Scottish Prisons Assessment and Review of Outcomes for Women (SPAROW): executive summary

Vision and aspirations for the CCUs: A policy Theory of Change (see Chapters 4 & 10 in the full report)

Key to the initiative of creating the CCUs was the initial positive and inspiring Theory of Change (ToC) whose genesis lies in the Report of the Commission for Women Offenders (2012)^[1] and which was adopted by the SPS. The initial ToC outlines stated goals of a desired change, the conditions or activities which need to be in place to effect change, and the links between these things.

The early aspirations for the CCUs at a strategic level align with the SPS Strategy for Women in Custody as discussed in Chapter 2 of the full report. We note that in the early stages of implementation strategic stakeholders were aware of key barriers to be negotiated. These included identifying suitable locations for CCUs with appropriate community buy-in; the logistics of recruiting, training and retaining staff fitting the ethos of the model; and, the tensions between aspirations for CCUs and what is allowable under current equality legislation.

It was recognised by senior strategic managers from the outset that officers deployed in the CCUs would have to be carefully recruited and trained so that aspirations around gender-specificity and trauma-informed care delivery could be met. However, delays in opening the two CCUs led to a loss of engagement on the part of some officers, whilst others moved on. This said, it was clear from interviews with strategic managers that training was seen as an important way of setting out the expectations of working in a CCU. Training was to include content on operational matters, new processes, trauma, desistance, caring for women in custody, and ways of working in a CCU.

It was also recognised by strategic managers that whilst progression criteria had been reviewed, alongside escorted leave and temporary leave, there were challenging issues to do with comparisons and equality in treatment. Key amongst these was how to give women access to the community without changing the SPS Prison Rules.

Chapter 10 in the full report examines how far the ToC has been implemented in the CCUs by drawing on direct evidence of the activities set out in the initial ToC. These activities are:

• establishment of CCUs with appropriate and informed staff recruitment;
• training for staff in gender and trauma-informed care;
• identification of target women and implementation of informed choice in move to CCUs;
• delivery of care informed by gender and trauma-informed principles, and;
• working with delivery partners to facilitate development of wellbeing, empowerment, life skills and successful reintegration.

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. For most officers, initial trauma-informed training was completed, however, with delays in opening the CCUs, some officers had forgotten their training or had moved on to other institutions. Some had little training in formal risk assessment procedures and there were concerns about the identification and admission processes, the resulting mixed CCU population (in terms of short term, longer-term and top-end prisoners) and the implementation of informed choice for women (with a seeming lack of information being given).

There were many positive experiences for women residents; the physical environment and the opportunity for greater privacy alongside officers who treated them with respect and humanity were highly appreciated. Nonetheless there are a series of paradoxes at play which make trauma-informed and gender sensitive practices difficult to square with Prison Rules and institutionalisation. For example, a constant fear of having community access revoked or of being returned to closed conditions meant that women withheld issues of concern from their Personal Officers to avoid an Adverse Circumstances Report being compiled. This acts contrary to the development of autonomy and independence. By and large women were very positive about being treated with respect but there is the risk of dependency which also operates against autonomy and independence.

There was wide recognition from officers that women prisoners have gendered pathways, experiences and needs but frequently this led to rather stereotyped and essentialising differences around emotions and neediness. The number of areas where women identified inconsistencies in treatment and opportunities or a lack of knowledge about why things are as they are also served as barriers to empowerment. There were a number of issues about food, for example, concerning its ordering, with whom it could be shared, and where it could be prepared and shared.