Women and places of detention

Prescribed places of detention, in England, include prisons, immigration removal centres, the children and young people's secure estate, young offender institutions, secure training centres and secure children's homes. Among the vulnerable groups in prisons and places of detention are asylum seekers, pregnant women, children, the elderly, people with a learning disability, and those with a physical disability or mental health problems. People in detention can also be vulnerable from the perspective of ethnicity, religion or their political affiliation. They can present with a number of complex needs, and may have specific vulnerabilities that are the result of past traumatic experiences (British Medical Association (BMA), 2020).

These issues that detainees face have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Guidance has been issued by the Ministry of Justice and the UK Health Security Agency (2021) that aims to assist custodial, detention and healthcare staff in addressing COVID-19 in this population.