Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many restricted status prisoners were held in the female estate in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

A Restricted Status (RS) prisoner is any female, young person or young adult prisoner, convicted or on remand, whose escape would present a serious risk to the public and who is required to be held in designated secure accommodation.

The table below provides the overall total figure for the specified year for those held in the female estate.

A remanded female prisoner classified as RS is subject to review on an annual basis up until the time of their trial unless further information is received to suggest that an earlier review of their RS status is required.

Following completion of their trial and if convicted and sentenced, the prisoner will then have their First Formal review which will decide whether RS remains warranted.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners in the female prison estate have been assessed as lacking capacity in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in each of the last five years.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many women in prison were sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last five years.

Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Under sections 47/49 and 48/49 of the Mental Health Act 1983, the Secretary of State may authorise by warrant the transfer of female prisoners to a secure hospital, where he is satisfied that the criteria for detention are met.

The number of women prisoners transferred to hospital in each of the last five years are:

2021 – 184

2020 - 181

2019 - 213

2018 - 192

2017 – 180

The data for 2022 are not currently available, they are due for publication later this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many women in prison were registered as having disabilities in each of the last five years; and of those, how many had (1) physical, and (2) learning, disabilities.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information requested is not currently held centrally as it has not yet been validated.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of women in prison.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

As set out in the 2018 Female Offender Strategy, the Government is committed to ensure more women are managed successfully in the community and that fewer women go to prison, particularly on short sentences. Since the Strategy was published, the number of women entering the criminal justice system for the first time has fallen by 20%.

We are investing tens of millions of pounds over the next three years into community services for women, drug rehabilitation and accommodation support, so fewer women end up in prison.

We will shortly publish a Delivery Plan for the Female Offender Strategy. This will set out our ambitious cross-Government approach for the next three years.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of support for female prisoners.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The Female Offender Strategy (2018) set out the case for taking a gender specific and trauma responsive approach to female offenders. It provided a framework to deliver better outcomes for women at all points of the criminal justice system and to make society safer by tackling the underlying causes of offending and reoffending

The Prisons Strategy White Paper, published in December 2021, provides our most recent assessment of support for women in custody, and reaffirms our intention to see a custodial environment that protects the public and supports effective rehabilitation. The White Paper sets out our approach for women’s prisons; one which is trauma responsive, recognises the distinct nature of women’s experience in custody, and provides the appropriate levels of support, particularly for pregnant women and those with young children.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2022 to Question 31829 on Prisoners: Location and the Answer of 24 March 2022 to Question HL6866 on Prisoners: Females, what the average travelling distance between (a) female and (b) male prisons and the prisoner's home address was in each year since 2010.

Answered by Simon Baynes

Although travelling distance from home was historically provided on an ad hoc basis for specific time frames, this calculation method was discontinued in 2019 and replaced with straight-line modelling.

Straight-line modelling is the most consistent calculation method. Attempts to model based on travelling distance are subject to high levels of temporal and geographical variation (e.g. inner city travel time).

As such, the information requested is deemed less useful than straight-line modelling data. It is therefore not routinely calculated and is not currently held.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 and above, went to prison in each of the last 10 years; what was the average length of sentence for each of those categories; and what were the 10 most common offences that led to the imprisonment of women during this period.

Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The information requested is in the attached table.

The Female Offender Strategy, published in June 2018, made it clear we want fewer women serving short sentences in custody and more managed in the community. Custody is intended as a last resort, for the protection of the public and the punishment and rehabilitation of the offender.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the terms of reference are for the National Stakeholder Advisory Forum to improve support for pregnant women and young mothers.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Prisons Strategy White Paper set out a new approach for women’s prisons: one which is trauma responsive, recognises the distinct nature of women’s experience in custody and provides the appropriate levels of support, particularly for pregnant women and those with young children.

So far, we have developed bespoke selection and assessment criteria for staff in women’s prisons and started to roll out a bespoke model of staff training.

We have also funded a number of activities to support improvements in safety, including additional support for women with complex needs, specialist support for women who have experienced abuse and extra support during early days in custody.

In addition, we have announced the opening of a pilot Residential Women’s Centre in Swansea to provide a community-based alternative to a short custodial sentence.

The Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Unit and Maternal Separation from Children up to the Age of Two in Women’s Prisons Policy Framework (September 2021), committed to the introduction of the Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Liaison Officer across the women’s estate. There are 13 Liaison Officers in place and 12 attended the national ‘Managing Pregnant Women in Prison’ course in March 2022. Additionally, we have introduced a National Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Liaison Officers Support Network.

We also committed to The National Stakeholder Advisory Forum on Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Units, and Maternal Separation from Children up to the Age of Two in Women’s Prisons. This bi-annual event will bring together key stakeholders and individuals with lived experience ensuring a culture of reflective practice and informed policy development. The first event is scheduled for Autumn 2022 and the terms of reference will be shared with forum attendees in advance.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the ethnic breakdown of women in prison aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, for each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The attached tables show the numbers of female prisoners aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, for each of the last 10 years.

The Female Offender Strategy (FOS), a comprehensive programme of work to improve outcomes for women at all points of the Criminal Justice System, included a clear commitment to look at how the distinct needs of ethnic minority women can be better addressed, and work is underway to deliver this commitment.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women in prison aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, have previously been in local authority care in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is committed to meeting the needs of all vulnerable offenders, including those who have previously been in local authority care. All individuals that come into contact with the criminal justice system need to be able to access the right support to help them engage with their sentence.

HMPPS has a Strategy for Care Experienced People which is based on the assessment of needs specific to this group. The strategy focuses on identifying people with care experience and collaborative working with local authorities and other organisations, helping individuals to receive the necessary support.

HMPPS holds a limited amount of the information requested. Since 2015, as part of the basic custody screening interview, we have recorded the answers of all new prisoners coming into custody as to whether or not they have been in the care of local authority children’s services at any time. The information is purely self-declared.

The data for 2022 is up to and including 31 March which is the most recent date for which it can be verified. It should be noted that individual prisoners admitted to custody on separate occasions could be included in multiple years across this data.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average number of miles that women in prison aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, are held from their home address.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The requested information can be found in the table below. It covers all prisoners housed in female prisons across England and Wales and was accurate as of 31st March 2022.

HMPPS is committed to ensuring, where practicable, that prisoners are accommodated as close as possible to their resettlement communities and families. Whilst this is a priority, it is not always possible due to a variety of factors including wider population pressures, or where prisoners have specific sentence planning needs which can only be met at certain establishments.

There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring and locating prisoners, and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, including their security assessment, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women in prison aged (1) 18 to 25, or (2) 26 years or older, are currently sharing a cell.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The requested data, correct as of 31^st March 2022, is provided in table form below.

HL530 – The number of people housed in each female prison aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older.

HL534 – The number of people aged (1) between 18 and 25, and (2) 26 years or older sharing a cell in a female prison.

Cells are only shared when absolutely necessary, and where they are assessed to be of an adequate size and condition. Prison cell occupancy is certified by the Prison Group Director (PGD) in accordance with the Certified Prisoner Accommodation Framework, which provides guidelines for determining cell capacities.

The sharing of double occupancy cells (designed for two) can, in some circumstances, be beneficial; some prisoners prefer it and, in the right circumstances, it can benefit their mental health and wellbeing.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older, are currently held in each female prison establishment.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The requested data, correct as of 31^st March 2022, is provided in table form below.

HL530 – The number of people housed in each female prison aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 years or older.

HL534 – The number of people aged (1) between 18 and 25, and (2) 26 years or older sharing a cell in a female prison.

Cells are only shared when absolutely necessary, and where they are assessed to be of an adequate size and condition. Prison cell occupancy is certified by the Prison Group Director (PGD) in accordance with the Certified Prisoner Accommodation Framework, which provides guidelines for determining cell capacities.

The sharing of double occupancy cells (designed for two) can, in some circumstances, be beneficial; some prisoners prefer it and, in the right circumstances, it can benefit their mental health and wellbeing.

Found: Commons | 896 Date tabled: 11 May 2022 | Date for answer: 16 May 2022 | Date answered: 20 May 2022 Prisoners