of kitchen
workers should be representative of the prisoner population.
The daily regime of
the establishment
provides for the
gender specific
needs of women
prisoners.
DAY-TO-DAY LIVING : 6.
Diet
Many women who are undergoing detoxification
crave sweet things and provision of items like
hot chocolate can be comforting at this stage
Certain groups of women will need to eat
enough of or avoid certain foods – such as
pregnant women or nursing mothers.
Some women will enter prison with, or develop
eating disorders.
Women should be given the opportunity to take their meals in
association with other prisoners, perhaps in small groups to meet the
sense of community often desired by women prisoners. Staff should
be aware however that some women will be too afraid of other
prisoners to eat in association – at least at first.
Women should be encouraged to learn about healthy food and how to
cook it. This can be particularly beneficial for mothers in their role as
primary carers of children. Women, particularly in training prisons,
should be offered the opportunity to learn how to prepare healthy
family meals linked to budgetary skills.
Healthcare, catering staff and wing staff must work together to meet
the needs of women prisoners who have eating disorders.
Issue No. 297
KEY AUDIT
BASELINE
19. Women
prisoners, apart
from any
segregated, have
the chance to dine
communally.
(Other audit
baselines are
contained within
other HMPS
Standards)
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 23
Issue: G
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
The importance of association activities in
involving women – particularly those with
vulnerabilities - in community life should not be
underestimated. Women interested in activities
are more likely to be distracted briefly from their
problems, happier and less likely to self-harm.
Women’s views should be sought at least 2 x times a year to
determine what activities they would enjoy during association periods.
The daily regime of
the establishment
provides for the
particular gender
specific needs of
women prisoners.
Many women will need activities to do in their
cells other than watching television, such as
crafts such as knitting or cross stitch. Popular
activities for others – particularly younger
women are community activities such as Bingo,
Karaoke and video evenings. Women usually
greatly appreciate staff organising activities for
them.
Karaoke, Bingo, Quizzes
Electronic games, PC games, personal DVD players,
In cell hobbies (music, craft, painting, drawing)
DAY-TO-DAY LIVING : 7.
REFERENCE
Association Activities
Younger prisoners will tend to need more
supervision and organisation in their leisure
time.
Issue No. 297
Equipment and games should be available and well maintained.
Particularly popular activities with women have proven to be:
KEY AUDIT
BASELINE
Women usually really appreciate staff organising activities for them
and may need a good deal of encouragement to get them to organise
their own. Women can be given official “roles” as wing
representatives with a brief to organise regular activities for their
peers.
It is a key part of a prison officer’s role in a woman’s prison to ensure
women use their activity time constructively. Staff should be expected
to play an active role in helping women use their free time positively
and trained how to do so if necessary.
20. Association
activities are
designed and
available to meet
the needs of women
prisoners –
particularly those
with vulnerabilities.
Issue date 30/04/08
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Page 24
Issue: G
DAY-TO-DAY LIVING : 8.
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
HMPS Standard
51: Religion
Prisons should ensure that the religious needs of the prisoners are
met and built into the core day regimes, for example, Friday prayers
for Muslim women prisoners.
The daily regime of
the establishment
provides for the
particular gender
specific needs of
women prisoners.
Religion and Faith
Practicing ones own faith in prisons is a right.
Women, particularly from minority ethnic
backgrounds, appear more inclined to turn to
faith and the spiritual search than men.
Women will often want to make contact with other women of their faith
outside for support in prison and on release.
Even within faiths
however, there are many different strands of belief and practice and
often different languages are spoken. It is important that prisons
develop contacts with a wide range of faith representatives so that the
needs of their women can best be met.
Women from minority ethnic groups often report
that practicing one’s faith helps meet their need
to share with others similar cultural experiences.
Women from some ethnic minority backgrounds
report that is much easier to relate to a woman
service provider, than a man.
Women say they find it useful for rehabilitation
purposes, to engage with groups of people
visiting the prison from similar cultural
backgrounds. This helps them to re-engage
with the network they will rejoin once they leave
the prison. This may be particularly important for
women who feel they have brought shame on
their family.
The wearing of bangles is a requirement for
practicing Sikhs but not for other religions.
However they do represent a symbolic value
similar to a wedding ring in many eastern
cultures.
Issue No. 297
Southall Drug and
Alcohol Action
Programme
(DAAP)
Many women’s religious observances are associated with providing
hospitality in the home. This should be facilitated wherever possible –
particularly on feast days, i.e. by women from relevant cultural groups
preparing food for others to mark a feast day.
Women who have cultural or religious reasons to wear wedding
bangles should be allowed to do so.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINE
21. The prison
recognises the
wider benefits of
establishing cultural
and religious
networks for women
and facilitates
contact.
(See also section L Women from Black and Minority Ethnic groups)
22. Where
appropriate, women
are allowed to wear
wedding bangles.
Issue date 30/04/08
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Page 25
Issue: G
DAY-TO-DAY LIVING : 9
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
HMPS Standard
40: Prison Shop
Establishments should consider the needs of all their population
regularly and ensure that they locally stock a wide range of
appropriate products from the national list.
The daily regime of
the establishment
provides for the
particular gender
specific needs of
women prisoners.
Prison Shop
Women will generally need to purchase a wide
range of toiletries, make-up and hair brushes
etc. The ability to look after her personal
appearance will be critical to many women’s
self-esteem. Women from BME groups will
have specific needs. (See Section L)
Prisons should particularly ensure the needs of women from BME
groups are being met in this area (see section L)
KEY AUDIT
BASELINE
23. Goods that
women prisoners
can purchase
through prisoner
retail (canteen)
must be reviewed
on a regular basis to
ensure that the
needs of the current
women’s population
are met.
Issue No. 297
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PSO 4800
Page 26
Issue: G
DAY-TO-DAY LIVING : 10
Complaints
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Women prisoners complain through formal
means, such as the Complaints system or by
writing to the Ombudsman much less frequently
than male prisoners, and women foreign
nationals complain formally hardly at all.
HMPS Standard 6:
Complaints
Procedure
Staff should clearly explain the independence of the Ombudsman to
women, and explain the Complaints system is there to be used if
problems cannot be resolved informally. Information should be
provided to prisoners in relevant languages.
The daily regime of
the establishment
provides for the
particular gender
specific needs of
women prisoners.
Women prisoners tend to want to resolve issues
informally and quickly with staff they know. It is
also likely that some women foreign nationals
are concerned that there may be negative
repercussions for their immigration status if they
complain formally.
Issue No. 297
The lack of formal complaints should not be taken as an indication
that something is working well. Other means of obtaining feedback,
such as anonymous exit surveys, should be put into place.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINE
24. Staff and
managers are
aware that women
prisoners are
unlikely to make
formal complaints
and seek other
means of feedback.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 27
Issue: H
MANAGING ORDER IN WOMEN’S
PRISONS: PROMOTING PRO-SOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR, MANAGING CONFLICT,
ADJUDICATIONS, SEGREGATION
Tension and violence is likely to occur because
of slightly different reasons among women
prisoners to men. Disputes that potentially lead
to violence are often around drug issues, but
catalysts often include rumour spreading and
accusing peers of theft or other unwanted
behaviour, and arguments about personal
relationships.
Women sometimes form intense emotional
relationships with other women in prison, which
can be difficult to manage for them, their peers
and staff.
Women can become particularly anxious when
required to break from personal relationships,
i.e. when transferring.
Bullying by women presents differently to
bullying by men. Although violence may form
part of the bullying it is more likely to be subtler.
Verbal aggression, withdrawal of emotional
support, exclusion from activities and
conversations and exploitation of weaker
women sometimes occurs.
Re-victimisation of women can occur when
experiences of outside abuse are echoed in
prison.
Women prisoners are charged with offences
against discipline at significantly higher rates
Issue No. 297
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
HMPS Standard 2:
Adjudications
Prisoners on induction should be advised of how to best they can live
co-operatively with others within the prison community in terms of
looking after their belongings, their environment and their personal
care, what may constitute bullying and how to be sensitive to other
people’s needs and differences. Note: Tensions can arise over
cultural differences in speech and behaviour.
Order in women’s
prisons is managed
in an informed way
with preventative
actions taken to promote pro-social
behaviour wherever
possible.
HMPS Standard
53: Violence
Reduction
HMPS Standard
55: Segregation of
Prisoners
HMPS Standard
61: Use of Force
Home office
studies 2002
HMP Downview’s
“First Timer’s”
Course
Note to Governors
from Hazel Banks
“Segregation of
women undergoing
detoxification” 25
January 2007
“Keeping the
Peace”
Kimmett Edgar
Prison Service
The prison should have a Violence Reduction Strategy that addresses
the different ways tension and conflict arise within the women’s
population. This should include tools to promote pro-social behaviour
and prevent anti-social behaviour such as mediation techniques.
Response to incidents should be consistent and aimed at deescalating conflict.
Staff and managers should be appropriately trained and supported to
understand why and how women may act anti-socially and how to
manage and de-escalate conflict without resorting to formal
disciplinary processes. The use of formal disciplinary action should
only be used as a last resort.
Staff should understand how to recognise and manage bullying and
other damaging and violent behaviour by women prisoners.
Aids to assist prisoners to abstain from smoking should be available
including as an alternative to a reception pack.
The prison should have a sensitive, well-understood and enforceable
decency policy.
Help for prisoners in managing personal relationships should be
available. This is often provided as part of accredited programmes.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINE
25. Prisoners on
induction are
advised how best
they can live cooperatively with
others within the
prison community.
26. Staff understand
how to promote
positive
relationships and
recognise
and manage
bullying and other
damaging and
violent behaviour
by women
prisoners.
Women prisoners can be very helpful in helping their peers
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
than men.
It is unclear why this is. It is not true that women
generally behave more anti-socially than men –
indeed women prisoners usually are very
supportive to their peers. It may be that staff in
women’s prisons are less likely to use informal
rather than formal ways of managing anti-social
behaviour. It may be that staff in male prisons
tolerate a higher level of “minor” anti-social
behaviour.
Page 28
Journal, Leyhill,
England, No 151,
January 2004.
understand each other’s issues and cope with imprisonment. There
should be prisoner representatives on all regime committees and their
views should be given careful consideration by management.
The segregation of women should be avoided wherever possible.
When used it should be for as short as time as possible.
Except where there are particular security grounds women should be
told well in advance when they are likely to transfer so they can
prepare their families and friends inside and out of the prison.
It has also been suggested that women
prisoners are less likely to obey instructions
instantly as they have a much greater need than
men to receive reasons and reassurances for
decisions made. This could lead to conflict if it
is unexpected or there is not time to explain.
Women who are undergoing detoxification should not be segregated
unless all other options have been tried. The risk of self-inflicted
death is significantly higher if the woman is segregated. If women
who are undergoing detoxification have to be segregated other
measures to reduce the possibility of self-harm should be put in place.
The same care should be given to women undergoing detoxification,
including 24-hour supervision by health care staff, wherever they are
located.
Women with mental health problems are more
likely to demonstrate behaviours that may lead
to disciplinary action. Women with evidence of
anti social or other personality disorders are 3
times more likely to be punished with cellular
confinement.
Staff should consult mental healthcare staff about the cause of antisocial behaviour and its relationship to the woman’s mental health,
and the potential impacts on her mental health of any disciplinary
action proposed.
Women with drug and alcohol problems are also
frequently charged with disciplinary offences.
Women who have committed suicide in recent
years have been more likely to be located in
segregation/care and support units than on
“normal” location. These have often been
women detoxing from drugs and/or have mental
health problems. Women segregated from their
peers on “normal location” also account for a
disproportionate number of self-inflicted deaths.
Issue No. 297
In individual cases care should be taken not to issue punishments,
which deprive an already vulnerable woman of the activities, social
support or tobacco that she needs to cope.
Other interventions – particularly for women with mental health
problems should always be tried before segregation.
Women with mental health problems and/or at risk of self-harm should
only be segregated if no other option to keep her safe exists (including
safe from other prisoners) and all other reasonable methods have
been tried.
Managers should monitor the rate of disciplinary charges in different
areas and whether they are disproportional and take appropriate
action.
27. There is a
sensitive,
appropriate, lawful
and enforceable
decency policy in
place.
28. Staff understand
how to promote prosocial behaviour
and manage conflict
among women
prisoners.
29. Segregated
women including
women placed on
“Constant
Observations” are
provided with an
appropriate and
individualised
regime.
30. A women
prisoner, who has
mental health
problems, is at risk
of self-harm, or has
other vulnerabilities,
is only segregated if
no other option at
that time to keep
her, or others, safe
exists.
31. Women are not
segregated while
undergoing
detoxification except
in exceptional
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 29
Prisoners should not be punished for self-harm behaviour except
where they have compromised the safety of others.
Women who need “time out” to calm down should be encouraged to
communicate this to staff and appropriate facilities short of
segregation should be made available. Staff should be pro-active in
recognising the need for “time out” to prevent the prisoner acting in an
anti-social way in order to achieve seclusion. An example of “time
out” might be allowing a prisoner at her own request to remain in her
room during a dining period. NB this should not constitute
“segregation” by another name. If a woman is segregated – even if at
her own request and whether or not she is segregated in or out of a
segregation unit - all the official authorities must still be sought and
any relevant safeguards put into place.
circumstances
and with additional
safeguards put into
place.
Each closed prison should have a small, residential unit, designed
and resourced to provide special care for women with complex needs
who do not meet criteria for location in a healthcare centre. This
should be separate from any unit in which prisoners serve
punishments.
Only where there is a full regime should this be considered “normal
location”. i.e. where association is less or dependent upon risk or
presenting this must be considered “segregation”. All women
segregated should be subject to the same assessments, reviews and
safeguards as those segregated in designated Segregation Units.
Segregated women should be provided with an appropriate,
individualised regime, based on individual risk assessments. Access
to communal facilities, and regime activities should be put in place
with a phased return to the wing whenever possible.
Where an individual risk assessment precludes participation in group
activity, in-cell activities should be provided.
Women with the most complex needs should be subject to regular
multi-disciplinary reviews.
Regimes for those women subject to constant observations should be
individually tailored and specified in care plans.
Each closed prison should have a crisis suite to facilitate Listening.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 30
Issue: I
PATHWAYS TO RESETTLEMENT : 1)
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Accommodation
60% of women prisoners do not have homes to
go to on release. Most women prisoners say
the need to keep or find a safe and secure home
is their number one priority. When men enter
prison, partners and children tend to remain in
the family home. Women have usually been the
sole adult and lose their homes.
Many women prisoners also lose their homes
on imprisonment, often through:
 a lack of information re-housing law/rules
 a lack of understanding of their rights whilst
in custody
 reluctance to surrender tenancy even when
doing so will avoid a build up of rent arrears and
exclusion from housing lists
Women can find themselves in a ‘catch 22’
situation when on release they cannot get their
children returned from Care because they have
no housing but they cannot get themselves on
the priority list for housing, as they have no
children living with them.
“Settled” accommodation for women means
“safe, suitable and likely to last”. Many women
will have escaped from situations of domestic
violence. Many with previous drug problems will
wish to be held in accommodation where they
are protected from undue influence by drug
users. “Suitable accommodation” will often
mean housing that is suitable for their children to
visit, or return to live with them. Therefore most
women will wish to live in women only
accommodation.
Issue No. 297
HMPS Standard
52: Resettlement
Urgent action needs to be taken following reception in many cases
(see Section C).
HMPS Standard 1:
Accommodation
Housing advice must be linked to local councils and housing
providers.
‘Strategy and
Resource Guide
for the
Resettlement of
Women Prisoners’
W&YPG, Spring
2006
Many women will have long-standing, complex housing problems and
will need considerable help if they are to establish somewhere stable
to live on release.
Custody to Work
Unit 2003
Agreements should be sought with local authorities guaranteeing
accommodation for those closing their tenancy quickly following
sentence.
Trained peer advisers can be helpful in encouraging women to seek
help but they must be well supported by trained prison or voluntary
sector staff.
The different
resettlement needs
of women are
understood and
addressed.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
(Audit baselines are
contained within
other HMPS
Standards)
All prisoners should be interviewed about their accommodation
situation and accommodation services should be promoted
throughout the prison.
Voluntary sector services can often provide advocacy and support
services that can assist in locating safe and suitable accommodation.
(See also Section C. – Induction, Resolving Urgent Issues and
Assessment).
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 31
Issue: I
PATHWAYS TO RESETTLEMENT: 2)
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
Education, Training and Employment
(ETE)
47% of women offenders have no educational
qualifications. More than 25% claim never to
have had a paid job before custody. 33% of
sentenced women offenders have been
excluded from school (against 2% of general
population)
Most women will want to get a job. However,
there is a limit to the numbers likely to go
directly into the labour market, training or
education given many will have responsibilities
as primary carers, and other factors such as
histories of drug misuse, lack of stable
accommodation, and women’s needs to work on
rebuilding personal relationships.
Women will often prefer to learn skills that are
also useful for them in the home – particularly
when they are single parents. Opportunities to
take part in family learning schemes can prove
very popular.
Women offenders tend to behave differently to
male offenders in the work and classroom
environment. If they have worries about other
matters - particularly family - they may need to
talk through these issues with staff, and their
peers before they can concentrate.
Many women and staff see developing
confidence and self-esteem as a major benefit
from women’s engagement with learning and
skills.
Issue No. 297
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
HMPS Standard
50: Regimes
Custody to Work
Unit 2003
Strategy and
Resource Guide
for the
Resettlement of
Women Prisoners,
Spring 2006
Maximizing the
benefits of OLASS
for female
Offenders: an
evaluation of the
issues” Dr
Elizabeth Walker,
Helen Deane &
Geraldine
Pettersson, 2006
Next Steps
Implementation
Team
Offenders
Learning and Skills
Unit
Education, work and training should provide an integrated service to
the prisoner based on her needs. Governors should ensure that
during contract negotiations women’s particular ETE needs are
recognised.
There should be an emphasis on learning for life, key skills acquired
across a range of settings rather than just a classroom.
Where possible jobs with the greatest trust and most pay should have
entry qualifications attached which have to be earned through work
experience and training. Where possible jobs should help women
learn skills.
Training opportunities provided in prison should be
geared to realistic job opportunities in the women’s home areas
wherever possible.
The different
resettlement needs
of women are
understood and
addressed.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
(Audit baselines are
contained within
other HMPS
Standards)
Primary carers and foreign nationals will usually seek jobs that pay
most in order to send money home. Education pay needs to reflect
the need to encourage these groups too into education.
Basic skills should be incorporated into other areas of learning, e.g.
family learning and parenting skills and peer led reading schemes.
Classes offered in prisons should take account of the needs of their
individual populations.
Teaching staff and instructors should receive advice and support on
the likely different behaviour of women offenders to male offenders in
the workshop and classroom environment.
Libraries should function as Learning Resource Centres.
Sectoral and local labour market employment opportunities for women
should be developed.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
A four-phase approach to enable women to
address issues in their lives and move them into
employment has been designed to cover, finding
security and identity; building self-esteem and
confidence; gaining qualifications and preparing
for work; and moving into employment or selfemployment. Single gender provision should
be made available for the first two phases of
the approach, ‘finding security and identity’ and
‘building esteem and confidence’
Issue No. 297
Page 32
Women should be able to access advice on preparing to enter the job
market, and also where appropriate on setting up their own business.
Education, Training and Employment services for women in prison
should be based on the Next Steps four-phase approach.
Every effort should be made to ensure learning acquired at one
establishment is continued at the next and unless absolutely
necessary women are not transferred in the middle of courses.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Issue: I
PATHWAYS TO RESETTLEMENT: 3)
Page 33
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Health
See Section D
Issue: I
PATHWAYS TO RESETTLEMENT: 4)
Drugs and Alcohol
See Section D
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Issue: I
PATHWAYS TO RESETTLEMENT: 5)
Page 34
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Strategy and
Resource Guide
for the
Resettlement of
Women Prisoners,
Spring 2006
Women should be able to access advice in prison on managing and
reducing their debt and understanding their entitlement to benefits.
Qualified advisors should be provided to act as intermediaries with
creditors to look at the possibility of repayment and prevent further
legal action and fines.
The different
resettlement needs
of women are
understood and
addressed.
Prisons should be able to provide training on debt management and
money matters to enable the women to ‘self help’.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
Women should be allowed additional telephone access to sort out
their finances etc.
32. Women
prisoners are able
to access advice on
how to manage their
finances and reduce
outstanding debt.
Finance, Benefit and Debt
Poverty is often a permanent feature of the lives
of ex-offenders and the process of obtaining
state benefit can be a complicated one.
Managing to organise well enough to live within
a budget and to meet deadlines is a priority that
women offenders often recognise is important,
but which they can find difficult to achieve.
72% of prisoners surveyed were in receipt of
benefits before coming into prison, 81% claimed
benefits on release, 48% had history of debt
For a third of the prisoners their debt problem
had worsened in prison.
Organisations such as Unlock can provide
information and training on personal finance for
offenders.
There are some
good projects
taking place to try
and tackle this
issue:
Kent-CAB project
provides holistic
needs for the
offenders needs
Issues can get tangled up i.e. finance and accommodation.
workers need to work together.
Key
Voluntary sector services may be able to assist in the provision of
advice re finance and debt.
East MidlandsElectric touch
screen information
for prisoners
Signposting
Offenders to
Financial
Capability
Training, Debt Adv
ice and Financial
Services , NOMS
July 2007
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 35
Issue: I
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
The 2003 resettlement survey showed that half
of all women prisoners had dependent children
(including stepchildren) under 18.
HMPS Standard
44: Prisoners’
Family Life
Women should be given support and information to assist them in
understanding the effects of their imprisonment on their separated
children, how to tell their children of their imprisonment and how to
support them.
There is evidence to suggest a link between the
maintenance of supportive family ties and
reduction in re-offending.
Strategy and
Resource Guide
for the
Resettlement of
Women Prisoners,
Spring 2006
The different
resettlement needs
of women are
understood and
addressed.
PATHWAYS TO RESETTLEMENT: 6)
Children and Families
It is accepted that women prisoners are more
likely to try to “run” their families from inside
prison than male prisoners.
Women prisoners receive far fewer visits than
male prisoners. This is partly due to the
distance many are from home but many more
men than women have supportive partners at
home bringing up the children. Women from
Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds may
disproportionately receive even less visits.
Some women living in abusive and exploitative
relationships may need long-term support and
assistance to break free.
Some visitors to women may be abusive
associates or even “pimps”. Some women may
have been abused by partners or other family
members other than partners and may not
welcome visits from some family members.
Having a parent or close relative in prison is a
significant risk factor for children becoming
involved in criminality. Losing a parent to
imprisonment is often an extremely damaging
life event for a child. 30% of prisoners’ children
Issue No. 297
“Children Visiting
In Prisons” KIDS
VIP
Every Child
Matters, 2003
Strategy for Family
and
Parental Support
in Women’s
Prisons, W&YPG
Children of
Offenders Review,
Ministry of Justice,
Children, Schools
and Families, June
2007
HMPS Public
Protection Manual
There should be trained family support officers/workers in each prison
with a good understanding of childcare proceedings. It is important
that there is good communication between family support staff, the
voluntary and community sector organisations and personal officers to
avoid duplication or confusion and to ensure the needs of children and
women are met.
Family support staff must understand how Children’s Services work
and Care Proceedings and be able to offer appropriate support for
women involved and link with external agencies.
All prisons and particularly women’s prisons should have a well run
clean and well-maintained visitors’ centre in which the visitor can feel
welcome and supported before and after the visit.
There should be staff or volunteers present to support the visitor in the
visitors’ centre – not just in the capacity of processing the visit or
searching property.
There should be a safe play area for children in the visitors' centre
and visits room staffed by trained workers with age appropriate toys.
Video links should be used to enable partners to meet when interprison visits cannot be facilitated.
Unless they have been placed on “closed” visits, women should be
allowed to hug family and hold young children on their laps if they
wish during the visit. Staff and prisoners must be in no doubt about
this. Any instance of a child being used to pass contraband should be
referred as a safeguarding (child protection) concern.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
33. Women
prisoners are able
to access support
and advice to help
them manage family
issues – particularly
those around
children.
34. Women are
allowed to hold their
babies and small
children on their
laps if they wish
during visits unless
they have been
placed on closed
visits.
35. Staff particularly those
working in visits have a good
awareness of child
safeguarding
issues, including
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
suffer significant mental health problems,
compared with 10% of the general child
population.
Child Protection must be at the centre of all work
involving families in women’s prisons including
the visitors’ centre.
Most children will need to speak to their mothers
frequently and visit her. They may however find
the visiting experience frightening, boring or
confusing. How prisons manage the visiting
experience can make an enormous difference in
the experience of the child and whether they will
want to come again.
We should recognize that not all families are
child-centred but family members may still need
support.
While in custody many women face having their
children enter the “looked after” system or be
adopted. This can be a traumatic experience
both for the woman and children and the staff
supporting her.
Voluntary and Community sector organisations
provide support at prisons for families and
children. Their work needs to be well facilitated
by management, appropriately supported and
understood by the whole establishment.
Page 36
Prisons should avoid limiting the number of a woman’s children who
can visit at a time. This may reduce significantly the contact any one
child can have with his or her mother.
It is particularly important that staff and volunteers running visits and
visitors centres are trained in child protection and know what action to
take should there be a child protection concern.
Where staff suspect a woman is being visited by an exploitative or
abusive person, even if a family member, the matter should be
referred to a senior officer to ensure she is offered appropriate help.
All women’s prisons should run special (sometimes called “extended”)
children’s visits regularly for women and children who would benefit
from this experience. Children should be able to benefit from such
visits at least 4 times a year. Some women may find children’s visits
distressing – particularly when it is time for the children to go. Some
may find it hard to talk and play with their child and vice versa.
Women (and children) may need to be supported before, after and
during the visit. Visits staff should be trained in understanding the
effects of imprisonment on the children of prisoners and how to help
them get the best visit. Advice and best practice should be sought
when special children’s visits are arranged.
how to handle
disclosure and know
the action they need
to take if necessary.
36. There are well equipped safe
children’s areas in
visitors’ centres and
visits areas.
37. Children of
women prisoners
are able to benefit
from special
children's visits at
least 4 times a year.
Parenting and Relationship programmes should be available to
women. Help with managing personal relationships is often a part of
accredited programmes. Note women often need help with
relationships formed within prisons as well as outside. The
breakdown of personal relationships within prison is often a trigger for
extreme distress and self-harm.
Staff supporting and supervising women who are to be separated
from their children should be briefed on what to expect, and debriefed
and supported if necessary afterwards.
Mothers about to be released, should where appropriate be linked
with support services such as Sure Start and Home Start in their own
areas who can offer them support in the community.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 37
Issue: I
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
There are a number of accredited offending
behaviour programmes for women. Some have
been developed specifically for women, for
example CARE (“choices, action, relationship
and emotions”); others though initially developed
for men, have now been adapted and accredited
for use with women. These include Enhanced
Thinking Skills, FOR (Focus on Resettlement)
Cognitive Skills Booster Programme, the
democratic Therapeutic Community. There are
also a number of drugs programmes accredited
for use with women, including P-ASRO, Short
Duration Programme, and the community
programmes RAPT, and 12 Step Programme.
HMPS Standard
50: Regimes
Programmes should only be delivered to women that have been
accredited for use with women; or which have been approved under
the terms of the Effective Regimes PSO.
The different
resettlement needs
of women are
understood and
addressed.
Programmes for women may include a greater
emphasis on emotional regulation and
relationships in addition to the other offending
risk factors.
Fawcett Society
2006
PATHWAYS TO RESETTLEMENT: 7)
Attitudes, Thinking and Behaviour
OASys was designed to assess the level of risk
of re-offending, harm to self and harm to others.
As it was designed as a generic tool for use with
men and women, it may be necessary to give
extra consideration to assessing women for
gender specific risk factors such as the extent of
any victimisation and its impact on their risk of
offending; Because of the recent development
of programmes for women, OASys will not
always “flag up” programmes that are currently
available for women. Staff should familiarise
themselves with what is available in their own
and other women’s establishments.
Issue No. 297
PSO 4350
Effective Regime
Interventions
Strategy and
Resource Guide
for the
Resettlement of
Women Prisoners,
Spring 2006
Some prisons will be required to run programmes or interventions that
meet regional, pan-regional or national need:
Send prison has a 40 bed therapeutic community, which is a national
resource open to all prisoners who meet the criteria, based on
assessed need.
The PRIMROSE programme at Low Newton has been developed for
women with Severe & Dangerous Personality Disorder.. This is a
national resource open to all prisoners who meet the criteria, based
on assessed need.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
38. Women are
assessed for and
are able to access
appropriate
offending behaviour
programmes to
meet their needs.
The RAPT programme at Send, and the 12 Step Programme at Drake
Hall offer residential community based programmes for drug users.
These are national resources open to all prisoners based on
assessed need.
Every effort should be made to ensure women are not transferred in
the middle of offending behaviour programmes.
Every effort should be made to help women build on and practice
understanding they have gained in the course of offending behaviour
work.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 38
Abuse issues and the fact that they will be in a
small minority may make women on release
reluctant to attend mixed sex groups. Women
only programmes may not be available.
Numbers of groups of high-risk women are often
small – the implementation of specific offending
behaviour programmes has not therefore been
easy. Group work in prisons is similarly affected
requiring more one to one interventions. Given
the geographic isolation of many women’s
prisons women may be reluctant to be
transferred to attend offending behaviour
programmes.
The W&YP Group is currently developing a
strategy for managing women sex offenders.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 39
Issue: I
PATHWAYS TO RESETTLEMENT: 8)
Supporting Women who have been
Abused, Raped or who have
experienced Domestic Violence
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Many women prisoners have experienced abuse
– either in childhood, in adulthood or both. The
HMCIP thematic review in 1996 found that half
the 200 women prisoners they interviewed said
they had been abused, one-third reporting
sexual abuse, and one-third both physical and
sexual abuse. 1 in 4 women in the community
have experienced domestic violence.
“Supporting
Women Affected
by Violence:
Guidelines for
Staff”
W&YPG January
2008
Annually there should be a needs analysis conducted of the
population to provide an estimation of the number of women affected
by abuse and domestic violence and their needs.
The different
resettlement needs
of women are
understood and
addressed.
There are strong links between the experience
of being a victim of abuse and self-harm.
Women who have experienced trauma may
attempt to manage this experience by resorting
to substance misuse – perhaps making it more
likely they will offend in order to support or as
consequence of their addiction.
Women’s distorted beliefs if unchallenged, may
also damage the next generation i.e. the belief
that abuse is a ’normal’ part of family life.
Women sometimes disclose abuse when they
fear others especially children, may be at risk.
Sometimes when a woman goes into prison her
children are put into the care of her abuser.
Most women will not disclose abuse or domestic
violence unless asked.
Emotional ties often exist between abuser and
abused, i.e. women will often want the abuse to
go away, not the abuser.
Issue No. 297
“What to do if
you’re worried a
child is being
abused” 2003
DOH, Home Office
Strategy and
Resource Guide
for the
Resettlement of
Women Prisoners
Individually, needs such as support, advocacy and a safe place to go
on release should be established at an early stage. .A range of
supportive interventions should be available to women who disclose
abuse or domestic violence. These should include: information,
support that can be offered by external organizations, self-help books
and websites. Where women are likely to stay in the prison long
enough interventions should be offered – either on a 1:1 basis or as
part of an accredited group work programme. Assistance to build
women’s confidence and coping skills should be offered by regime
activities, as this can be the first step in enabling her to move out of
violent relationships. Counselling and other support needs to be
carefully managed particularly the ending of services or handover to
other agencies. Information sharing protocols between agencies must
be established.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
39. Women
prisoners who have
been abused or
subject to domestic
violence are able to
access appropriate
support and advice.
Links should be established between establishments and agencies
and organizations that can offer support to women, including
Women’s centres and domestic violence area co-ordinators.
Staff must be aware of potential risks to the safety of the woman and
her children and know how to make referrals. Most domestic violence
cases do not qualify for MAPPA. Where appropriate referrals should
be made to MARACs (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences),
which are domestic violence specific and exist in most local authority
areas.
Staff should be trained in how to cope with having abuse disclosed to
them and how to respond. Staff must also be debriefed and
supported – this is often a traumatic and difficult experience for all.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 40
Issue: I
PATHWAYS TO RESETTLEMENT: 9)
Supporting Women who have been
Involved in Prostitution
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
In Jan 07 a small women’s training prison
surveyed women prisoners. 100 women
completed questionnaires. 21% of these stated
they had been involved with prostitution prior to
custody, 74% of these said it was due to their
drug addiction and 26% stated it was due to
abuse. 100% of those who had been involved
said they did not intend to return to prostitution.
Strategy and
Resource Guide for
the Resettlement of
Women Prisoners,
W&YPG Spring
2006
Annually there should be a needs’ analysis conducted of the
population to provide an estimation of the number of women affected
by prostitution and the needs of the women concerned.
The different
resettlement needs of
women are
understood and
addressed.
A long-term prostitution strategy was launched
by the Government in January 2006. One of
the strategy’s five key aims is: developing
routes out – providing a range of support and
advocacy services to help people get out of
prostitution.
Women prisoners who have been involved in
prostitution may enter prisons with multiple
interlocking complex needs such as health and
drug problems and a history of violent abusive
relationships including sexual abuse in
childhood. They may also have children who
are dependent on them, or children who have
been in care of others.
Women who have been involved in prostitution
may not feel comfortable disclosing this.
Organisations currently working with prisons
and partner agencies such as the police, NHS
and probation services, include Barnados,
Project One25 in the Bristol area and ANAWIM
near Birmingham. The UK Network of Sex
Worker projects can identify projects in prison
and release areas. There are also projects to
support women who have been trafficked to
this country such as the Poppy Project.
Issue No. 297
“Provision of
Support for
imprisoned adult
female street-based
sex-workers” Louise
Clark 2006 Griffins
Foundation
Sex Workers in
Prison Project
(SWIP) The Griffins
Foundation/W&YPG
2007-8
Women should be assisted to keep healthy and safe while in prison
and on release, and ongoing support with parenting and family
relationships.
Women should be given every support if they ask for help to build a
new life away from prostitution.
Staff working with women who work as prostitutes should receive
training in awareness of the issues that face them. Staff should be
aware that abusive partners or pimps may visit the woman and may
be present at prison gates upon release.
The local ‘Ugly Mug’ schemes should where appropriate be used by
women’s local prisons to inform women of dangerous clients prior to
release.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
40. Women who have
been involved in
prostitution are able
to access appropriate
help and advice to
stay healthy and safe
on release and if they
wish, build a new life
away from
prostitution.
There should be an identified point of information on prostitution
issues in each prison who can maintain links with projects and link
with regional networks. Women’s privacy should be protected and
the limits to confidentiality should be clear.
Establishments should actively seek to identify women who may
have been trafficked into this country and refer them to the Poppy
Project.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 41
Issue: J
YOUNG WOMEN PRISONERS (under
21)
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Particular concerns relating to the raised
vulnerability of this age-group are: the level of
self-harm and self-injury, mental health needs
and victimisation from their peer group.
HMCIP:Young
Prisoners 1/10/97
The different needs
of young women are
understood and
addressed.
5 of the14 deaths in women’s prisons in 2003
were prisoners under the age of 21.Two thirds of
young prisoners harm them selves compared
with the 30% in the estate as a whole.
Vulnerable
Learners: The
needs and
priorities of female
offenders
Dr Elizabeth
Walker, Helen
Deane & Geraldine
Pettersson, 2006
Young women should be consulted (at least once a year) to
determine their need for particular activities, regimes and
programmes. Many young women will need support particularly in
the area of self-harm, mental health problems, substance misuse
problems and experiences of abuse and domestic violence. They
may also need help in maintaining positive personal relationships
and relationships with peers.
Ofsted have highlighted that the level of ETE
achievements by this group is very low.
Young women are likely to need: violence/abuse
counselling, help to raise self-esteem, help to
resist peer pressure, offending behaviour work
around acquisitive crime, and substance misuse
support. They can benefit from mentoring by
trained peers and family mediation.
Due to the small numbers of women’s prisons
young offenders often share the regime with the
rest of the population for practical reasons,
although they currently sleep in accommodation
designated for young offenders. Many older
prisoners take on the role of the parent to young
prisoners which helps to compensate them from
being away from their own families. However
there are risks involved mixing age groups and
young women may be vulnerable to exploitation
by other prisoners – both adults and other YOs.
Despite bad experiences in the past many
young women will welcome the opportunity of
improving their educational skills while in prison.
Issue No. 297
Ofsted, 2004
Women’s
Offending
Reduction
Programme
Many young women will have been excluded from school so their
last memories of education may not be positive. The ‘building blocks’
of learning may not be there and they may have limited capacity to
learn until these skills are developed. In the classroom young
women may have shorter attention spans than adults and be noisier
in activities. Some young women will find it difficult to learn in a
classroom environment with other young women and may need
individual tuition. They should be encouraged to try working with
others but if necessary individual tuition should be provided.
Mentoring schemes using trained mentors can be very effective with
this age group.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
41. Activities,
regimes and
programmes
designed for young
women prisoners are
provided in prisons
where they are
located.
Activities and programmes will need to be provided to meet their
particular needs and staff will need to be prepared and capable of
working with this population. Some young women will benefit
enormously from good, patient, positive “support” from staff.
The risks to the young prisoner of association with older women with
criminal experience should be evaluated on an individual basis.
When older prisoners are used to support other prisoners they
should receive official recognition and reward.
Younger women may need particular supervision and
encouragement to use their spare time constructively and to avoid
boredom (see section G 7 Association). Some will also want to
spend their free time talking to staff rather than socialising with their
peers.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Issue K:
Page 42
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Vulnerable
Learners: The
needs and
priorities of female
offenders
Dr Elizabeth
Walker, Helen
Deane & Geraldine
Pettersson, 2006
Older women (i.e. over the age of 50) should be consulted (at least
once a year) to determine their need for particular activities, regimes
and programmes. Managers and staff should be aware of the
specific problems older prisoners and their older visitors, may face
and consider these in allocation and all other decisions.
The different needs
of older women are
understood and
addressed.
OLDER WOMEN PRISONERS
A much higher proportion of women – 78% in
HMCIP’s survey, as opposed to 33% of men –
identified mental health needs in terms of
depression or reactive depression as a result of
trial or imprisonment.
Many older women are less likely to be
interested in new vocational skills. Those that
do want to improve literacy or IT skills often see
it as a way of improving their relationships with
grandchildren.
Older women are less likely to see employment
as a realistic option for the future and will
probably experience barriers in getting jobs.
Some older women prefer to be located together
others will rather live in mixed communities.
Some older women will feel being located with
or constantly surrounded by much younger
prisoners tiring.
HMCIP’s Thematic
Report: ‘No
problems – old and
quiet: older
prisoners in
England and
Wales’ 12 Dec
2004
NACRO: Manual
on meeting the
needs of older
prisoners available
from HMPS
Women and
Young People’s
Group
‘National Service
Framework for
Older People’
Department of
Health 24 May
2001
Health
Older women in prison should receive all the same services
including health promotion and preventative treatment such as
health screening for cancers, as older women in the community.
Some older women will need support and assistance as they go
through the menopause. Some older women may have particular
needs such as special diets, dental care, eye care, physiotherapy,
help with personal care or long term medical care.
ETE
ETE provision should take account of the needs of older women
The pace of learning needs to be comparatively slow and the noise
factor in classrooms may hinder learning. Some older women may
wish to learn in small groups perhaps with their peers.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
42. Activities,
regimes and
programmes
designed for older
women prisoners are
provided in prisons
where they are
located.
Families
Older women are often mothers even though their children have
grown, and they are often grandparents. Opportunities to help older
women in these roles should be provided – perhaps by provision of
special “grandparents” visiting days. This can be particularly
beneficial for the children concerned.
Influence on Younger Prisoners
When older prisoners are used with their consent, to support other
prisoners they should receive official recognition and reward. They
are often seen as a calming influence on young prisoners. It should
be understood however, that being constantly surrounded by young
prisoners, can be very stressful for older women.
(See also section O Indeterminate/life sentence prisoners)
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 43
Issue: L
WOMEN FROM BLACK AND
MINORITY ETHNIC GROUPS
Twenty-six per cent of women prisoners are
from a black or other minority ethnic group
Women from black and minority ethnic groups
face the same sort of problems as women
prisoners, however, they can face additional
discrimination based on race.
For women from some BME groups, attitudes to
offending within families and communities,
arising from cultural or religious beliefs, may
result in an additional stigma being attached to
imprisonment.
The services provided should not be
discriminatory and should reflect the different
cultural needs of women.
A study conducted by the Revolving Doors
agency suggests that at present there is a lack
of understanding concerning the interaction of
race, ethnicity and culture with offending
behaviour and links with psychiatric symptoms.
The majority of people from minority ethnic
backgrounds live in the large industrial cities of
the UK, however many women’s prisons are
located in rural parts of England. There is
evidence to suggest that black prisoners receive
even fewer visits than other women prisoners
do.
Issue No. 297
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
HMPS Standard 48:
Race Equality
(Prisoners)
Health
The different needs
of women from black
and minority ethnic
groups are identified,
understood and
addressed.
Strategy and
Resource Guide for
the Resettlement of
Women Prisoners,
Spring 2006
Vulnerable
Learners: The
needs and priorities
of female offenders
Dr Elizabeth
Walker, Helen
Deane & Geraldine
Pettersson, 2006
Revolving Doors
agency
Note from Head of
W&YPG to
Governors: Hair
Extensions
Southall Drug and
Alcohol Action
Programme (DAAP)
There are certain illnesses that women from ethnic minorities are more
susceptible to and these need to be noted when making arrangements for
healthcare. Special attention needs to be paid to the needs of BME women
with mental health problems.
BME women more likely to experience isolation in custody leading
to increased levels of depression but may be less likely to seek
help from health care staff.
ETE
Account should be taken of the specific needs of women from BME
groups. For example, courses offered in subjects such as
parenting, family relationships, sexual relationships and healthy
living, should take account of the different cultural norms, which
may operate within some different BME groups.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
43. Account is taken
when designing the
prison’s regime, of
the needs of women
from BME groups.
Personal Care – Canteen Goods
Women from BME backgrounds may have skin and hair that can
become very dry very quickly. Inability to obtain products quickly to
keep the hair and skin hydrated can cause considerable distress.
Women should be able to access the products they need as soon
as possible following reception.
Available toiletries designed for women from BME groups should
not be proportionately more expensive to obtain than those for
other prisoners.
There should be a range of toiletries available that may be chosen
by women from BME groups – in the same way that there is choice
available for other prisoners. Regular surveys should be
conducted of prisoners to find out what is needed.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 44
Women should be allowed to purchase hair braids.
Where there is a hair salon in the prison, staff and prisoners
employed should be able to dress the hair of women from BME
backgrounds as well as women from other backgrounds.
Clothing
Women from BME groups should normally be allowed to wear
clothing that they feel meets their cultural or religious needs, unless
this is inappropriate on security or health and safety grounds.
When clothing that is important to a woman on cultural or religious
reasons has to be searched this should be done with particular
sensitivity and the procedures to be used explained to the woman
in advance.
Religion and Faith
Women will often wish for support and friendship from members of
faith communities outside prison. Prisons should develop contacts
with a wide range of faith representatives in order to meet needs.
(see also section G 8 Religion and Faith)
Support for Women that have been Abused
Women from all strata in society, including women from BME
groups, may have experienced abuse from partners and/or
extended family members and need support.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 45
Issue: M
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
PSO 4630
Immigration and
Foreign Nationals in
Prison
Individual assessment should be provided. Foreign nationals even
from the same country may have very different needs and may
have local friends and relatives who can support them.
Strategy and
Resource Guide for
the Resettlement of
Women Prisoners,
Spring 2006
Establishments should not rely solely on using other prisoners or
voluntary agencies to translate, particularly at first where the
prisoner may have sensitive information to communicate.
Independent interpretation services should be used routinely for
prisoners and staff should be trained how to access these services .
Vulnerable
Learners: The
needs and priorities
of female offenders
Dr Elizabeth
Walker, Helen
Deane & Geraldine
Pettersson, 2006
There should be some basic written critical information in as many
languages as possible held in reception and first night centres and
always given to foreign national prisoners.
‘Wazobia at Morton
Hall: A report on the
situation of Nigerian
nationals in a
medium security
female offenders
institution’ Dr. Axel
Klein, University of
Kent November
2006
Some foreign national women will have experienced abuse, which
WOMEN FOREIGN NATIONALS
Most foreign nationals – particularly from Nigeria
and the West Indies are in prison for passport
fraud or smuggling drugs. Increasing numbers
of foreign nationals however, are from Eastern
European countries involved in passport
offences. Many women arrive in local prisons
unable to speak any English and will feel very
isolated.
Many foreign nationals will however have been
resident in the UK for a considerable time and
have close family and friends living here.
There are wide cultural differences between
groups of women even from the same country.
However most women will wish to be located
with some other women who speak their
language. For many the desire to earn money
i.e. in high paying workshops to send back to
families, will supersede other priorities i.e. to
learn new skills.
Maintaining contact with families is a major
issue for foreign national women. Some will
deliberately distance themselves from the
family, as contact is too painful. Many women
will be reluctant to tell dependent children where
they are. Foreign nationals may find usual
parenting programmes are upsetting and
inappropriate given the length of time they are
going to be separated from their children.
Women foreign nationals are likely to serve long
sentences.
Issue No. 297
HMCIP thematic
Report Foreign
Nationals 2/11/06
The different needs
of women foreign
nationals are
identified, understood
and addressed.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
44. Account is taken
when designing the
prison’s regime, of
the needs of women
Foreign Nationals.
Women should normally be allocated to a designated Foreign
National centre. However their individual needs must be assessed.
It may be that it is more appropriate for some women to spend all or
part of their sentence in a different establishment.
may be directly related to their offending. Some foreign national
women will have been victims of human trafficking, forced
prostitution and other violence and abuse.
Support in the form of voluntary organisations like Hibiscus should
be provided.
Tuition in English for women who may not speak or write English
well will assist women to cope with prison, and gaining skills for use
when returning home or if integrating into British society.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Some women will be interested in developing
new skills because they would have needed to
pay for schooling in their own countries.
Home leave, outside employment and open
conditions are all tools for rehabilitation of
offenders and foreign nationals should not be
denied the chance to take part in such activity if
their immigration status allows.
For many prisoners the opportunity to gain
“white collar” employment in their home
countries is unrealistic given the poverty they
will face returning home. In many cases skills
they can use in their home to gain a limited
income from their neighbours will be
considerably more useful – i.e. needlework or
subsistence farming. Learning to speak and
write English may be the most valuable asset for
some women when they return home.
Currently foreign national prisoners are entitled
to a five-minute phone call once a month if they
receive no visits from family and friends. This
means that if foreign nationals have limited
income but have friends or family in the UK and
also close family members abroad, they
effectively have to choose which they will try to
stay in touch with. Often too it is extremely
difficult to get calls through to family abroad
particularly to remote areas where families do
not have easy access to telephones. The recent
HMCIP thematic review on Foreign Nationals
recommends prisoners be allowed the monthly
phone call whether or not they get visits.
Women may be returning to situations of great
poverty where they will be tempted to risk
criminal activity again. What will be a
preventative factor will be strong family
relationships – particularly prospective
Issue No. 297
Page 46
and follow up report
Jan 07
Peer support by foreign nationals should be developed.
Support should be provided to enable women to access legal
advice and contact with embassies.
Hibiscus
Southall Drug and
Alcohol Action
Programme (DAAP)
Every possible support and advice should be offered to women to
maintain family links. Primary carers of children should be allowed
the cheapest phone calls possible, to children, particularly if they
are unable to visit. All establishments should be required to operate
the international card scheme.
All women foreign nationals should be allowed at least a 5-minute
call home at public expense every month where they have children
abroad – whether or not they also receive any visits.
Opportunities to record audio-tapes for children so they can hear
their mother’s voice perhaps reading a story should be facilitated.
Culturally relevant ETE should be available. Skills that will be of
practical benefit in the prisoners’ home country should be offered.
For some women this might be learning to drive, hairdressing,
dressmaking. Other women will seek help to gain more “white
collar” skills and further education. Basic computer skills will be of
use to many women.
Many foreign nationals will remain in this country at the end of their
sentence so relevant advice to aid resettlement in this country
should not be delayed or denied.
Women should be able to access current news from home either
through newspapers or though internet encyclopaedia.
Staff and volunteers working with foreign nationals should be
trained in cultural awareness. Staff should gain an understanding of
the cultural structure and hierarchies of foreign national groups.
Diversity leads and Foreign National Liaison officers should receive
additional training – particularly around arrangements for
deportation and sources of information and help for women. Note:
prison service staff cannot offer legal advice to prisoners.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 47
separation again.
Surgeries should be held in prisons with Immigration Services.
Many women will wish to return home as soon as possible, i.e.
through the Early Release Scheme and prolonged delays cause
much distress both for the woman and her family. The prison
service must do everything possible to facilitate the process.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 48
Issue: N
WOMEN PRISONERS WITH
DISABILITIES
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
There are a significant number of women
prisoners with disabilities to whom the Disability
Discrimination Act applies.
HMPS PSO 2855
and Standard 8:
Prisoners with
Disabilities
Women with disabilities should be identified wherever possible on
reception or induction.
The different needs
of women with
disabilities are
identified, understood
and addressed.
Some prisoners are reluctant to disclose a
disability at first.
Learning disability is often undiagnosed and
women slip through the system without
appropriate support. An NHS Survey at Styal
2007 revealed 8.3% of the population with an IQ
below 70, and a further 31.7% classed as
borderline LD. The national average (prisons) is
6%.
In all prisons there is a Disability Liaison Officer.
In the male estate if a particular prison is unable
to make “reasonable adjustments” to enable a
prisoner with disabilities to benefit from a
particular service or programme, it is possible
another nearby prison will be able to do so. This
is less likely in the women’s estate where with
fewer prisons it is quite likely that a particular
service or programme will only be available in
one prison.
Issue No. 297
Disability
Discrimination Act
1995
The Disability Liaison Officer should meet prisoners who have been
identified as having disabilities and arrange for their needs to be
assessed and met.
As absolute basics prisoners with disabilities must to be able to
access showers, toilets, exercise areas and their living and eating
areas safely and be able to reach emergency call bells. Women
prisoners are more likely than men to want and need, good access
to showing and washing facilities and appropriate facilities to
enable them to apply make up and attend to personal care.
(Audit baselines are
contained within
other HMPS
Standards)
If it is identified that because of a disability a woman is not able to
access a programme or service it would otherwise be appropriate
for her to access, “reasonable adjustments” to enable participation
must be made.
Women in prison who have disabilities should where appropriate be
linked into support both in prison and upon release.
Women prisoners with disabilities are at least as likely as women
without disabilities to have experienced domestic and sexual
violence, and appropriate support should be made available to
them.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 49
Issue: O
INDETERMINATE (IPP) /LIFE
SENTENCED WOMEN PRISONERS
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
There are over 300 women currently serving life
or Indeterminate sentences for Public
Protection. The majority of women lifer prisoners
are first time offenders. Most do not have
associates outside prison who have been
involved in crime and they can feel isolated and
very different from other prisoners – not just
because of their sentence.
HMPS Standard 31:
Life Sentence
Prisoners
Lifers need a good induction package. What they hear at this early
stage will help them come to terms with their sentence, promote
understanding and mutual respect with others and understand what
to expect in the coming years.
The particular needs
of women prisoners
serving indeterminate
sentences are
assessed and
addressed
Only a few establishments are commissioned to
accept lifers. This can mean lifers are likely to
be located a long way from home, which can
present particular difficulties for reintegration.
Drake Hall is classified as “open” for the
purposes of 3rd Stage allocation in addition to
the two open establishments.
Given the high incidence of mental health
problems, and the more serious index offence,
this is a group with specific needs.
Some women with little outside support can
crave friendship and support from others.
Close relationships, which form quickly because
of the closed environment, can go wrong or be
broken because of another prisoner’s transfer,
with very traumatic results for everyone.
Women lifers will also be disadvantaged over
others with more financial resources in terms of
providing clothing and income, which may affect
their self-esteem.
Maintaining relationships with children can be
particularly traumatic. The woman’s role as
Issue No. 297
Lifers: Joint
Thematic Review by
HMCIP and
Probation 1/1/1999
Strategy
and
Resource Guide for
the Resettlement of
Women
Prisoners,
Spring 2006
‘Resettlement
issues Facing
Female Lifers’
Rachel Chapman
The Griffins Society
01/2002
The needs of women lifers should be assessed regularly by talking
to them as a group.
Incentives and targets need to be meaningful to lifers taking into
account their individual circumstances. They should receive
regular updates on how they are progressing with their sentence
plan so they know whether they are making progress.
Staff filling the role of “Lifer Officer” should receive training not only
in the lifer system but how the sentence may impact differently on
women prisoners than male prisoners. They need to be specially
selected.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
45. The particular
needs of any women
prisoners serving
indeterminate
sentences are
assessed and
addressed.
Lifers should be able to access support and advice to develop and
manage close personal relationships. Staff need to be aware that
women can build up emotional dependency on them and their
surroundings and will need support to “move on”.
Moves to new establishments can be made less traumatic if good
information can be provided, and if moving to lower security where
possible, pre-visits are made.
Clothing can be a real problem for prisoners serving long sentences
with no financial support. Purchasing a winter coat for instance can
wipe out many weeks of prison pay. Links should be made with
local charities to provide resources to support women with little
family support and prisons need to seek sources of good quality
reasonably priced clothing and make this available to women who
need it.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 50
mother will be changed over time as the child
looks to others for support and this can be very
hard to come to terms with. Children and
families outside may suffer particular stigma and
isolation from others too.
Interventions should be offered at appropriate times of the
sentence.
Women lifers tend to want to be located
together- they can find mixed landings with
much shorter sentenced women unsettling.
Lifers should generally be located with other lifers, medium to
longer- term prisoners.
Due to separation from children women lifers
often take on surrogate parenting roles with
younger prisoners. This can be to the benefit of
both but sometimes makes older prisoners feel
as if they are being “used”. Official recognition
and reward for the role they play will be well
received. There are potential risks for younger
prisoners too (see Section J Young Women
Prisoners)
Lifers should be considered for suitability for transfer to the
Primrose Project and the Therapeutic Communities.
Supervision, mentoring by trained mentors and support “through
the gate” should be provided as necessary for women long term
and life sentence prisoners. Ongoing personal support is
considered essential by many lifers and long-term prisoners leaving
custody.
(See also section K Older Women Prisoners)
For women on the enhanced level of the
incentives scheme as a lifer there is little
additional that they can benefit from. Targets
need to be sensible - giving a lifer ‘remain
adjudication free’ when they haven’t been on
report for a number of years, is meaningless.
Interventions offered too early in the sentence or
too late can be ineffective, increase anxiety and
frustration in the prisoner or delay parole
reviews.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Issue: P MOTHER AND BABY UNITS
and TREATMENT OF PREGNANT
WOMEN
Around 120 women in custody give birth in a
year
The prison environment may not always be an
easy one in which to be pregnant. The routine
can make it harder to catch up on missed sleep
for instance, and increased stress around court
appearances can impact on the progression of
the pregnancy. Occasionally what is seen as
special treatment given to pregnant women may
be a focus for bullying by some others.
Mother and baby units are a national resource.
Women are assessed for suitability to enter
mother and baby units. The primary concern is
the best interests of the individual child, but this
must be balanced with the need for the safety of
the woman’s child and other children on the unit.
The mother retains parental responsibility for her
child. The demand for MBU places arises most
acutely at local/remand prisons when the need
for the accommodation can be urgent.
Geographic distance is the major issue for
women who will often have other children to
retain contact with. Sometimes siblings may
become jealous of the baby when their mother is
located in a mother and baby unit. Mothers may
need help to parent separated children.
It is not generally considered in the best
interests of the child to remain in prison with the
mother over the age of 18 months. Each case is
assessed on an individual basis.
Issue No. 297
Page 51
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
There is already a
prison service order
(PSO 4801) and
Standard (35) on
Mother and Baby
Units
As PSO 4801 and Standard 35. Plus:
W&YPG Good
Practice Guidelines
for Managing
Women who have
Experienced
Miscarriage,
Termination of
Pregnancy, Stillbirth
or Neonatal Death
(including
arrangements for
escorts) 25/8/2006
‘Women in Prison’
Quaker Council for
European Affairs
2004
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Pre-natal and post-natal care for pregnant women including
ongoing support to breastfeed where appropriate, should be
available in all women’s’ prisons. Pregnant women and nursing
mothers should receive a suitable diet based on DOH guidelines.
Staff should be made aware of the possible behavioural and
emotional changes women may experience when pregnant or
following birth. The location and management of a pregnant
woman must be risk assessed and her views taken into account.
Staff should receive clear advice and guidance when escorting or
supervising women who have experienced miscarriage, termination
of pregnancy, stillbirth or neonatal death. (See also Section D).
Staff responsible for running visits and children’s visits should be
aware of the need for mothers in mother and baby units to establish
positive bonds between their babies and their siblings.
The separation of the baby from the mother can be traumatic for all.
Separations need to be planned well in advance.
Pregnant women are not handcuffed after arrival at a hospital or
clinic as published protocol. Women in active labour are not
handcuffed either en route to, or while in, hospital. Restraints are
to be carried but not applied unless the woman’s behaviour is
refractory or there are indications that she may attempt to escape.
Pregnant women must not be transferred to or from another prison
or court in a cellular vehicle except in exceptional circumstances
and with the agreement of the health care manager following a full
risk assessment. The choice of whether to take a baby to court
with her is the mother's however, in certain cases (e.g. a long trial)
she might be advised it would be better for the child not to travel
daily with her to court as this could be stressful and tiring for both,
but the decision remains hers.
The needs of
pregnant women and
women who have
given birth are
assessed and
addressed.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
46. Guidelines for
Managing Women
who have
experienced
Miscarriage,
Termination of
Pregnancy, Stillbirth
or Neonatal Death,
are adhered to.
47. Pregnant women
are not handcuffed
after arrival at a
hospital or clinic.
Women in labour are
not handcuffed either
en route to, or while
in hospital.
Restraints are carried
but not applied
unless necessary.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Issue: Q
Page 52
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Uniform staff gender
balance guidance
PSO 8005).
The appropriate balance of male and female staff is maintained
according to PSO 8005. This is generally considered to be at least
60 female :40 male.
The different
management issues
involved in running
women’s prisons are
understood and
addressed.
MANAGEMENT ISSUES
Women who have been abused by men may
feel safer in a predominantly female
environment. There are also issues of decency
and security that need to be dealt with by
women staff.
Male staff however can be extremely important
and effective in this environment - not only in
carrying out their duties, but also in providing
positive, caring and reliable male role models for
many women who have experienced few such,
in the past.
Because of the higher number of male senior
management grades most senior management
teams in women’s prisons are predominantly
male. All male SMTs may be a problem for
several reasons – including the ability of women
who do not relate easily to men, to raise issues
directly with senior staff.
Staff in women’s prisons – particularly local
prisons - are likely to be dealing individually with
more stressful situations than most staff in male
prisons on a day-to-day basis. They cope with
many prisoners who are highly dependent on
staff for emotional support and will be managing
prisoners with many vulnerabilities and mental
health problems. They will be listening to
accounts of abuse. Staff will also need to
manage many prisoners who self-harm
sometimes very seriously, frequently and often
without warning. Managers too will be
supporting staff under these daily pressures
which can be in turn very draining and they
themselves will need support.
Issue No. 297
Issues of decency and the need for close observation should be
considered when deciding the gender balance of staff supervising
particular areas such as reception, and care and separation units.
Managers will need to make sure there are enough female staff on
duty on nights to allow intervention by female staff if necessary and
also bear in mind that more staff than in equivalent male prisons
will be away on maternity leave at any time. Business cases have
been made by some prisons to have their percentage of noneffective hours increased based on data around pregnancy and
maternity leave.
Managers need to ensure all staff are alive to the need to respect
decency and privacy issues when supervising women prisoners i.e.
except in a security operation or in an emergency knocking before
entering cells to enable women to dress.
There should be a balance of male and female senior staff –
including at least some women in operational roles, on the senior
management team. This may be difficult to achieve in some
geographical areas and measures should be taken to attract and
retain staff where necessary.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
48. The appropriate
balance of male and
female staff including
managers, and
senior managers is
maintained.
49. Women
prisoners’ need for
privacy and decency
particularly when in
night-clothes or when
washing, is respected
by supervising staff.
Staff and managers will need considerable support both from their
own managers, staff care and welfare services, and where required
professional services. Managers need to be alive to cumulative
stress staff and other managers may come under and refer people
for appropriate help quickly – before a crisis occurs.
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Issue: R TRAINING AND SUPPORT
Page 53
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Most staff in women’s prisons will know little
about the different needs of women offenders
when they join.
HMCIP: Women in
Prison 10/5/97 and
10/1/96
There needs to be an ongoing learning and development culture for
all staff, including managers, in women’s prisons.
Staff working in women’s prisons say that
different skills and training are sometimes
necessary to work with this population.
Women Awareness
Staff Programme
(WASP) W&YPG
The different training
needs of staff and
managers working in
women’s prisons are
understood and
addressed.
OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
Working with women prisoners, particularly
prisoners with vulnerabilities and those with
mental health problems can be difficult and
stressful – particularly if staff are not well
prepared. Dealing with frequent acts of selfharm and hearing frequent accounts of abuse
and trauma can be very stressful on managers
and staff. Both need good preparation and
training for this role.
Some people when working with women
offenders find themselves in major difficulties
managing the relationship. Some women are
extremely vulnerable and become very
dependent on others. Some women have never
known non-exploitative relationships with others
and may try to relate to staff and others in
inappropriate ways. Relationships need to be
caring but with clear boundaries.
Fawcett Society
2006
A mentoring or “buddying” scheme should be in place for new
prison officers. Staff and managers transferring from male prisons
should also be well supported.
Where the working environment is particularly stressful –
particularly in prisons where staff are dealing with frequent selfharm and disclosures of abuse, staff should be well supported,
debriefed and have access to an independent counselling service,
which should be regularly promoted within the prison.
Staff should also regularly be debriefed by managers in the
workplace - not just after serious incidents. Dealing with “minor”
acts of self-harm or distress daily can be equally as stressful as
dealing with fewer more serious incidents.
All staff and volunteers working with women prisoners should
receive the following Gender Specific training, in addition to any
generic training they receive when they undergo initial training.
Kimmett Edgar
Reducing Violence
Among Women in
Prison (not yet
published)
a) The range of specific needs and likely histories of women
prisoners including mental health awareness. To include some
knowledge about age specific needs if they are going to work
with these groups and needs of particular populations i.e.
foreign nationals, women from BME backgrounds.
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
50. Training and
advice appropriate to
the prison is provided
for staff and
volunteers to equip
them to work with
women prisoners.
51. Ongoing support,
supervision and care
is provided to staff,
managers and
volunteers,
particularly those
who are dealing with
frequent acts of selfharm and disclosures
of abuse.
b) The possible effects of abuse and domestic violence on
women particularly those abused as children, how to handle
disclosure of abuse and when and how to refer to other
agencies.
c) Child protection – particularly relevant given the knowledge
staff will obtain about prisoners’ children. The effects of
imprisonment of a mother on her children, the children’s likely
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 54
experience of visiting, and how to support the woman in her
parenting role.
d) Why women may self-harm, how to reduce the likelihood of
self harm among women, and how to respond constructively
when a woman self-harms or says she may.
e) Where appropriate, the different security requirements in
women’s’ establishments including searching. (See section S
Security) .
f) How to operate with respect to decency and privacy issues
– particularly relevant for male staff.
g) How to maintain appropriate relationships and boundaries
with prisoners and when to recognise when problems are
developing. How to use an appropriate style of management
h) How to listen to women, and how to support them while
encouraging them to take personal responsibility for their
actions and their offending.
i) How to promote pro-social behaviour and how to use conflict
resolution techniques.
j) When appropriate, how to physically restrain women safely
when necessary including women who may be pregnant. C&R
except in emergencies, should always be administered by
female staff. Where male staff have to be involved they should
withdraw if items of clothing are to be removed. Note: physical
restraint may panic women who have suffered domestic
violence.
k) (In relevant prisons) the likely physical, behavioural and
emotional effects of pregnancy and childbirth on women.
l) Female bullying and violence – how to recognise the signs,
and how to manage it.
m) Basic awareness of issues around women offenders and
prostitution.
Issue No. 297
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Issue: S
Page 55
REFERENCE
GENDER SPECIFIC GUIDANCE
REQUIRED
OUTCOMES
Security in women's prisons is based on the same
principles/practices/procedures as in men's prisons
although some security procedures are different.
Two examples are the system of security
categorisation and allocation to “semi-open”
prisons.
HMPS Standard
54: Security
HMPS Standard
53: Violence
Reduction
The new Women’s Full Search for women prisoners will involve
the removal of as much clothing as necessary on the grounds of
risk, “reasonable suspicion”, and intelligence collated. A woman
will not be required to remove her underwear unless necessary on
these grounds. (SUBJECT TO OUTCOME OF CURRENT
PILOT)
There are some
different security
issues in women’s
prisons.
There are fewer serious incidents such as hostage
taking, escapes and serious assaults in women’s
prisons compared to male prisons although these
do occur. When women participate in acts of
concerted indiscipline the incidents tend to be
passive, spontaneous and small in number.
HMPS Standard
61: Use of Force
Note: The National Security Framework allows staff to require
male prisoners, but not women prisoners, to squat.
National Security
Framework
Searching that is to take place should always be clearly explained
to women in advance.
Corston Report
March 2007
Staff should be trained how to maintain appropriate relationships
with women and how to avoid conditioning (see section R
Training).
SECURITY IN WOMEN’S PRISONS
There are a few high-risk women in prison and
more who are associates of high-risk men.
Serious acts of self-harm are much more frequent
in women’s prisons. Some serious incidents other
than self-harm do occur – particularly around
drugs. Forced removal by other prisoners of
secreted drugs occurs. Arson is also fairly
common particularly in locals.
There has been historically widespread (but
inconsistent) full searching of women prisoners
using the same basic model as that applied to
male prisoners. This is a practice that distresses
many women, particularly those with mental health
problems and/or who have been sexually abused,
and is unpleasant for staff to carry out. It can be
particularly embarrassing when women are
menstruating. The traditional full search has not
been particularly effective however. Because of
the nature of their anatomy women find it very
Issue No. 297
The 1989 UN
Convention on
the Rights of the
Child
Staff should be absolutely clear about the security requirements of
escorting pregnant women, women in labour and women who
have recently given birth. [Audit baselines 47. & 48.]
MDT testing should be carried out with particular sensitivity.
Women should not be handcuffed between the escort vans and
reception if there is more than one physical barrier between
reception and the outside of the prison, (i.e. a sterile area exists)
unless there are other indications that this should be done
because of the prisoner’s behaviour or security intelligence, or if
there is intelligence that the prisoner is likely to be involved in an
“at height” incident.
Unless women have been placed on closed visits because they
have breached security rules, they must be allowed to embrace
their children on open visits and be allowed to hold small children
on their laps. There should be no blanket rules forbidding close
physical contact between young children and their mothers and
KEY AUDIT
BASELINES
52. Full searching for
women prisoners
requires the removal
of as much clothing as
necessary on the
grounds of risk,
“reasonable
suspicion”, or
intelligence received.
Women are not
required to remove
underwear or external
sanitary wear, unless
necessary on these
grounds. (SUBJECT
TO OUTCOME OF
CURRENT PILOT)
[For audit baselines
concerning the
escorting of pregnant
women, women in
labour and women
who have recently
given birth see
baselines 46. and 47.]
Issue date 30/04/08
PSO 4800
Page 56
easy to conceal items for a long time internally, if
they want to.
importantly prisoners must be left in no doubt that they can hold
their small children. [Audit baseline 35.]
MDT testing is never a pleasant experience for
staff or prisoners. Women are not accustomed to
urinating in the presence of others. Women can
find it particularly embarrassing when
menstruating.
Closed visits between women and their children should only be
authorised if necessary. A single indication by a passive drugs
dog without any additional intelligence that a child is likely to be
used to smuggle in illicit articles, should not be considered enough
to justify closed visits between a woman and her child.
Sometimes prisons reduce the amount of physical
contact generally being allowed between visitors to
try to reduce the amount of drugs that are
smuggled in. Preventing physical contact between
mothers and their young children can be
psychologically damaging to young children.
Women in active labour are not handcuffed either en route to, or
while in, hospital. Restraints are to be carried but not applied
unless the woman’s behaviour is refractory or there are indications
that she may attempt to escape.
Issue No. 297
[For audit baseline
concerning the contact
between small children
and their mothers on
visits see audit
baseline 34.]
Issue date 30/04/08