The Scottish Prison Service has recently partnered with Holmes Miller Architects to design and build a ground-breaking new facility for women in custody in Scotland on its existing Cornton Vale site in Stirling, central Scotland. With custodial learning ‘a new focus’ for the DiMHN, David Gardner, Project director at Holmes Miller, a speaker at next month’s DiMH 2024 conference, reports.
The issues around the housing of women in custody in Scotland, particularly the old HMP Cornton Vale prison in Stirling, have been much publicised. This has formed the basis over the last decade of a requirement to comprehensively re-think how prisons are designed for the female population. Much of the existing accommodation, which was austere in nature and designed around security, control, and technical restrictions, had been deemed not fit for purpose. The prisons had also been designed based on male characteristics which were inappropriate for female use, in turn having a severe negative impact on the behavioural patterns and mental health of their occupants, who are generally an extremely vulnerable section of society in the UK.
Working with Holmes Miller Architects, The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) embarked on an ambitious project to create a world-leading custodial facility for women. This new project places therapeutic and gender-informed design at the forefront, and is a significant departure from traditional custodial design. The new facility, designed to be people-orientated and person-centred, meeting the requirements of 100 occupants, comprises two main accommodation buildings, a dedicated assessment centre, and a central hub and 'front of house' entrance building, along with purpose-designed retreat and animal care facilities. Phase 1 was completed and handed over in June 2023, with the remainder to be completed in 2024.
From the very beginning, SPS identified a need to completely re-think the design approach for what was then named the Women's National Facility, along with its associated open Community Custody Unit projects. From the outset there was a requirement for real innovation, creativity, and a departure from traditional custodial design. This, however, had to be balanced with operational, safety, and security requirements. The focus was on a therapeutic, trauma-informed and gender-specific design that supports people through their relationship with its context and service.
Log in or register FREE to read the rest
This story is Premium Content and is only available to registered users. Please log in at the top of the page to view the full text.
If you don't already have an account, please register with us completely free of charge.