Guernsey Press

Prison's female wing is due to open today

A FEMALE wing at Les Nicolles Prison is set to be opened today, almost 10 years after it was first recommended.

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Prison governor Dave Matthews said the new accommodation, which has been created in two unused areas of the prison, will provide separate domestic and vocational facilities for female inmates.

As of last Friday when the latest figures were collected, there were 89 inmates, only three of whom were female.

'In 2009, Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons recommended that the Home Department provide alternative accommodation for female prisoners in a separate establishment to recognise their different needs,' said Mr Matthews.

'Provision of such a separate facility was not considered economically viable at that time.

'Despite this, Guernsey prison did make many improvements which were recognised in a subsequent HMIP inspection in 2014, but the inspectorate were still very clear that they wished to see women accommodated separately from men.'

Mr Matthew said there were many issues to a unisex system, which 'tends to marginalise' women and subsequently increased the risk of re-offending.

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