The purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of women held in prison in England and Wales. To this end, the delegation visited His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Eastwood Park and HMP Styal.

At the time of the visit, significant numbers of women were serving short sentences or had been recalled to prison (frequently for periods as short as 14–28 days). Recall was often due to failures in meeting probation requirements or a lack of stable community housing and support. The Committee considers that the current system provides insufficient time for any substantive intervention. What women need are effective reintegration measures and efficient social and mental healthcare, both in prison and the community, to support them in rebuilding their lives and improve their chances of staying out of prison.

Recall to prison should only be applied after all other solutions have been considered and deemed inappropriate to the specific circumstances of each case. Further investment is needed in effective community-based alternatives and support services, especially for women with complex needs, mental health issues, and those at risk of homelessness.

Positively, the delegation did not receive any allegations of physical ill-treatment of prisoners by staff. Instances of inter-prisoner violence occurred in both prisons visited, but they were few in number and, as a general rule, staff intervened rapidly.

The conditions of detention were generally acceptable at Eastwood Park Prison. At Styal however, urgent action is needed to bring the establishment into conformity with fire safety regulations, without which the lives of women, and potentially their children, are at risk. In addition, most of the two-storey accommodation Houses were dilapidated and in an inadequate state of repair, and steps should be taken to remedy the deficiencies identified, including as regards heating and poor hygiene in certain Houses. The Committee also reiterates the importance of daily access to fresh air, and consequently the need to equip each of the outdoor exercise yards at both Eastwood Park and Styal with a shelter from the rain and sun.

Severe staff shortages at both prisons impaired safety, activity scheduling, and prisoner welfare, often leading to prolonged lockups and a lack of supervision. Efforts to improve the prison officer to prisoner ratio should be pursued, and the training of prison officers employed in prisons for women should be re-assessed and strengthened, so as to be more specialised, gender-specific, and trauma-informed.

The provision of somatic and mental healthcare was of good quality overall and, positively, was also trauma-informed. However, adequate provision of mental healthcare was a significant challenge. A thorough assessment of the mental healthcare needs of women in both prisons visited is necessary, with the staffing of relevant professionals adapted accordingly. Further, the transfer of patients with an acute mental illness to a secure mental health facility was slow, although it should take place without delay.

The prisons visited demonstrated a strong commitment to self-harm and suicide prevention through comprehensive assessment, support, and de-escalation strategies, including robust case management and multidisciplinary team involvement. Specialised units and therapeutic programmes, such as NEXUS and ADAPT, offer enhanced psychological care and interventions for women with complex mental health needs, leading to positive outcomes and empowerment. The CPT highlights the need for wider access to tailored activities, increased professional staffing, and a more therapeutic environment for women who frequently self-harm or have severe mental health issues. To truly strengthen women’s mental health and support reintegration, the United Kingdom authorities should expand these programmes and support measures to more prisons and ensure comprehensive aftercare for all female prisoners.

The Committee found that the Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) in both prisons visited provided a high level of care for mothers and babies.

On the other hand, women placed in segregation for reasons of good order or prisoner welfare were offered a very limited regime and, in some cases, prolonged isolation. The CPT recommends that women segregated for good order, imperatively when the segregation extends beyond 14 days, receive at least two hours of meaningful human contact daily. Women placed in segregation for longer than 14 days also need proactive support for reintegration. Further, at the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) in Styal Prison, safer cell furnishings should be installed to reduce self-harm risks. Lastly, the Committee found that the practice at the Styal CSU of compiling a summary sheet on each individual prisoner provided staff with an insight into the specific needs, triggers and positive interactions of the various women held on the unit.

In their response, the United Kingdom authorities provide information on the measures taken to implement the recommendations made in the CPT’s report and reference is made to several policy reviews on, for example, social policy, segregation and X-Ray Body Scanners. The authorities underline that many recommendations have been accepted and acted upon, and that they are committed to working with the CPT to improve the conditions and care of women in detention and to support them to rebuild their lives upon release.

• Read the report (in English)
• Read the executive summary (in English, in French)
• Read the response of the authorities (in English)
• Read the visit’s newsflash
• The CPT and the United Kingdom