Scottish Prisons Assessment and Review of Outcomes for Women (SPAROW): exploratory baseline study

Chapter One: Introduction and Background

Introduction

The Scottish Government (SG) and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) commissioned an independent evaluation of the new innovative model of Community Custody Units (CCUs) for women in Scotland, and the application of the SPS’s Strategy for Women in Custody 2021-2025 (SPS 2021) in the context of the CCUs.

This evaluation is known as the Scottish Prisons and Assessment and Review of Outcomes for Women (SPAROW).

The SPAROW evaluation involved two distinct but related projects, as follows:

1. A preliminary SPAROW exploratory baseline study, undertaken from August 2022 to July 2023 by SG Justice Analytical Services (JAS).

2. The full independent SPAROW Evaluation, commencing in May 2023 and undertaken by a commissioned academic research team from the Universities of Glasgow, Stirling and Cambridge.

The SPAROW Exploratory Baseline Study – “the baseline study”

To inform the development of the specification for the independent SPAROW Evaluation, and to ensure the early experiences of women were captured, an exploratory baseline study was undertaken by JAS ahead of the commissioning of the main independent evaluation. This report presents the findings of that preliminary exercise.

The exploratory baseline study concluded in July 2023, as the main independent evaluation fieldwork got underway. Both project reports have been published at the same time, following the conclusion of the independent evaluation.

Background

The Community Custody Units

Two Community Custody Units (CCUs) opened in 2022: the Bella Centre in Dundee (August opening), and the Lilias Centre in Glasgow (October opening).

The Bella Centre consists of three shared houses to accommodate 16 women, and the Lilias Centre consists of four shared houses to accommodate 24 women. Each CCU has a ‘Community Hub’ where women can meet with visitors, and access a range of activities and local services. Through accessing specialised support within the CCUs, and the local community (i.e. for work placements, services and activities), the aim is to support women to develop skills to live independently, and support networks necessary prior to release for successful community reintegration^[1]. The independent SPAROW Evaluation report provides detailed information on the CCUs (see Burman et al 2025).

Early in 2024, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons in Scotland (HMIPS) undertook full inspections of the Lilias Centre (HMIPS February 2024), and the Bella Centre (HMIPS March 2024).

Strategy for Women in Custody 2021-2025

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) developed a new Strategy for Women in Custody 2021-2025 (SPS 2021). This was to ensure the physical environments and available services for women in custody are gender-specific and trauma-informed, both in the CCUs and the wider women’s prison estate. An important element of this Strategy is creating an environment and conditions which are based on safety, respect and dignity.

To support SPS’s review of the Strategy for Women in Custody, a specific focus of the independent SPAROW Evaluation (see Burman et al 2025) was to explore how the Strategy is being applied in practice in the CCUs; particularly how gender-specificity and trauma-informed approaches are working in practice from the perspective of SPS, women in custody and delivery partners. The independent evaluation report also discusses evidence in the context of trauma-informed and gender-specific theory and practice^[2].

Report Structure

The remainder of the report is structured as follows:

• Chapter Two: SPAROW Exploratory Baseline Study Methodology and Participants
• Chapter Three: Expectations about the Community Custody Units
• Chapter Four: Findings by Prison Climate Questionnaire (PCQ) Domains.