Inspectors praise Scotland's only women's prisons but warn of 'degrading' body searches

Scotland’s only prison for women has been praised by inspectors who commended it as “highly impressive”.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland suggested the £85m HMP & YOI Stirling had begun to lead the world in managing women in custody.

But chief inspector Wendy Sinclair-Gieben warned against routine body searches which she described as “degrading”, “disproportionate” and “unnecessary”.

She said searches risked “re-traumatising” vulnerable women and that they must come to an end.

Her report praised the prison, which opened in 2023, for its modern accommodation, campus design and “therapeutic environment” that aligned with the Scottish Prison Service’s (SPS) “trauma-informed ethos”.

“Inspectors witnessed some outstanding examples of caring, compassionate staff, particularly in Wintergreen which houses women with the most complex support needs,” the inspectorate said.

“We were encouraged to see that the new technique for restraint, which does not induce pain, was successfully in use and we look forward to it being rolled out across Scotland.”

Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland Wendy Sinclair-Gieben called for 'degrading' body searches to end. — Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland Wendy Sinclair-Gieben called for ‘degrading’ body searches to end. STV News

Despite the warm words, Sinclair-Gieben said a number of issues had only recently been resolved or are yet to be resolved, including the many women who only stay briefly at HMP Stirling before being transferred to an older facility.

She said: “The SPS should consider whether the current arrangement of using HMP & YOI Stirling as an assessment centre for new admissions, with women often only staying there for short periods of time before being transferred to much older prisons, often with much poorer accommodation, represents the best use of an excellent therapeutic resource in the current climate.

“The buildings and culture are developing into an excellent therapeutic model, and it is unfortunate that population pressures and the resultant churn prevent many women from benefiting fully from such a resource.

“Despite these issues, the overarching impression formed by all inspectors was of an establishment with enormous potential heading in the right direction.”

She voiced concerns over a number of potential security issues, including staff line of sight being “compromised” in the residential units.

There were also worries about people arriving late to the prison, which replaced Cornton Vale, in some cases after clinical staff had already finished for the day and were seen by staff with no clinical experience.

The report also said body searches were not justifiable when it is based purely on routine random searching of a set percentage of prisoners.

“I consider this to be disproportionate and unnecessary,” the inspectorate added.

She added: “I accept there can be a legitimate role for degrading body searching based on robust intelligence or grounds for suspicion but do not regard it as justifiable based purely on routine random searching of a set percentage of prisoners.”

The report also examined the Bella Community Custody Unit in Dundee (CCU) and the Lilas CCU in Glasgow.

The CCUs, the inspectors said, “provide a distinct alternative to traditional prisons, with a structured therapeutic environment grounded in a trauma-informed and gender-specific approach”.

They are designed to teach “real life” skills for independent living to women nearing the end of their sentence.

Reports of both facilities were “largely positive” but inspectors said “routine body searching, which is potentially re-traumatising and degrading, continued with little recognition that it contravened the trauma-informed approach” taken by the SPS.

Inspectors were also surprised that despite the facility only opening in 2022, it had not invested in technology to monitor and help inmates.

“HMIPS wish to see this and an increased range of community access, therapeutic and employment opportunities, addressed in the near future,” they said.

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “The rights and wellbeing of those in our care, and security, are key priorities.

“We have installed body scanner machines in 11 establishments and only conduct body searches where necessary to keep people safe.

“The chief inspector’s report makes clear she believes that Scotland is leading the way when it comes to managing women in custody and highlights many areas of good practice, including the reduction in the use of restraint, and additional support for new admissions.

“It is just over a year since we opened HMP & YOI Stirling. We recognise areas where improvement is needed and are working to address these for our staff, those in our care, and our neighbours.

“Our strategy for women in custody, supported by significant investment from the Scottish Government, has delivered a step change in how we support the rehabilitation of those in our care, reducing the risk of reoffending, and helping to build safer communities.”