Suicide risk 'crisis' at women's prison

The Chief Inspector of Prisons has denounced a women's jail as "an establishment in crisis" and said that some of the "profoundly disturbed" teenage girls held there should not be in custody.

In a report published today, Anne Owers said that Eastwood Park Prison, near Bristol, failed to meet 76 of the 112 recommendations made by inspectors after a visit two years ago. She said the jail did not provide a safe environment for many of its 300 inmates, including 60 girls as young as 15.

In one month, inspectors found there had been 47 self-harm incidents, some of them life-threatening, and 56 prisoners identified as suicide risks. Ms Owers said: "This is a very troubling report of an establishment in crisis and, at the time of inspection, unable to provide a safe, decent and constructive environment for many of the women and girls within it."

She said: "It was impossible not to be struck by the profound personality disturbance and mental health problems that many presented and by the inappropriateness of prison, or indeed any other custodial placement, for them."

The report found that the requirements of mentally ill patients in the healthcare unit were "beyond the expertise and number" of nursing staff.

There were no facilities for visitors, who were using a hedge in the car park as a lavatory. Inspectors found excrement and used nappies there.

Ms Owers said: "It is a picture of an establishment whose management had been completely overwhelmed by the real difficulties it faced, to the extent that it was unable to provide coherent leadership, strategy or regime."

Martin Narey, director general of the Prison Service, acknowledged the criticisms and said the jail had suffered from the national overcrowding problem. "Eastwood Park was inspected at a particularly difficult time when staff shortages were at their worst," he said.