I work in a restricted status women's prison AMA

[QuaintBeaker]

You can ask me anything but I'm not going to name the prison and I'm not able to comment on individual prisoners (including/especially high profile ones).

It depends what it is. We have a health care facility where women can stay if they are too unwell to be in one of the housing blocks. This includes mental health care.
There is also a dentist there so they will be seen fairly quickly if they have pain, but they're not able to get cosmetic work and stuff done. A lot have very poor teeth due to drug use but they're not getting bridges and crowns and things like that fitted.

They get medication free, like you would in hospital i guess?

Anything specialist like that they'd be taken to a hospital for

I don't think you can insist on it, but as a general rule if someone really has good reasons for wanting a single cell and one is available then it can happen

If I were ever in prison I think I would die of boredom if nothing else. Are the prisoners ever allowed things like craft supplies eg crochet hooks, sewing stuff etc or is it always too risky . Can they have pens and paper?

Have you been offered a bribe?

They can have pens and paper unless they have form for using them to injure themselves or others.

There are craft activities they can go and do supervised. Pretty sure they crochet but not knit, I guess a crochet hook has slightly less weapon potential

No, but one lady did notice my colleague's designer shoes and told her she can get her more if she wants 🤣

I don't understand your answers as in one post you are saying you have category A prisoners but then in this post you suggest something different?

Yes, we have a mixture. Women's prisons are run slightly differently, partly because there are far fewer women prisoners and prisons.
So we are technically a restricted status (basically cat A) prison, but we also cater for local remand prisoners and women on shorter sentences.

Are prisoners who have harmed children a target for violence?

Thank you. Do the two categories mix?

The Male equivalent of restricted status security wise is a Category C prison. Women don’t have the same ‘drive’ to escape. Of course, as with everything, there are exceptions, but it’s extremely rare.

Thanks for this interesting thread. Just a question please. Do the ‘lifers’ still do the educational programs or is it seen as there’s no point? Don’t mean that rudely I mean because they’re in there for life and won’t be getting jobs.

Do you secretly wish you could get revenge on the worst in society (child abusers for instance)?

Do you feel sorry for the children who visit their mums in Jail?

You may not answer this? What is your salary? Surly it has to be a good one to witness and do what you do.

Yeah they can do them.

No, but I would love to sit down with them and ask them why...

With the children i guess it's easy to feel sorry for them, especially if they get upset when they have to say goodbye. But I also bear in mind that some of them are better off at the moment being looked after by family

Starting salary for my role is around £26,500 going up to around £35,000 with experience

So you work for G4S or similar you're not HMP?

I'm employed by hmpps

I have heard that many prisons have a higher than average percentage of people with SEND needs/neurodiverse. Would you agree with this?

Do you think the educational offerings actually help the women integrate back into society on release?

How many prisoners do you reckon end up with mental illness from the incarcerated environment who were otherwise sentient beforehand?