Prison staff have an important role to play in protecting and
promoting health and well-being in prison and need adequate
training as well as support from their managers. In planning
and delivering prison healthcare services it is good practice
to involve service users alongside health and social care
professionals, relevant voluntary groups and prison staff.
This guide is written to help understand how life in prison
can affect a person’s mental health, with a focus on women.
It describes how to recognise the signs of poor mental health
and how best to respond. The guide aims to break down the
stigma and discrimination attached to poor mental health,
especially for women in prison.
This guide has been written primarily for prison staff and
others who work with women in prison or may be making
decisions that affect them. It may also be helpful for women
in prison, as well as for their families and friends.3
Many of
the points in this guide are equally relevant to men in prison.
However, there are particular approaches that should be
taken to meet the specific needs of women
Introduction and purpose of this guide
Understanding mental health
Mental health of women in prison
Promising practice: Community sentences for
women with mental health conditions
Types of mental health condition
Understanding symptoms of poor mental health
Supporting the mental health and well-being of
women in prison
Recognising and responding to urgent situations
Awareness of women at particular risk
Quick guide: What prison staff can do to
support the mental well-being of women in prison
Practical ways to support mental well-being of
women in prison
Promising practice: Foston Hall: enhanced
pre-release skills programme
Resources
Appendix: Human rights and mental health policy
checklist for prison and healthcare leaders
Penal Reform International (PRI)
PRI (2020). Women in prison: mental health and well-being
A guide for prison staff. Penal Reform International. PRI-Women-in-prison-and-mental-well-being.pdf (penalreform.org)
