Health and social care services for women offenders: current provision and a future model of care

Abstract

Secure provision for women in both the Criminal Justice System and the Health Service has evolved in the last decade, in line with emerging gender-specific policy. Notable gains have been the approach to self-harm in prison and a reduction in the inappropriately high levels of secure hospital care. Although treatment pilots in UK settings are in progress, much practice remains poorly described and insufficiently evaluated. Recent strategic initiatives by both the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health, as well as the commissioning changes that have followed the Health and Social Care Act 2012, provide a basis for reconsideration and a further paradigm shift. Suggestions for a reinvigorated model of gender-sensitive provision are made, relying on principles of resilience and autonomy.

Keywords:

• gender
• mentally disordered offenders
• prisoners
• secure units
• women offenders

Notes

1. High-, medium- and low-secure hospital care is a small but significant component of all psychiatric hospital bed provision in England and Wales. Security criteria are specified for high- and medium-secure care (MSS) and in development for low-secure care (LSS). Women have two types of MSS, enhanced and ordinary. Both the Independent Sector (for-profit and not-for-profit health organisations) and the NHS (state provision) provide secure and non-secure psychiatric beds.