Recommendation 22

We also received written evidence from the Prison Reform Trust, which told us that women continue to serve their sentences largely in prisons designed for men and in locations far from home.48 We were therefore concerned that there were no female prisons in Wales. HMPPS recognised that enabling offenders to keep in contact with their families was important. It told us that it tried to place women as close to their home as possible, but that this was difficult for offenders from Wales. It explained that it had prioritised introducing in-cell technology within the female prison estate so that female offenders could stay in contact with their families. The Ministry confirmed that five of the 12 women’s prisons now had in-cell technology, and that four more would receive it this year, meaning that all closed women’s prisons would then have in-cell technology. HMPPS told us that women prisoners had found the in-cell technology enormously beneficial. We also welcomed HMPPs’ confirmation that it would be introducing a women’s centre in Wales as an alternative to custody.49 47 Qq 88–90, IPE0002 - Improving the prison estate, Professor Dominique Moran, 1 July 2020 48 IPE0003 - Improving the prison estate, Prison Reform Trust, 1 July 2020 49 Qq 82, 86–87, 90, 93 16 Improving the prison estate 2 Responding to demands on the prison estate Crowding within the prison estate