
HMP Styal
“The prison service has launched an investigation following the death of a baby in prison … The stillbirth of a baby at Styal prison in Wilmslow, Cheshire, on Thursday has been confirmed by the Ministry of Justice. It is the second stillbirth of a baby born to a woman in prison in the space of nine months.” We regret to inform you that there will be no credible investigation of this incident at Styal prison, just as, despite the fact that eleven so-called investigations were conducted after last year’s stillbirth at HMP Bronzefield, nothing came of them. Investigations of ongoing atrocities that produce absolutely no change are not investigations. They are coverups.
The story, such as it is, this time is that a young woman was held in HMP Styal. She did not know that she was pregnant. She did know that she was in excruciating pain. She did tell the staff, who told her to take two aspirins and chill out. The pains increased. Finally, someone realized that the woman was pregnant. By then, it was too late. Now, the Prison Service expresses their deep concern, and the headlines, which are far and few between, suggest that the impending investigation is the real story. In that case, there is no story, because there will be no credible investigation.
What exactly will the Prison Service investigate. Will they, once again, investigate the rash of suicides at HMP Styal between February 2018 to May 2019? Will they investigate, once again, the “epidemic” of women’s self-harm and suicide at HMP Styal between August 2002 and August 2003, the epidemic that prompted the Corston Report: a review of women with particular vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system, published in 2007? Will they investigate the brutal conditions at HMP Styal, as documented in HM Chief Inspector of Prisons’ 2012 report? Will they investigate the Chief of Inspector of Prisons’ 2009 warning of the real and present danger of more deaths occurring at HMP Styal, if services for the vulnerable were not improved? How will the Prison Service investigate its own refusal to act for at least the past eighteen years? There will be numerous performances of investigation and concern, but there will be no credible investigation.
A chapter of the story is this: A woman was in real pain, and the staff meant to take care of her ignored her. The story is the active act of ignoring women to death. Here’s another chapter of the story: despite earlier promises, during the current pandemic, the English Prison Service has released only six pregnant women. In fact, HMP Prison Service has only released one in forty of women prisoners who applied for early release. The story is the active act of ignoring women to death. We regret to inform you that there will be NO credible investigation of the stillbirth at Styal prison. Rather than pretending yet again to investigate, shut Styal once and for all, and release the women who are held there.
(Photo Credit: The Guardian / Don McPhee)
UK Border Force detained pregnant woman for 24 hours, inspectors find https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/24/uk-border-force-detained-pregnant-woman-for-24-hours-inspectors-find
Why education in women’s prisons is not fit for purpose https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/life/why-education-in-womens-prisons-is-not-fit-for-purpose
Pregnant in prison https://insidetime.org/pregnant-in-prison/
Cheshire prison worker warned of problems before death of baby https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/27/cheshire-prison-worker-warned-of-problems-before-death-of-baby
New statistics on deaths and self-harm ‘expose perilous state of prisons’ http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/29830
This time last year, a baby died in prison. It’s urgent we demand all pregnant prisoners are released. https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2020/09/29/this-time-last-year-a-baby-died-in-prison-its-urgent-we-demand-all-pregnant-prisoners-are-released/
Cheshire prison worker warned of problems before death of baby https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/27/cheshire-prison-worker-warned-of-problems-before-death-of-baby
Teenager, 18, dies while in custody at North West women’s prison https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/teenager-18-dies-custody-north-19510453
Tributes to teenager Annelise Sanderson who died in prison https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/we-never-thought-would-ever-19519098
HMP Styal: My baby died due to errors in prison, says former inmate https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-58598608
Woman who lost baby in prison says ‘more could have been done’ to help her https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/woman-who-lost-baby-prison-21638591
Pregnant in prison: What it’s like to be an expecting mum behind bars in the UK https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/pregnant-in-prison
UK inmate gave birth to stillborn in prison toilets, inquiry finds https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/11/uk-inmate-gave-birth-to-stillborn-in-prison-toilets-inquiry-finds
HMP Styal: Prisoner who had stillborn baby ‘will never forgive jail’ https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-59938239
Woman gave birth to stillborn baby in jail after nurse said it was a ‘painful period’ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/prison-baby-stillborn-woman-styal-ombudsman-b1990131.html
A baby never forgotten – how a DMU academic is helping the mother of a baby stillborn in a prison toilet campaign for change https://www.dmu.ac.uk/about-dmu/news/2022/january/a-baby-never-forgotten-–-how-a-dmu-academic-helped-the-mother-of-baby-stillborn-in-prison-toilet-campaign-for-change.aspx
Nurse referred to NMC after inquiry into stillborn birth in prison https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/professional-regulation/nurse-referred-to-nmc-after-inquiry-into-stillborn-birth-in-prison-12-01-2022/
How safe are UK prisons? https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/crime/955378/how-safe-are-uk-prisons
Call to stop jailing pregnant women in England after baby dies in prison toilet https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/16/call-to-stop-jailing-pregnant-women-in-england-after-baby-dies-in-prison-toilet
Calls for pregnant women to be exempt from jail after stillborn baby delivered in prison toilet https://inews.co.uk/news/calls-for-pregnant-women-exempt-jail-stillborn-baby-delivered-prison-toilet-1404611
Pregnant women should have sentences deferred or replaced with community orders https://www.thejusticegap.com/pregnant-women-should-have-sentences-deferred-or-replaced-with-community-orders/
31 babies were born to mothers in prison last year https://ph.news.yahoo.com/31-babies-born-to-mothers-in-prison-last-year-2021-130915740.html
How many more babies must die before England stops jailing pregnant women? | Rona Epstein https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/18/babies-die-england-stop-jailing-pregnant-women
How going from care to prison compounds women’s trauma – new research https://theconversation.com/how-going-from-care-to-prison-compounds-womens-trauma-new-research-174649
New-born deaths lead academics to call for law changes to prevent the imprisonment of pregnant women https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-01-new-born-deaths-academics-law-imprisonment.html
‘A Life-Threatening Situation’: How Prison Fails Mothers and Children – Byline Times https://bylinetimes.com/2022/01/19/a-life-threatening-situation-how-prison-fails-mothers-and-children/
Improving outcomes for women in the criminal justice system https://www.nao.org.uk/press-release/improving-outcomes-for-women-in-the-criminal-justice-system/
Styal baby death: Nurse made “serious error of judgement” https://insidetime.org/styal-baby-death-nurse-made-serious-error-of-judgement/
Calls for pregnant women to be spared prison after death of newborn behind bars https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/report-calls-pregnant-women-spared-22882477
Pregnant and in prison: ‘I thought the stress would cause a miscarriage’ https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/16/in-focus-pregnant-and-in-prison-the-women-having-babies-behind-bars-16416496/