Report finds more drugs entering women's prison

Inspectors found more drugs were entering the prison

A high turnover of inmates at a women's prison in Derbyshire has resulted in more drug use and prisoner violence, inspectors have said.

A report found Foston Hall has seen a rise in illicit items entering the prison due to increased levels of prisoners on remand and recall.

The report by the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for HMP/YOI Foston Hall said: "Whilst the prison is seen by the board as a reasonably safe environment for prisoners and staff, prisoner-on-prisoner violence has increased."

Concern was also raised about the amount of prisoners with complex mental health needs and the time it takes to transfer them to a secure hospital.

Foston Hall was designated as a women's prison and young offender institution in 1997.

The prison accommodates several categories of women ranging from those remanded to short-sentence prisoners and those recalled for breach of licence conditions.

It also includes those serving indeterminate sentences, including life for serious crimes.

The report, published on Friday, said there had been a "significant shift" in the prison population over the last year.

"Prisoners serving short sentences, a high number of prisoners returned to prison on licence recall and a striking rise in the remand population all created noteworthy pressures," it said.

Inspectors added an increase in drugs and illicit items coming into the prison meant some prisoners got into debt and were subject to bullying.

The report said staff were dealing with "highly complex" prisoners

Inspectors said there was a high level of mental health need with resources directed towards the most severely unwell, which they say left little support for prisoners with lower-level depression and anxiety.

The report also stated managers and staff have worked hard to provide a supportive environment for the prisoners and the number of self-harm incidents had decreased "significantly" in this reporting year.

Serious concerns had previously been raised about levels of self-harm at the women's prison in 2022.

It said staff managed "highly complex" prisoners who prolifically self-harmed.

IMB Foston Hall chair Julia Jackson said: "Staff at Foston Hall have worked hard to ensure the safety and wellbeing of prisoners.

"But the turnover, with around 100 new arrivals each month, has caused real problems.

"Short sentences mean there's not enough time for the prison to do much in the way of rehabilitation, or to work with prisoners on release planning."

She added: "It's not surprising we see the same people coming back into Foston Hall on a regular basis."

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "We are pleased the report notes the significant fall in self-harm, thanks to the work of front-line staff, and the success of the substance-free living wing which is helping keep women off drugs.

"But we know more work is needed to tackle ongoing challenges at the prison and we are committed to addressing them."