Women living in Scotland’s groundbreaking Community Custody Units have spoken positively about them in a new research report.
The Scottish Prisons Assessment and Review of Outcomes for Women (SPAROW), by University of Glasgow researchers, has been published by the Scottish Government.
It looks at the Bella Centre, in Dundee, and the Lilias Centre, in Glasgow, which both opened in 2022.
They are the first of their kind in the UK and are focused on supporting women, and building their independence, as they prepare for release.
Women live in accommodation based on a ‘shared house’ principle and are able to order their own food shopping, cook their own meals, and have greater control over their own personal journey. Some have community access and work placements.
The approach taken is underpinned by the Strategy for Women in Custody 2021 – 2025, and builds upon the Report of Commission for Women Offenders (2012), led by Dame Elish Angiolini.
The SPAROW research began in August 2023, less than a year after the opening of the Lilias Centre, with the Bella Centre only slightly older. Researchers spoke to both staff and the women living there about how they are working so far.
The report summary said: “It is clear that important objectives have been met.
“The built environments of the two CCUs reflect ‘light, garden, colour, and connections between buildings and have been designed to embody a trauma-informed sensitivity.”
Both women and staff at the CCUs have had to adapt to a very different model, which has not been used in Scotland before.
The Scottish Prison Service continues to learn as it seeks to make best use of the facilities, which have become fuller as admission processes have improved.
Overall, the experience of the women living in them was found to be very positive.
The report said: “With few exceptions, women were positive about the physical environment and facilities, the relative quietness and the levels of privacy afforded to them.
“For the most part, women felt ‘respected’ by prison officers and believed that they treated him with sensitivity and candour and provided appropriate support, including recognition of their experiences of trauma.”
However, concerns were raised around the use of body searching, the variability of activities, and women’s frustrations about restrictions on access to the community.
Staff were described as “committed and well-intentioned” and “wanting to do their best for the women in their care”, but there was a recommendation for more training to improve understanding of the different way of working in a CCU compared to other prisons.
Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, said: “Our CCUs helped delivery a step change in the way we support the rehabilitation of women in custody in Scotland, and we are grateful for the SPAROW report and its recommendations.
“It is particularly pleasing that this report gives a voice to the women living in the Bella and Lilias, and captures their many positive experiences of this groundbreaking approach, including the respect and sensitivity of staff working with them.
“The CCUs are still very new and we will continue to learn and seek to improve how we support the women living there and give them the best possible opportunity of a successful return to their communities upon liberation.”
Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, added: “I welcome this extensive report, which evaluates how women are managed and supported in Community Custody Units (CCUs) – facilities designed to help better prepare women for release.
“Our investment in the women's estate in recent years, including the CCUs and the national facility at HMP&YOI Stirling, supports compassionate care of women in custody and successful transitions back to the community, which can reduce reoffending. The trauma-informed approach underpinning the Scottish Prison Service's Women's Strategy was implemented in the design of the new facilities and services.
“The research provides valuable evidence on how CCUs have supported women as well as areas where improvements can be made to give the best possible opportunity of a successful return to their communities on liberation.”