Women offenders: after the Corston Report - United Kingdom ...

Ev 100Justice Committee: EvidenceThe availability of appropriate provision for different groups of women offenders, including, under 18s,women with children, foreign nationals and Black, Asian and minority ethnic women, and those with mentalhealth problems31. In terms of provision for different groups of female offenders:— Under 18s: on the 30 June 2012, 1% of female prisoners were under 18 (compared to 2% ofmale prisoners). NOMS is commissioned by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) to provide custodialplaces for 17 year old girls in three dedicated units within women’s prisons. These are theJosephine Butler Unit in Downview, the Mary Carpenter Unit in Eastwood Park and theRivendell Unit in New Hall. During 2012–13, the YJB commissioned a total of 41 places: 16at Downview, 16 at Eastwood Park and nine places at New Hall.— Female offenders with Children: NOMS does not centrally hold information about the numberof prisoners or offenders under probation supervision with children. However, the SurveyingPrisoner Crime Reduction survey undertaken in 2005–06, suggests that 54% of all prisoners haddependent children under 18 on reception into custody. 34 Similarly, the Offender ManagementCommunity Cohort Study undertaken in 2009–10 suggests 51% of male offenders and 58% offemale offenders on Community Orders had children under 18 (including adopted andstepchildren). 35— NOMS actively encourages prisoners to maintain meaningful family ties. Visits are seen ascrucial to sustaining relationships with close relatives, partners and friends, where appropriate,and help prisoners maintain links with the community. Analysis of Resettlement Surveysundertaken in 2001, 2003 and 2004 found offenders who were visited by a partner or familymember while in custody had significantly lower reoffending rates compared to those who werenot visited. 36 Regular and good quality contact time between an offending parent and theirchildren/partner provides an incentive not to reoffend, and helps prisoners arrangeaccommodation employment/training on release.— Mother and Baby Units are available in prisons to ensure the best interests of the child are met,enabling the mother and child relationship to develop. They also safeguard and promote thechild’s welfare. There are seven Mother and Baby Units in England and Wales which providean overall total capacity of 77 places for mothers (there is 84 places for babies to allow fortwins). The UK Border Agency has a specialist Minors, Mother and Baby Team to deal withfemale foreign national offenders who are either pregnant or held with their children in theseunits.— Foreign National Prisoners: On 30 June 2012, 15% of women in prison were Foreign Nationals(compared to 13% of male prisoners). NOMS has provided grant funding of £300k to Praxis,a London-based centre that provides advice and support services to migrants and refugees toundertake work to address the resettlement needs of foreign national women at HMPsDownview and Drake Hall. As well as casework with individual offenders designed to improveresettlement outcomes, the project aims to improve links between prisons and otherorganisations that can provide both support to foreign national female prisoners and training toprison staff.— Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women (BAME): On 30 June 2012, 21% of all women inprison were from a BAME background (compared to 25% of male prisoners), the lowestproportion since 2004.— Female offenders with mental health problems: Prisoners’ mental health is considerably poorerthan that of the general population. Research has found female prisoners are more likely thanmale prisoners to report suffering from neurotic symptoms (including anxiety and depression)and probable psychosis. 37 The Government is committed to reshaping treatment in prison andinterventions in the community to develop a treatment-based system that is focused on recovery.Details of cross-government work with the Department of Health can be found at Annex A.34 Williams, K, Papadopoulou, V and Booth, N (2012). Prisoners’ childhood and family backgrounds. Results from the SurveyingPrisoner Crime Reduction (SPCR) longitudinal cohort study of prisoners. London: Ministry of Justice.35 UNPUBLISHED. Ministry of Justice (unpublished) Offender Management Community Cohort Study (OMCCS) interim data.36 May, C, Sharma, N and Stewart, D (2008). Factors linked to reoffending: a one-year follow-up of prisoners who took part inthe Resettlement Surveys 2001, 2003 and 2004, Ministry of Justice Research Summary 5. London: Ministry of Justice.37 Singleton, N, Meltzer, H, Gatward, R with Coid, J and Deasy, D (1998). Psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England andWales. A survey carried out in 1997 by the Social Survey Division of ONS on behalf of the Department of Health. London:ONS.