Asked by Baroness Burt of Solihull To ask Her Majesty’s
Government what assessment they have made of the suitability of
bids for replacement services for women prisons made following the
closure of HM Prison Holloway. The Advocate-General for Scotland
(Lord Keen of Elie) (Con) My Lords, women formerly held at HM
Prison Holloway were...Request free
trial
Asked by
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have
made of the suitability of bids for replacement services
for women prisons made following the closure of HM Prison
Holloway.
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The Advocate-General for Scotland (Lord Keen of Elie)
(Con)
My Lords, women formerly held at HM Prison Holloway were
transferred to other prisons from July 2016. Where
equivalent provision was not already in place at the
destination prison, HM Prison and Probation Service managed
the transition of services from Holloway, giving due
consideration to the needs of both service providers and
the prisoners that they support. As a result, bids for
replacement services were not undertaken.
-
(LD)
My Lords, 11 years ago, the Corston report stated that the
Government should create a strategy to replace existing
women’s prisons with suitable, geographically dispersed,
small, multifunctional custodial centres within 10 years.
As the noble and learned Lord has pointed out, Holloway is
now closed and female offenders are being redistributed,
even on short-term sentences, all over the country, which
negatively impacts on the stability of their family life.
Is the Minister saying that this policy is not now going to
be pursued by the Government?
-
My Lords, with regard to the dispersal of prisoners from HM
Prison Holloway, there were at the time of the move 241
prisoners who had to be transferred to other prisons. Of
those, 114 were transferred to Downview and the remand
prisoners, extending to about 56, were transferred to
Bronzefield. Both those establishments had suitable
facilities and services for the prisoners who were
transferred. We are, of course, engaged in looking at and
renewing the entire prison estate at the present time,
which is one reason for the disposal of HM Prison Holloway.
-
(Lab)
My Lords, it is nearly two and a half years since the
closure of Holloway was announced and 20 months since it
closed. As we have heard, prisoners have been moved outside
London to Surrey, Kent, Peterborough and beyond, with
serious effects on staffing and the well-being of prisoners
now further away from their families. More efforts appear
to be made to develop the former site than to replace the
prison. Why was the closure implemented before accessible,
suitable and permanent provision was secured?
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My Lords, accessible and suitable provision was secured for
those prisoners who were transferred from Holloway. I have
indicated that they were transferred to Downview, in
particular, Bronzefield and one or two others. There were
individual interviews in respect of all prisoners in order
to determine the suitability of their transfer. In
addition, 24 service providers at Holloway transferred to
Downview and a further 12 were replaced with equivalent
provision at Downview. We consider that suitable provision
was made in respect of these transfers.
-
(Con)
My Lords, Brazil’s Supreme Court recently ruled that
pregnant women and mothers with children under 12 accused
of non-violent crimes will not be held in prison on remand
but detained at home. Do the UK courts consider the
presence of dependent children when determining whether
women awaiting trial for non-violent crimes will be allowed
bail?
-
My Lords, that is a relevant consideration because, since
the Bail Act 1976, it is already presumed that a defendant
will be bailed. That is the starting point in consideration
of each defendant and that presumption has to be overcome.
In looking at the presumption, a court will have regard to
the personal circumstances of the defendant, including any
caring responsibilities they may have.
-
(LD)
My Lords, perhaps I may press the Minister further on the
response he gave to my noble friend’s Question when he said
that the women from Holloway were being dispersed around
the country, some as far as Peterborough. He made no
mention of what is happening for women in London. Holloway
was the largest women’s prison and had been in London for
many years. What has happened to the women who have a base,
families, dependents and children in London, as has just
been mentioned?
-
As I indicated, the vast majority of those at Holloway were
transferred to Downview, which is accessible in that
context, and to Bronzefield. We are in the process of
renewing the entire prison estate, but that cannot be done
overnight.
-
(CB)
My Lords, for some time we have been promised a strategy on
women in the criminal justice system. Can the Minister tell
the House when this strategy is expected?
-
At the present time there is in development a strategy in
respect of female offenders. I am not in a position to say
when that will be delivered but we are carrying it through
as swiftly as we can.
-
(Lab)
My Lords, the Government have two choices. One is to speed
up the process of modernisation of our jails; the second
one is to reduce the number of people who are sent to jail.
Is it not time they took one of those options on board and
took action on this matter?
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My Lords, we are addressing both options.
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The Lord Bishop of Rochester
My Lords, in relation to the strategy that is under
development, can the Minister assure the House that this
will include what happens to women upon release, perhaps
with particular mention of women’s centres? Some of the
most vulnerable people in our society are often released
even into homelessness and into places where there is no
support.
-
My Lords, we are seeking to invest in what is termed the
whole system approach in respect of female offenders who
are released from custody in order that we can develop a
female offender strategy. By 2020 we will have invested £1
million in seed funding investment for community provision.
-
(CB)
Does the noble and learned Lord agree that in dealing with
female prisoners it is most important that great attention
is paid to the need for offenders to have regular contact
with their children? Otherwise there is a danger of
repetition by succeeding generations of what happened in
the case of the offender.
-
I entirely agree with the observations of the noble and
learned Lord. We are concerned to ensure that such contact
can be maintained. At another level, of the 12 prisons
currently located throughout the country for female
offenders, six have mother and baby units.
-
(Lab)
My Lords, of the women who were moved from Holloway when it
closed, and aside from those who have since been released,
how many have remained where they were sent in the first
instance? This is relevant in respect, for example, of
contact with families. How many, if any, were moved again
after that first move?
-
I am not in a position to give specific figures in response
to the question from the noble Baroness, but I will undertake
to write if they are available and I will place a copy of the
letter in the Library.
-
(LD)
My Lords, the noble and learned Lord has mentioned mother and
baby units. Am I right in thinking that those are units for
newborn and very young babies? The noble and learned Lord,
, referred to older
children and the importance of maintaining family connections
beyond the age of six months or so.
-
My Lords, I fully acknowledge that, which is why I added the
addendum with regard to the number of mother and baby units
because contact at that stage is also very important. Clearly
we understand the need for contact between female offenders
and their families in general.
-
(Con)
My Lords, is my noble and learned friend entirely confident
that sufficient attention is being given to community
restorative justice? Would not many of the women who are
given custodial sentences be of better use to their families
and society if they went down that route?
-
My Lords, we are looking at alternatives to custody right
across the prison estate. I would add this in response to my
noble friend: I am never entirely confident about anything,
let alone this issue.
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