UK: Women & Prisons

Two reports on the state of women's prisons in the UK.

From UK Press Association:

The UK's largest and most high profile women's prison is "extremely difficult to run safely and effectively", with almost six out of 10 inmates feeling unsafe at some point, inspectors said.

Threats and intimidation from other prisoners at Holloway in north London were rife, with one inmate describing it as "a very scary place for a first-time prisoner".

Many of the problems were long-running and stemmed from badly designed residential units that made it hard for staff to see inmates, but there were also reports of inappropriate behaviour by male prison officers, the inspectors found.

Nigel Newcomen, deputy chief inspector of prisons, said managers and staff were hampered by the "unsafe and unsatisfactory design of the prison" and "the lack of strategic direction and effective operational management within the women's prison system in general".

Which brings us onto our nest report from the London Evening Standard:

An investigation is under way into alleged sexual harassment of prisoners by officers at Holloway, Britain's largest women's jail.

Government inspectors revealed today that the inquiry centres on claims of “inappropriate behaviour” by male guards.

Some prisoners have complained about the “disconcerting” way in which guards watch them at night through the hatches in their cell doors. Others said “favouritism” by officers is making it difficult to maintain “appropriate boundaries” in their relationships.

Other findings by the prison inspectors include high levels of intimidation, with 60 per cent of women saying that they had felt unsafe, and “disturbing examples” of “poor or dismissive” treatment of inmates by a minority of staff.

There is also strong criticism of the “lack of strategic direction and effective operational management within the women's prison system in general” which the inspectors say must be addressed.