12 June 2008
Maria Eagle MP, Ministerial Champion for Women in the Criminal Justice System, saw first hand local efforts to better meet the needs of vulnerable female offenders whilst visiting two women's prisons in Surrey today.
Her first stop was Downview Prison in Sutton to hear about a new women's search procedure currently being piloted. This is in line with one of the recommendations in Baroness Corston's 2007 review of vulnerable women's experiences of the criminal justice system.
Unlike the current practice of frequent full searches, the pilot requires female prisoners to only remove their outer clothing, except in exceptional circumstances, which causes less distress to the women who have often been the victim of violence and sexual abuse. Downview is one of four prisons piloting this approach.
The minister, who leads on driving forward the recommendations made by Baroness Corston, also visited Downview's 'Stepping Stones' project.
Stepping Stones is an innovative project that assists women to rebuild the relationship they have with their children. More than half the women in prison have a child under 16, and more than a third have a child under the age of five.
The project comprises of two self-contained flats located just outside the prison gates which allow female prisoners to spend quality time with their children away from the normal prison environment.
Maria Eagle MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Justice said:
'The government is committed to reducing the reliance on prison for low risk female offenders by focusing on improving provision and interventions in the community. However, where a custodial sentence is appropriate it is important to ensure the needs of women are understood and prioritised.
'We have already introduced Gender Specific Standards for women in prison to ensure that regimes and provision are appropriate and responsive to women's needs; the pilot here at Downview is a valuable extension of this work.'
The minister also visited Send women's prison which is piloting the newly developed Women Awareness Staff Programme. The provision of appropriate training for staff working with women prisoners was also a recommendation from the Corston Review.
The course includes modules on the background to women's offending, female behaviour in custody, conflict resolution, and self-harm and abuse. Full delivery of the programme is expected to be rolled out across the female estate in the autumn.
Maria Eagle MP continued:
'The vulnerabilities experienced by many women in the criminal justice system, including mental health problems, drug misuse, sexual and domestic abuse and concerns about their children, cannot be ignored.
'This new training package for staff working with female offenders brings us a step closer to ensuring that women who come into contact with the criminal justice system are treated appropriately to protect the public and reduce reoffending whilst also meeting their specific and individual needs.'
Notes to editors
1. For information about this visit or to request an interview with Maria Eagle MP please contact Rachel Fell on 020 7210 8806.