Punished Twice: Why prison fails women

Trauma, addiction, crime… repeat – it’s a cycle for many of the 3,600 women who find themselves in the UK prison system.

Over half of these women are victims of domestic violence, more than three quarters report mental health problems, and 73% of women who serve short sentences reoffend within a year.

But what’s the alternative? And how do you fix a broken system that effectively punishes vulnerable women twice for crimes committed out of fear and coercion?

The News Movement was given unprecedented access to HMP New Hall in Wakefield, where we heard directly from the women inside, and from those who have been offered an alternative, using new psychiatric methods to break destructive patterns of behaviour.

If you want the truth, men domestic violence.
I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Their only way out is by killing them.
I don’t feel I’m being punished. I feel like I’m being helped. I started smoking weed and from weed, I then went on to heroin.
If I hadn’t have come to prison, it I’d have been dead myself. It saved me.
I was committing offenses for my partner so that he wouldn’t start being violent with me.
I was using all through prison. Every day for me was just a party. I could be dad. It could be worse. I could be doing life. [Music] Look at the sign. HMPP New Hall. We’re here.
We’re here. Um we’re on our way to HMP New Hall uh now which is a women’s prison and there’s only actually 12 of these prisons like this across the country and that’s cuz women make up such a small percentage of the UK prison population. But the government actually questioning whether women should be here at all and one of the reasons for that is because they say a lot of the women here are victims of crimes themselves. And that could be all different crimes, you know, coercion. I think 60% of them are victims of domestic violence themselves. And a lot of the charities that we’ve spoken to and the people we’ve spoken to have said that quite often men are kind of behind the crimes that women commit. And does that kind of mean that men are the problem behind women’s prisons? And I know that sounds like a really gendered question, but I suppose that’s what we’re here to find out. [Music] Hello.
Hia. Nice to meet you. I’m an N. This is Ellie. So, if you don’t mind sitting on this black chair and I’ll sit opposite you there if that’s okay.
And do you you don’t have to, but do you mind sharing why you’re in here?
Yeah. Um, so I’m in for carrying a bladed article in public and I’ve got a free assault PCs. Um, that all happened when I was under the influence of crack cocaine. I mean, personally myself, I was committing offenses for my partner mostly because he was really poorly withdrawing from the drugs and he’d start getting a really angry. So that led me to fear for myself. So that led me to commit my to commit offenses so that he had the drugs so that he wouldn’t start being violent with me. And your story is a lot do a lot of the women in this center have the similar backgrounds in terms of domestic violence.
Um I feel like a lot of women are in that same position but yeah a lot of it is due to men and violent relationships. Yeah. I I think that if I wasn’t in that relationship then my crimes would never have been committed. going to go out the back way.
You okay? We come in on their first night. Yeah. This is where they’ll come. So, we just want to see what that looks like. So, this would be a typical sale that they come into. They’re all pretty much identical on the first night.
Well, it’s not that big, is it?
No, it’s quite small. And do they have any of the personal belongings or what they come in with? Yeah, so they come with when they come into reception. If they do come in, obviously a lot of the women don’t come in with anything. They just come in what they’re wearing, but a lot of them some of them do come in with their property and they’re allowed to bring stuff in and make the property will come down. Yeah. Their personal clothing really. Majority of them come. Yeah. Photos are allowed photos. Yeah.
Yeah. Men aren’t always behind the reason women commit crimes, but Jane’s story is one that’s shared often. A huge number of those behind bars are victims of domestic abuse and coercion. But the issues are complex with many women claiming their criminality stems from traumas of their past and fallen into a pattern of crime, drugs, and prison is all they know. It happened to Liz. It’s her 13th time inside. She’s a victim of sexual violence and says she’s been battling this trauma for years. While I was on heroin, the trauma was basically put put away. Um it’s only when you stop taking the drugs that all that memory comes flooding back and it’s quite difficult. So then we choose to use again. Um whereas on here they’re actually dealing with the trauma. They’ve always been very short sentences, three to six months um from petty shoplifting because that’s how I funded my addiction. Um I’ve never done prostitution. I’ve never robbed anybody. I’ve never hurt anybody. But I have gone into shops and stolen cokes and clothes to sell to fund my addiction. And I don’t, you know, ever deny that. That’s what I did.
And do you think that women should be in prison for theft? I think they should be sent into a treatment center to be honest. But for me, this is an expect thing. Um because there isn’t that many treatment centers out there. And in prison normally before this sentence, I was locked up in a cell left to rattle and couldn’t wait to get out just to use again cuz I’d had no therapy, no treatment, and was just thrown back out.
So maybe if you’re happy to have it on your collar.
Is it okay if I pop it on there for you? Let me know. So it’s like prison obviously it’s a life changer for me especially on big sentences I believe because like you know they get you get the support you know you get the chance to be yourself again. Um, and then as soon as you get out, it’s it’s it’s it’s hard because like the last two times I got out, I was I was let out homeless, so nowhere to live, you know, and um being on the streets for a full weekend cold, you know what I what you wouldn’t want to go to sleep in case anything happened to you. So, it was just a case of do what you know and and it’s shocking to say that, but yeah. Hello. Hi. All right.
Hello. Mind just sharing, you don’t have to, but what it was that you originally came in for?
Yeah. Section 18, wielding with intent.
Okay.
And was that under the influence?
Yeah. Yeah. I wouldn’t dream of doing it if I wasn’t under the influence. And I don’t know why I did it. I’ve got no explanation. There was nothing. He didn’t do anything to me. I just did it. And but if I hadn’t have come to prison, it I’d have been dead myself. So it saved me cuz I’ve now got off the drink. I’ve had therapy since I’ve been here. Um I’ve just changed my life. So in a way I came here for a reason. It’s not it’s not a good one, but um yeah, it saved me because it’s been good for you.
Yeah. Yeah. We’ve just finished in New Hall and I don’t know if it was really what I expected. I didn’t expect I don’t know I had no expectations really. I don’t know if you were the same. Um what shocked me though was that how positive like the kind of women were. They seemed really resilient and lots of them said it was life-changing or saved their lives even. They would been dead if they went in prison. Um obviously it’s not onesizefits all. Lots of women said it was [ __ ] There was things they didn’t like about it and they all don’t want to be there. Um but like yeah it’s they can cater as much as possible to these women but at the same time these women have such complex and different needs
like the governor even
yeah like we spoke to the governor and he kind of said himself that prison can do what they can do but once they get out into the community that’s where kind of the next step is there needs to be something to kind of keep these women out of prisons and at the moment they just don’t have that. So, we’re going to go to one of the alternative places tomorrow and kind of which is maybe the new answer to women’s prisons, but I guess we’ll see if that’s really a solution to reoffending or not. Right, we’ve got a long drive now. [Music] They get off the bus, they’re greeted with tea, coffee, and biscuits. You can’t buy that.
Also provide sports and fitness. It’s designed a trauma informed setting to actually provide the best opportunities. [Music] Do you still feel like it feels tough in here sometimes? No. No, I don’t. Not like in prison. Nothing like it. No, I don’t feel I’m being punished. I feel like I’m being helped.
And do you mind sharing with us like how come you’re at Willow Dean and stuff?
Um, yeah. I was currently in prison. Um, probation offered me um a place here. Um, and I jumped at the chance. Um, they told me that it was really intensive therapy and that’s why I really wanted to come.
And did you feel like you were not getting that kind of therapy in prison?
No. No. You waited like you you could wait months to be seen and then you get put behind your door and yeah, you’re just locked up most of the time. So, you really get depressed in there. you don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere. Um, you know that you’re just going to leave there with basically nothing. You’re back where you started. Whereas here, they work with you.
Is it all right if I pop in the front with you, Matt? That’s okay. I just wondered if you could like talk to us about how successful this is. I know you’ve mentioned the stats before, but what kind of is the success rate with reoffending? Yes, we just had a recent study done which shows that any woman coming into Willard uh residentially has a reaffending rate of around about 30%. Okay.
Um and we know that women serving short-term sentences uh have run about 60% reaffending rate. So it it’s a proven model that works. Um 30% still do reaffend even though they’ve had this program.
I guess there’s I guess there’s those women that come through that haven’t dealt with all of their issues of the past.
So often um they fall back into relationship with their previous partner.
Okay. um who isn’t lead who isn’t
leading a lifestyle that’s conducive to change.
Yeah.
Uh and if you mix yourself back in and emerge yourself back into that lifestyle, you can understand why reoffending comes back around.
Some of these women have committed crimes. Some of them are violent crimes.
And I just kind of want to get your perspect. You know, if you were a victim of one of these women, would is this the kind of experience you’d want them to have?
Well, I think there has to be a consequence to offending. And then what do we want? If we just want to punish someone, then that’s not going to change their life, is it? So, we’ve got to be able to provide a facility, a center, and a resource that actually enables them to deal with their issues of the past that hopefully will then enable them not to live um an offending lifestyle.
Amazing. Thank you. Sorry, everyone. Quiet. Sorry. Thank you so much. [Music] after being there. My personal opinion is that isn’t tough. You know, they’ve got the farm, they can go on their phones, they can watch Love Island, they can read books. Um, but then on the other hand, there’s a mental toughness. They said, you know, they’ve had to work through things. They have to go to therapy and there’s like a program that they have to engage with. Um, and I suppose you could argue which one of those is tougher. Is it being locked up and kind of just left to do your own thing or is it having to actually face your problems head on? But I think that’s going to be quite hard to convince the general public, you know, that that is the answer and that is the new face of punishment. Yeah. This is my cabin. And how long have you been here for? I’ll go home tomorrow. the home tomorrow. Oh my gosh.
Comment. I know it’s a bit hot. You can leave that open if you want. And I mean, I’ve done a lot of prison. Quite a lot over the years. I’m not proud of that, but it is what it is. And every single time I’ve got out, I’ve used drugs. I’ve relapsed. I’ve within a week, probably an hour, I’ve gone straight back to my old life. Here, being here, I have not thought of that once. I’ll be honest. I was using all through prison. It’s easier to get stuff in there than it is to car it outside the reality. You’re behind your door all day. So, every day for me was just a party. Like my life and and my addiction has come from trauma. But I in my head it’s all I know. All I’ve known from a young age is addiction and domestic violence and you know the sexual exploitation and coming here for me and getting the therapy it’s worked wonders and now I feel like I haven’t got that burden on my shoulders
and you know coming here like you said the doors are open it’s amazing we’re in a lovely field some people would say you know these women have committed crimes and they need to kind of learn their lesson and they might look at this and they’ll be like, “That’s not tough.” What would you say to them?
They don’t understand the reason that the women have commit them crimes. Like, I’m sorry. Like, it doesn’t matter what the crime is, it’s what’s led them to do it, what’s led them to take the drugs or or do whatever in the first place. And nine times out of 10 with women, it’s trauma.
Yeah.
And I’ve seen that.
That’s something you see a lot here as well.
Yeah. Men are the brunt of it. I’m sorry. women make the money. We we do things that we have to do to get by and to keep them satisfied. And if we don’t, there’s nine times out of 10 repercussions. So, and if there’s a lot of women out there that are in that situation, then I’m sorry, but why should they be punished? Why can’t they just get the help?
And how excited are you for the future?
I am very excited. I’m coming back on day. I’d like to also help other women to get back to how I’ve got back to. I’ve seen it over and over again. And do you know what? I I’m not going to lie. Coming here has it’s not just changed my life, it’s saved my life. You know, I could be dead. It could be worse. I could be doing life and I’m not. I’m in a beautiful place. I’ve learned some amazing things. And Will hasn’t seen the last. That’s it.