Hospital plea for complex prisoners

PRISON monitors have asked the Government to consider treating women prisoners with complex mental health needs in secure hospitals rather than in prisons after a damning report into a

West women’s prison.

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) found the number of incidents where the women in prison at Eastwood Park hurt or injured themselves had risen by 128 per cent in just one year.

But the IMB report, which covered the year 2022-23, said inspectors found a large proportion of the self-harm incidents involved a small number of extremely vulnerable prisoners, who suffered from complex mental health needs.

The IMB said these were the prisoners who should be in hospital rather than prison.

The report outlined how the year began with “acute staffing shortages”, which resulted in an “unreliable and unpredictable regime” at Eastwood Park.

Even when more staff were recruited at the prison near Falfield, South Gloucestershire, the report found that prison officers spent much of their time supervising and watching those at high risk of self-harm.

“Women awaiting transfer to a secure mental health hospital had to wait far too long for placements, with the recommended target of 28 days exceeded for 40 per cent of these prisoners,” a spokesperson for the IMB said.

“Time out of cell was extremely limited from October 2022 until January 2023 due to restricted staff numbers and a consistently high number of prisoners requiring constant supervision or bed watches. However, the board is pleased to report that there was investment in the infrastructure of the prison, with a new activity building opened in June 2023 providing additional workshop space and much-needed interview rooms, the Complex Needs wing has been completely refurbished.”

Overall, the chair of the monitoring board, Gill Pyatt, said things were improving, but still needed to change.

“It must be acknowledged that hard work and innovative strategies from the staff at Eastwood Park have improved the functioning of the prison,” she said. “The overarching aim is to keep women safe. However, the number of women who selfharm, along with the wide range of women with very complex needs, is of concern to the board.”

She added: “The IMB has suggested to the Minister of State for Justice that women with mental health problems and complex needs would be better treated in the health system than the criminal justice one. We hope there are plans to address our concerns.”