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

Chapter Three: Expectations about the Community Custody Units (CCUs)

Introduction

The baseline study included questions on women’s expectations of moving to, and living in a CCU. The purpose of these questions was to capture insights from women on their expectations about their forthcoming move, and then their early experiences of living in a CCU (and whether their expectations had been met), ahead of the commission of the main independent evaluation.

The expectations findings provide context around what women were overall positive about in moving to, and living in a CCU, and as they lived in a CCU, what some women were not so positive about. Some of the key themes in this Chapter, particularly around communication and information, and transparency in decision-making, are themes that continue through the findings in this report.

The Chapter is divided into a pre- and post-move survey section that firstly discusses the mean score for each of the closed survey questions, and then the key themes that women shared through written comments/qualitative discussion.

Pre-move Survey: Expectations on Moving to a CCU

Table Three shows the mean scores for women’s expectations of moving to a CCU. Women’s expectations overall were positive about moving to a CCU. Women were very positive about looking forward to moving to a CCU (4.62), and about expecting their move to go smoothly (4.03). The mean score (2.76) for question E6 reflects that women disagreed that they felt nervous or worried about their move to a CCU.

Comments/Qualitative Discussion

After the closed survey questions, nine women shared more thorough written comments, or qualitative discussion about their expectations of moving to a CCU. The main themes that emerged were around lack of communication and information and transparency in decision-making. In this context, comments were mainly in relation to women feeling unprepared, not having enough information and/or being nervous or worried about their move.

Communication and information

Women described different experiences with regard to information received in advance of their move. Some women reported receiving various forms of information, while others had received only some information, and others reported none. For those who had received information, this had taken the form of: a leaflet about the CCUs; a DVD about the CCUs; meetings with staff about moving to a CCU; an organised pre-visit/orientation visit to a CCU; or, some combination of these.

Overall, the women who provided comments said the above information did not provide them with enough information to feel well prepared, or less nervous or worried about their move. They said that they would have liked more explained to them about the CCUs, and more information, so that they were fully informed about their move, and what to expect.

On pre-visit/orientation visits, women, whether they did have a pre-visit/orientation visit to a CCU or not, had expected that such a visit would be organised for them in advance of their move. They were aware that some women had, had an orientation visit to prepare for their move, and others had not had a visit organised. Women who had an orientation visit were “delighted,” but women who did not were less so, as one woman conveyed:

“I did not get an orientation visit. I think this should be done, they should make sure women get an orientation visit as some girls struggle with here [CCU] as they are so used to confinement, they are not ready yet to cook, not ready to be independent. It is not easiest sharing with girls you don’t know.”

It was unclear whether the expectation of a visit was because women had been informed by staff that a visit would be organised, and/or they had been made aware by other women. One woman said they felt nervous or worried about moving to a CCU because they were moving to a new place, and sharing a house with other women who they did not know. Together, the findings indicate that ensuring pre-visit/orientations for women before they move would help to familiarise women – with the CCU, staff and women living there - before they move to help alleviate anxiety (also see Anxiety below).

Decision-making: lack of transparency or communication

A lack of transparency around decision-making was also of concern; on how women were recommended to move to a CCU, for example one woman said: “I don’t know how lassies are picked,” and another woman said: “They come in and say you are a candidate. I didn’t know I was and then I moved really quickly…they told me on Thursday [about moving] and then turned up on Monday [to move to a CCU].”

The baseline study did not explore how SPS decision-making processes^[12] work in practice, and how decisions were discussed with women and explained. However, the findings indicate more transparency around decision-making would be welcomed by women, to feel fully prepared to move to a CCU, and to understand how they/women are assessed to move, and are then granted community access (see below). The main independent evaluation undertook an in-depth exploration of decision-making processes.

Four women talked about their anxiousness because of the lack of information or communication around their move to a CCU.

One woman said she had meetings with staff in her older establishment about moving to a CCU, but had then heard “nothing for a long time.” Because of this, she said she was left feeling anxious about whether she was actually moving or not.

Another woman reported that her move had been delayed because the required paperwork had not been completed correctly, and was being passed between her older establishment, the CCU and social work. She conveyed the hold-up was frustrating and causing her anxiety, as she was left wondering whether she was actually moving or not.

And another woman said that she had not been informed of the day of her move, and was only given 10 minutes to pack her bags to move, she said: “they came and got me and I had 10 minutes to pack my bags and move, that was stressful.”

As above, the findings indicate that communication, information and transparency are key to ensure women are kept up-to-date on decisions about their move, especially when moves seem ‘rushed’ and delays happen.

Expected differences and similarities

In the pre-move survey, space was provided for women to comment on what they thought the biggest differences would be between life in an older establishment and life in a CCU, what they thought would be similar, and what they were most looking forward to, or thought they might find difficult; the findings are discussed below.

E7. What do you expect will be the biggest differences between life in the establishment where you live now, and life in the Community Custody Unit? Thirty-four women commented. Women said/wrote more than one thing they thought would be the biggest difference (see Table Four below).

Overall, women (34) were expecting more autonomy to be the biggest difference between life in their older establishment and life in a CCU. Better quality facilities (12 women), contacts with the outside world (10 women), relationships in prison (5 women), meaningful activities (5 women), and safety and order (4 women) also featured in responses.

Table Four: Biggest Differences Expected in CCU

Response / Number of respondents

More 1-2-1 staff contact/more staff/more support: 5

Quieter and calmer and more relaxed: 4

Seeing my family: 10

Nicer accommodation/ better living conditions i.e cleaner, better beds, natural light, and being able to go outside: 10

Better healthcare: 2

Being more ready and confident for release: 4

A lot more things to do: 1

Getting to cook my own food: 12

Living more independently: 7

More freedom: 5

Doing own washing/ shopping: 4

Having more control over how day goes: 4

Not being locked up/ behind a door all the time: 2

One woman commented: “Everything. I am thinking it cannot be that good. Got to be a catch.”

E8. What do you expect will be similar in both places? Anything? Most women (16) who commented said they expected everything to be different and nothing to be the same. However, nine women said it would be similar because they would still be in prison, with routine, lock-ups and security processes still needed to be followed. Three women said they expected staff to be similar.

E9. What are you most looking forward to about living in the Community Custody Unit? Thirty women provided comments here (see Table 5). Overall, women (29) were most looking forward to having more autonomy living in a CCU. Looking forward to better facilities also featured in responses (12 women) as did contacts with the outside world (8 women), meaningful activities (6 women), and relationships in prison (4 women).

Table Five: Most Looked Forward to in CCU

Response / Number of respondents

Better relationship with personal officer and staff: 4

Visits from family and friends: 6

Being more of a mum: 2

Proper bed and having my own room: 6

Fresh air and sunlight and sitting outside: 3

Being able to have a bath: 2

The living space: 1

More support: 2

Better opportunities: 2

New adventures: 1

Change my life: 1Getting to cook my own food: 11

Independence: 5

Buying own food/ shopping: 4

Doing own laundry/ cleaning: 4

Access to community: 3

E10. What do you think might be difficult, or what are you least looking forward to, about living in the Community Custody Unit? Of the women who commented (some women said more than one thing), nine women said they expected “nothing” to be difficult and there was “nothing” they were least looking forward to. Seven women said it might be difficult meeting new people, staff and women and sharing a house. Two women said they would find boredom difficult if there was not enough to do, and two women said they were worried about the behaviour of another woman they knew to be living in a CCU who had been involved with contraband (drugs), and they did not wish to be associated with that.

Other comments included: one woman said she would find it difficult if she was treated differently because of her condition, and another woman said she would find it difficult if she was not provided what she needed for her condition. One woman thought it would be difficult to start again. One woman said it would be difficult budgeting for food, and another woman said not having enough clothes worried her.

Post-Move Survey: Living in the CCU

Table Six shows the mean score for women’s responses to whether living in a CCU was as they expected it to be. Overall, the mean score reflects (2.87) women’s tendency to disagreement or neutrality in their responses. Although one woman who disagreed that living in a CCU was what she thought it would be like, said it was because living in the CCU was better than she expected.

Comments/Qualitative Discussion

Women had the option to respond to further qualitative questions exploring their responses to E1.

E2. What is good about living in the CCU compared to living in your previous establishment? Twenty-three women commented (see Table 7). Overall, most women (21) said the autonomy they experienced living in a CCU was what was good compared to living in their older establishment. The CCU facilities were also good (18 women) in comparison, as were relationships in custody (17 women). Meaningful activities (5 women) and experiences of family contact (2 women) were also noted, albeit by smaller numbers of women.

Table Seven: What is Good about Living in CCU

Response / Number of respondents

Everything (staff, how you are treated, environment, facility/establishment): 7

Great relationship with staff, staff treat you like a human being, staff listen to you and give you advice, staff are respectful: 6

My friendships with other women/I have my own family unit in my house: 4

Seeing my family and cuddling my kids: 2

House/beautiful accommodation/bedroom and bed: 7

Natural light and fresh air and garden: 4

The organisations that come in and programmes: 2

Learning new skills: 2

Support I am getting will stop me reoffending: 1

Eat what I want when I want, choice of food/shop, cook my own food: 11

Wash my own clothes and clean: 5

Freedom to walk around/more freedom: 3

Independence: 2

E3. Is there anything that is not good about living in the CCU? Eighteen women commented/shared more on their experiences, with five women commenting that there was nothing that was not good about living in a CCU. The thirteen women who shared more on their experiences on what they thought was not good about living in a CCU, were focused on communication: community access and Risk Management Team (RMT) decisions; boredom; unfairness (sentence-length); and, other specific comments, as follows:

Communication – community access

As discussed above, most women were expecting to experience more autonomy in a CCU, and autonomy featured positively in what women experienced once they had moved to and lived in a CCU. However, although women experienced more autonomy to cook their own food, do their own washing and have freedom of movement around a CCU, women were less positive on autonomy with respect to community access in the post-move responses.

Seven women said that community access to prepare for their release was not good. Women said they experienced the CCU as a closed condition (older) establishment, where they were not experiencing the opportunities of community access and work placements that they had expected. Soon after moving to a CCU they said they had expected to be able to access the community for example, to shop, to work, or go to a gym or a church. For example:

“you might be able to walk around the CCU and the gardens, but there is no community access.”

“Their job [SPS] is to test us, put us in the community, working with us closely so we are prepared when we leave…Community access and coming and going is OK at the Castle [Castle Huntly] but not here [CCU].”

Three women particularly expressed that they thought the CCU to be a “false environment” in that they were: “sold false expectations”; that the CCU was “not what it says on the tin”; and they had been “brought here [to the CCU] on false pretenses.”

As noted in Chapter One, the CCUs were designed to support the needs of women who would benefit from closer community contact and access to local services to support living independently and community re-integration on release (SPS 2021). Women were aware of this. Therefore, on moving to a CCU women expected to have access to the local community (e.g. for work, services, activities and shopping), and for this to not be forthcoming emerged as a point of contention.

Communication – decision-making

Decisions and approval of women’s progression and temporary release are agreed at multi-disciplinary risk management team meetings led by a Deputy-Governor (Scottish Prison Service 2018). Following on from the community access theme above, four women said, from their perspective, that the decisions “on their lives” were not always well explained to them, particularly in the context of community access and work placements, home visits, and home detention curfew (HDC) paperwork.

The baseline study did not explore how formal decisions on community access were made, or how these decisions were discussed with women and explained. However, from a number of the CCU women’s early experiences, the findings indicate that clearer communication and information sharing on community access decision-making processes could help alleviate any contentions, for example sharing with women when to expect community access once they have moved to a CCU, and what has to be undertaken for community access to be granted/approved.

It should be noted, of the seven women participants living in the Lilias CCU, two had community access; one woman had unescorted day release (UDR) and a work placement (WP), and one woman had home leave and a WP.

Of the 16 women participants living in the Bella CCU, five women had community access, as follows: limited community access (one woman); phased community access (one woman); and, phased community access and work placement (5 days) (three women).

Boredom

Four women particularly made written comments on boredom because, for them:

• there is nothing to do [in the CCU]
• there is no work party inside or outside [the CCU]
• the gym is not good
• the education and learning is not good.

When the above women were asked what in particular they felt was not good, they re-iterated that there was just “nothing to do…no work, no activities.” One woman did say more, that she was bored because of the lack of routine, as follows:

“…in closed conditions [older establishment] there was a routine, in [CCU] there is no routine. On the weekend I spent two days doing nothing, there is nothing to do. I stayed in bed for two days, and that was OK to do that?”

She felt she was less bored living in her older establishment because the routine there kept her occupied; i.e. the routine around working, meal times, recreation time, and programmes.

Other comments

One woman commented that there could be more toys available in the hub for when children visit.

E4. What do you think could be done better in the CCU

Women who commented (18) strongly reiterated what they had answered in question E3, particularly that community access and work placements could be improved.

Summary – Expectations About the CCUs

The findings show that most women who participated in the baseline study had positive expectations about moving to live in a CCU. In the main, women felt prepared and were looking forward to their move. However, a number of women reported concerns around the lack of communication and information they received to feel fully prepared and relieve their anxiety before moving. Decisions on how women are assessed and recommended to move to a CCU also seemed unclear to a few women.

Before moving women were predominantly expecting, and looking forward to, experiencing more autonomy, then better quality facilities, and more contacts with the outside world living in a CCU compared to living in their older establishment. After moving to and living in a CCU, women reported positively on the autonomy they experienced to cook their own food, do their own laundry and move around the CCU and gardens. Women also positively reported on the quality of the CCU facilities (environment, accommodation, gardens), and their relationships in prison (particularly with staff). Expectations of ‘better’ staff relationships in a CCU compared to an older establishment did not feature much in the pre-move survey, but did feature positively in post-move responses, where women reported being listened to, and respected more, by staff in a CCU.

Having more quality contact with families in the CCU environment was an expectation too, but featured less in the post-move responses, where women focused on their positive experiences of autonomy, facilities and relationships in prison (particularly with staff). However, on autonomy, a perceived lack of communication on decision-making processes on temporary release for community access was a point of contention for a number of women who expected community access on moving to a CCU, but had no forthcoming approval to do so.

The findings indicate that transparent, inclusive communication and information sharing on decision-making processes could help better inform women of their move to a CCU, alleviate any anxieties they have, and improve the transparency of decision-making process on their lives whilst living in a CCU; particularly around community access to support their release/community reintegration.