More Women Being Sent To Prison And More Are Unhealthy, Says Report

More and more women are being sent to Cornton Vale Prison and more of them display bad health, addiction and history of abuse, according to a new report.

The latest report by Dr Andrew McLellan, based on a follow-up inspection of HMP and YOI Cornton Vale in March this year, highlights that:

• The physical and mental health of most women entering Cornton Vale is very poor.
• Prisoner numbers continue to rise, and a fire in one of the residential areas has put even more strain on facilities.
• As a result of the electronic locking system, it could be possible for a woman to have to wait for an hour before being given access to the toilet.
• There is a lack of purposeful activity for prisoners on remand.
• The unacceptable practice of handcuffing all women under escort, regardless of level of risk posed by the individual or the location, continues.

Dr McLellan said: “More and more women are being sent to prison: more of them are being sent to Cornton Vale; and more of them display the very unhappy combination of bad physical and mental health, addiction, and history of abuse which make Cornton Vale a difficult place to live in and a difficult place to manage.

“This inspection draws attention to some things which have changed since the last report. But the changes are on a small scale in comparison to the two things which remain the same: the rising numbers and the dreadful condition of most women when they arrive.

“A few days before the inspection a fire broke out in Skye House, home to 30 women under the age of 21. As a result the block became uninhabitable and is likely to remain so for many months. Its effects require accommodation to be found elsewhere in the prison for all the 30 prisoners: when prison numbers are very high this puts considerable strain on everyone.

“Serious concerns were raised in the inspection report of 2006 about handcuffing women being taken to hospital about to give birth. At that time assurances were given that the practice had stopped. It has not: an incident described in this report is of a woman handcuffed almost until the point of birth; and then handcuffed immediately afterwards and during every subsequent contact with her unwell baby.

“Every report published in recent years on any prison where remand prisoners are held comments on the emptiness and boredom of every single day for such people. It was an important comment in the last report, which said For a remand prisoner, addicted, mentally ill, frightened and separated from her family, time locked in her cell may not only be boring: it may be very threatening.

“Since that was written there has been no decrease in the numbers coming into Cornton Vale on remand, so it is no easier to avoid the long lock-up times; and these remanded women are no less addicted, mentally ill and frightened than they were a year ago.

“In some parts of the prison access to toilets during the night continues to cause upset and difficulty. This is because the electronic locking system limits access to the toilet to one cell at a time. It could be possible for a woman to have to wait for an hour after pressing her bell before she will be given access to the toilet.”