The chief inspector of prisons has warned of more deaths at
Styal women's prison if services for vulnerable inmates do not
improve.
Anne Owers made the call after the fourth critical report on the
prison since 2002. Six women have died since the last inspection in
2006, including one last month.
Owers' latest report, published today, found that a lack of
training and support had left prison officers struggling to cope
with the "extreme and complex" needs of inmates in the prison's
therapeutic unit.
Use of force
Owers raised particular concern over the "inappropriate" use of
force on women who self-harmed, and said 1,335 incidents had been
recorded between January and July last year.
The inspection, from 1 to 5 September last year, found there was
no firm action plan to ensure that changes agreed after previous
deaths had been maintained. A total of 12 woman have died at the
prison since 2000, including Alison Colk last month.
More than one-third of women arriving at Styal reported feeling
depressed or suicidal and most were heavily dependent on drugs and
alcohol, the inspection found.
Mother and baby unit
Owers praised some "innovative and
admirable" approaches, including a mother and baby unit and the
placement of a social worker to support young adults, but concluded
the prison was unable to fully meet women's needs.
Physical and health provision was still inadequate despite
some "very good quality" services, including mental health
assessments for every woman.
Owers called on the Prison Service to recognise the level of
investment needed and questioned whether vulnerable women should be
placed in prison. "While they are there, there is the need to
provide a much better resourced and professionally led therapeutic
environment to support them and the staff looking after them," she
said.
Slow progress
Owers said she "could not rule out the likelihood" of further
deaths despite an "upward curve" of improvement. She also
criticised slow progress in implementing the recommendations of a
government-commissioned
review of vulnerable women prisoners, published in 2007.
The review by Baroness Corston, prompted by the deaths of six
Styal inmates between 2002-3, recommended a drastic reduction in
the use of women's imprisonment. Ministers accepted most of the
recommendations and last May published a national service framework
for women offenders.
Owers added that the current independent
review of mentally ill prisoners by Lord Bradley should be
published "as soon as possible".
Call for closure
Responding to the inspection report, The Howard League for Penal
Reform called for the prison to be closed. Charity Inquest, which
support families of those who have died in custody, said urgent
action was needed.
John Gunn, brother of
Lisa Marley, who died at Styal in January last year, asked:
"How many more women have to die before something is done?"
Michael Spurr, chief operating officer for the National Offender
Management Service, defended the prison's progress, highlighting
improvements in activity and resettlement work and "constructive"
relationships between staff and prisoners.
More information
Full inspection report
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