Send inspection report 2021
Report for Send Prison
Summary
HMP Send, in Surrey, is a closed training prison for women which has a complex population of up to 202, many presenting a high risk of harm to others. The prison contains the only democratic therapeutic community for women in the country with 24 places, as well as a psychologically informed planned environment (PIPE) unit with 35 places. After a year spent with lockdown restrictions in place, a serious outbreak of COVID-19 in January 2021, in which a staff member died, and the forced closure of two wings at short notice due to fire safety concerns, Send was coping remarkably well. Women, many of whom had complex needs and were serving long sentences, felt generally well cared for and supported by staff. The excellent relationships between women and staff were evident throughout the prison, where we witnessed many friendly interactions conducted on first-name terms. Regular meetings considered the needs of the most vulnerable, making sure that suitable support was in place for women who were distressed, self-harming or particularly vulnerable.