Women still sent to prison solely on mental health grounds

Self-harm

Overall, Boards in the women’s estate have reported high levels of self-harm, which often reflected a relatively small number of women with complex mental health needs. These figures reflect the continuing rise in self-harm across women’s prisons which have featured all too regularly in recent Prison Safety bulletins.

Women with severe mental health needs

Some Boards reported that healthcare or specialist units were close to full or full. The high demand meant that other women with severe mental health needs could be held in segregation or on general prison wings alongside other prisoners.
For example, at Bronzefield, the 18-bed inpatient healthcare unit is almost constantly full, and the majority of women located there have mental health issues. The Board reported that, on some days, there were more than 20 self-harm incidents occurring on the unit. During a two-week period, two officers had to provide constant supervision for one woman who was frequently self-harming.

Likewise, the Board at Eastwood Park reported that a 10-cell unit that accommodates women with mental health issues was constantly full. At one point, three women on the unit at high risk to themselves from self-harm or suicidal intent were under individual constant supervision. A woman on the unit tried to ligature nine times.

Summary

• Women continue to be sent to prison for their ‘own protection’ or as a ‘place of safety’ due to their severe mental health needs, high risk of self-harm and suicide, previous suicide attempts and a lack of secure or community mental health beds.
• For women with severe mental health issues, prison is not an appropriate environment. Some women with mental health needs were being held in segregation or on general prison wings without adequate treatment and support.
• Inpatient and specialist units in women’s prisons, where they existed, were often full due to high levels of mental health need.
• Women requiring assessment and admission to secure mental health hospitals were not assessed or transferred promptly enough.
• Overall, the rate of self-harm across the women’s estate has continually increased. There are a small number of women with particularly complex needs who account for many of these incidents across the estate.
• Prison staff are required to care for and supervise women with high levels of need. This has exacerbated staffing shortages.

Thanks to Andy Aitchison for kind permission to use the images in this post. You can see Andy’s work here