Read the report: HMP & YOI Low Newton

HMP & YOI Low Newton, a women’s prison near Durham, was found by HM Inspectorate of Prisons to be safe and respectful, with many positive features, but needed to do more to get women out of their cells.

Inspectors visited the prison, which takes women from courts across much of northern England, in June 2021. It held 229 women: 45 were unsentenced and others were serving sentences ranging from a few months to life.

Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said:

“The excellent relationships between staff and the women, many of whom have complex needs, have helped to carry this prison through the last, difficult year.

“The many examples of notable positive practice… show the effort that staff members make to provide innovative support for the many vulnerable women, some of whom present a risk to themselves or to the public.”

The examples include the ‘Achieving Best Evidence Suite’ created to allow women, who themselves have been victims of crime, to give evidence in a safe environment without needing to go out to the police station. Video calling for families was more innovative and more well thought out than inspectors normally see.

Levels of self-harm were lower than at most similar prisons and there was a very good range of support available to help women manage their feelings and avoid potential crisis.

However, Mr Taylor added that, given the many impressive initiatives, “it was disappointing that the Listener scheme had been allowed to wither at a time when women needed peer support more than ever.” Listeners are prisoners trained by the Samaritans to support other women prisoners.

It was very concerning, Mr Taylor said, to see that the prison is regularly being used as a ‘place of safety’ for women with acute mental health difficulties.

“The unintended consequence of the well-intentioned policy designed to prevent seriously mentally ill women from languishing in police cells, has led to the problem being passed onto prisons, which are themselves an equally unsuitable environment. Some of these women should be in hospital or another environment where they can be treated, not left in prison where they are often unable to receive the specialist support they need. Women attending the health care department for their GP appointments could hear the constant screaming of one of the women.”

The report noted that prison leaders were working to stop Low Newton being used as a place of safety by the courts  but added:

“Acutely mentally unwell women who were at risk of taking their own lives were still being sent to Low Newton because of the lack of appropriate provision in the community or secure hospitals. In the previous two months, the courts had sent six women to Low Newton for their own protection. In one instance, a woman’s repeated attempts to take her own life in the community had led to her being remanded into custody.”

Another area of concern was that women continued to be locked in their cells for far too long. Mr Taylor said the prison “must urgently begin to extend significantly the amount of time women are unlocked. There was very limited education provision, meaning that women who need to improve their basic learning, earn qualifications and acquire the skills that will help them to get work when they are released are not getting the help that they need to live safe, crime-free lives.”

Overall, Mr Taylor said:

“There is much that the team at Low Newton can be rightly proud of, and coherent planning from leaders with clear timescales and targets will help this prison to build on its many successes and provide more effectively for the often-troubled women in its care.”

– End –

Notes to editors

1. Read the HMP & YOI Low Newton report, published on 7 September 2021.
2. HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate, inspecting places of detention to report on conditions and treatment, and promote positive outcomes for those detained and the public.
3. HMP & YOI Low Newton, on the outskirts of Durham City, was built in 1965 as a small remand centre for men and women. Additional accommodation was added in 1975 and the prison changed its role to a male young offender institute in 1976 with a small self-contained unit holding remand women. The prison became a women’s prison in 1998.
4. This inspection identified 12 examples of notable positive practice (see pages 13–15).
5. This inspection took place between 2 and 18 June 2021.
6. Please contact John Steele at john.steele@justice.gov.uk or on 07880 787452 if you would like more information.