Placement of 3 girls at all male YOI

[SafeMove]

www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/fury-over-unacceptable-placement-of-three-girls-at-all-male-yoi

The girls self-harmed 14 times within a six-month period, “which, given their low numbers in the establishment, meant they were much more likely to self-harm than boys”.

The girls 'were also allowed out of their cells for less time than boys'

The girls 'forcibly restrained 12 times, including seven times against one of the girls.'

'When inspectors visited Wetherby prison in December, there were about 140 boys - and three girls, who had been moved to the prison at short notice following the closure of places elsewhere.'

This is state property, systems, staff and policy. The silence about is quite staggering but also disturbing. Why do these girls matter less?

APPG response here: howardleague.org/news/appg-on-women-in-the-penal-system-calls-for-girls-to-be-moved-out-of-wetherby-prison/

Those poor girls

@Linguini I know. And nobody seems to care, which is the most worrying aspect. It is not normal to place 3 girls in a secure estate with 140 boys.

Its absolutely not the same as trans women offenders trying to get into female jails though. The girls were at Wetherby temporarily because there was nowhere else to put them. The shitshow that was Rainsbrook was closed, and you can't just put children like this into non-secure placements. Its not safe for them or anyone around them. Wetherby is a really well-run YOI, I bet that's why they were asked to take the girls.

I doubt the girls were ever in contact with any of the boys. I think the unit they were on is a specialist unit. It does explain why they got so little time out of cell. Its very far from ideal, but its the least awful solution to a terrible situation.

[quote SafeMove]@Linguini I know. And nobody seems to care, which is the most worrying aspect. It is not normal to place 3 girls in a secure estate with 140 boys.[/quote]
They are girls therefore already unimportant... even worse they are "naughty" girls therefore even more unimportant.

As I get older and see things like this I become more and more disgruntled!

Richard Garside tweeted;
''I have heard that at least two female child prisoners are currently being held at the male young offender institution at Wetherby.
It follows the removal of child prisoners from Rainsbrook secure training centre because of safety and welfare concerns.
This is unacceptable.''
twitter.com/RichardJGarside/status/1420648792433569795

''Had the prison service not decided to turn the Josephine Butler Unit at Downview into a unit to hold male prisoners, it could have been an option to house young female prisoners. But instead they are being housed in a male young offender institution.
Makes no sense at all.''
twitter.com/RichardJGarside/status/1420671069221007363

Is the Josephine Butler unit at Downview the same as E wing? (Never heard of JB unit before) but either way it is shockingly unfair that a secure unit in a womens prison is currently holding male sexual offenders too dangerous to go into gen pop. Resulting in young girls having to go to a boys Institute. How anyone can defend this is beyond me.

Richard Garside is staunch in his advocacy.

This story is wretched: there is so little regard for the welfare of these girls.

@PonyPatter44

Its absolutely not the same as trans women offenders trying to get into female jails though. The girls were at Wetherby temporarily because there was nowhere else to put them. The shitshow that was Rainsbrook was closed, and you can't just put children like this into non-secure placements. Its not safe for them or anyone around them. Wetherby is a really well-run YOI, I bet that's why they were asked to take the girls.

I doubt the girls were ever in contact with any of the boys. I think the unit they were on is a specialist unit. It does explain why they got so little time out of cell. Its very far from ideal, but its the least awful solution to a terrible situation.

No, this is absolutely not the same as men in women's prisons. This is about vulnerable girls being treated appallingly because there isn't sufficient planning for and there aren't sufficient facilities for girls and women.

No matter how temporary the situation, or how dangerous the girls are perceived to be, or how well run the YOI, females and males should NEVER be put into the same facility.

These girls were disadvantaged because of the choices made by the authorities. They got less time outside of their cells than the boys to ensure they did not meet. They were only able to socialise among themselves in facilities that were not designed for them so it's not surprising that they self harmed and fought.

So no, this is not a trans issue. This is about vulnerable women and girls being treated unfairly.

This is so very grim reading.

Its not the least awful solution according to Richard Garside. Its a situation that exists because a facility specifically for girls aged 17 and under has closed and repurposed. Many of these girls are from the care system, and both systems are letting them down.

2012 report about the Josephine Butler Unit at Downview;
www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/news/press-releases/2012/hmp-downview-josephine-butler-unit-pn-jan-2012.pdf

@PonyPatter44 I never said it was a trans issue. This is a feminism section for sex and gender and this about sex based discrimination. Nobody mentioned trans.

These girls are treated 'less' because they are girls and as @RhubarbCrumbled says they are treated even more less because they are criminalised. I thought everyone was bothered about safeguarding girls, whether it is attached to trans issues or not?