Women Prisoners' Clothes Cut Off At West Yorkshire Jail

29 August 2012, 08:56 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A Wakefield women's prison is in trouble for cutting off inmates' clothing during strip searches.

Inspectors criticised the "unnecessary and unacceptable'' practice of cutting off women's clothes when they are forcibly strip-searched in jail following a report on New Hall Prison. 

Responses to women whose behaviour caused concern are "excessively punitive'', said a report on the jail in Wakefield 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. 

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. 

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. 

"Punishments were excessive and cellular confinement was used too often. In other instances, prisoners lost all privileges which amounted to cellular confinement but without the safeguards that would normally be required.

''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.