The CPT has encountered numerous women in prison who, for a variety of reasons, are not
provided with adequate accommodation. The small number of facilities for women are at
times overcrowded. Yet early release measures envisaged in the event of overcrowding are
not offered to women who have nowhere to go, for example, where no homeless shelter is
available.12 The lack of capacity13 or of appropriate specialised facilities for women,14 the
requirement to separate detention categories (remand/sentenced; short/long sentences;
preventive detention), or the fact that an establishment holds only one woman, may result
in a woman being accommodated for extended periods in a detention unit subject to an
unduly restrictive regime,15 or she may de facto be subjected to a regime akin to solitary
confinement.16 In such cases, the authorities should seek to transfer the woman to
appropriate accommodation; if such transfer is not possible, the authorities should make
the necessary efforts to provide the woman with purposeful out-of-cell activities and
appropriate human contact.17
2. Equal access to activities
Women in prison should enjoy access to a comprehensive programme of meaningful
activities (work, training, education and sports) on an equal footing with men. CPT visiting
delegations find all too often that female prisoners are offered activities deemed
“appropriate” for them (such as sewing or handicrafts), and are excluded from far more
vocational training reserved for men. The small number of women may mean that it is not
considered viable to establish a workshop exclusively for them. However, such a
discriminatory approach can only serve to reinforce outmoded stereotypes of the social
role of women.18
Consideration might also be given to offering activities in prison – including access to
outdoor exercise – in which both men and women may participate together,19 provided
those involved consent to such arrangements and the persons are carefully selected and
adequately supervised.20
Ireland: 2014 visit, paragraphs 89 and 91.
Ibid., paragraph 97; United Kingdom (Scotland): 2012 visit, paragraph 44.
14 Spain: 2007 visit, paragraph 100; United Kingdom (Scotland): 2012 visit, paragraph 64.
15 Luxembourg: 2015 visit, paragraph 43.
16 Latvia: 2007 visit, paragraphs 70 and 72; Germany: 2013 visit, paragraphs 26 and 28.
17 Liechtenstein: 2016 visit, paragraph 36; on alleviating the effects of de facto solitary confinement through regime
activities, see also part 2 below.
18 Montenegro: 2013 visit, paragraph 53; the Netherlands (Caribbean Part): 2014 visit, paragraph 158; Switzerland:
2011 visit, paragraph 62.
19 United Kingdom (Gibraltar): 2014 visit, paragraph 32.
20 10th General Report on the CPT’s activities, paragraph 24; Czech Republic: 2006 visit, paragraph 68; Liechtenstein:
2016 visit, paragraph 36.
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