A report by the Prisons Inspectorate found that overall, Eastwood Park prison in Gloucestershire responded impressively to the challenges of its population, many of whom have disabilities and health problems.
Despite praising the prison for the way it worked with this group, inspectors flagged up concerns about the environment for 18- to 21-year-old women held at the establishment, who made up around 10 per cent of the total population of 327 at the time of inspection last November.
Inspectors found that little thought had been given to their specific needs and the group was more likely to be involved in self-harm and assaults and less likely to make progress in education.
“Services for this group were rudimentary and there had been little thought about their specific needs,” the report states.
“There was a lack of focus on them to ensure aspects of the resettlement provision addressed their specific issues.
“Services for this group were not strategic or co-ordinated.”
Data collated by the prison showed that young women (aged 18 to 21) had been involved in 16 per cent of antisocial behaviour incidents.
They also accounted for 31 per cent of self-harm incidents.
The report recommends that the specific needs of the young adult population should be clearly assessed, and a strategic and coordinated approach taken to meeting them.
However, overall the prison – which has a catchment area that encompasses Cornwall in the South West to Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, across Wales and along the south coast – was praised for the progress it has made.
Inspectors found that first night and early days support was “very good” and much improved from a previous inspection in 2012.
Meanwhile, significant improvements had been made in treating and supporting the high number of women with substance misuse problems.
And the environment was “generally decent” and staff-prisoner relationships were particularly strong.
The report says half the prison's population were in touch with mental health services, almost three-quarters were having treatment for drug and alcohol misuse and, on average, there were about 10 self-harm incidents every week. Many of the women held had histories of abuse, rape, domestic violence and involvement in prostitution.
The needs of young women in custody is currently in the spotlight, with campaigners calling for the government to rule out holding girls alongside boys in proposed new secure colleges.
