Women prisoners' clothes cut off

Inspectors have criticised the "unnecessary and unacceptable" practice of cutting off women's clothes when they are forcibly strip-searched in jail.

Responses to women whose behaviour caused concern were also "excessively punitive", said a report on New Hall Prison in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, which holds 356 women and two babies.

In one instance, a woman who arrived from another jail and refused to hand over clothes she had been allowed to wear there was held down as they were forcibly cut off her.

The practice is unacceptable and women prisoners should only have their clothes removed "using officially approved control and restraint techniques", Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick said.

"We were concerned by a small number of supposedly spontaneous incidents where accounts in paperwork indicated force had been used inappropriately."

The newly arrived prisoner from Peterborough jail refused to hand over open-toed sandals and a strappy top which were allowed at Peterborough. She was then "restrained, relocated to the segregation unit and had her clothes cut off her as she was forcibly strip-searched", Mr Hardwick said.

Describing the use of force as neither necessary nor proportionate, he said that a manager's approval was not obtained and that there was no attempt to resolve the issue in other ways.

"The special cell in the segregation unit was little-used but when it was, women were routinely placed in strip clothing and too many had their clothes cut off when forcibly searched. Such practices were unnecessary and unacceptable," Mr Hardwick said.

Some of the "most damaged women" were placed on the prison's segregation unit for "good order and discipline" but efforts to address the causes of their distress and manage their behaviour constructively were inadequate.

While conditions at New Hall improved since its last inspection in November 2008, "the treatment of a small number of women who combine the most challenging behaviour with the highest levels of need is not acceptable", he warned.

www.justice.gov.uk/about/hmps(HM Prison Service)