| Prison Name: | HMP Styal |
| Location: | Wilmslow, Cheshire |
| Classification: | Female/Closed Category |
| Population: | 486 |
| Populationdate: | February 2017 |
| Opened: | 1962 |
| Managed By: | HM Prison Services |
| Governor: | Nicky Hargreaves [1] |
HM Prison Styal is a Closed Category prison for female adults and young offenders in Styal, Cheshire, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.
The prison occupies former buildings of the Styal Cottage Homes which opened as an orphanage for destitute children from the Manchester area in 1898.[2] It closed in 1956 and the site re-opened as a women's prison in 1962, with women transferred from HMP Manchester.
From 1983 Styal began holding young offenders, and in 1999 a wing was added to accommodate unsentenced female prisoners following the closure of Risley's remand centre. This increased the size of the prison by 60%.
In 2003, Styal Prison was singled out as having one of the worst records for suicides in England and Wales. The Howard League for Penal Reform called for an independent inquiry into the jail, stating that bullying, drugs and overcrowding were probable causes for the high number of deaths.[3]
In 2004, an inspection report from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons stated that inmates at Styal Prison were being put at risk by a lack of support during drug withdrawal and with mental health problems. The report also expressed concern about the use of special cells to hold disruptive prisoners, including self-harmers. However, the report did praise the prison's staff–prisoner relations, education provision and resettlement services. The Chief Inspector also said that race relations at Styal were "among the best" she had seen.[4]
An inspection report in 2018 found that the incidence of self-harm was high, but noted that it mainly occurred in a small number of women. The report was positive and particularly praised the prison's strategies for resettling inmates in the community on release.[5] An average of 1.3 deaths from all causes occurred per year in inmates of the prison between 2000 and 2018.[6]
In 2020, a woman serving an eight-month sentence gave birth to a stillborn baby in the prison toilets. Despite having alerted prison staff several times, it took several hours for the woman to receive medical attention, the prison radio system failed when an ambulance was finally attempted to be called, and no attempts to perform CPR on the baby had been made. If the prisoner had received proper medical attention, the baby might have been saved. In 2021, the prison was placed under investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.[7] [8] [9] [10]
Since 2001, at least eleven women have died at HMP Styal:
| Date | Name | Age | Cause of death | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–2003 | Six women | Unknown | Unknown | [11] | |
| October 2016 | Celeste Craig | 26 | Unknown | [12] | |
| February 2018 | Nicola Birchall | 41 | Unknown | [13] | |
| 4 June 2018 | Imogen Mellor | 29 | Unknown | ||
| 3 March 2019 | Christine MacDonald | 56 | Unknown | ||
| May 2019 | Susan Knowles | 48 | Unknown | ||
| 2 July 2022 | Eileen McDonagh | Unknown | Unknown | [14] | |
| 1 August 2022 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Styal is a Closed Category prison for sentenced and remanded female adults and young offenders. There are also facilities for mothers with babies up to age 18 months.
The education provision at Styal is contracted out to The Manchester College. Courses offered include hairdressing, information technology, art and design, ESOL, catering, industrial cleaning, painting & decorating, and Open University support.
Other facilities at HMP Styal include a library, gym and multi-faith chaplaincy.
A Visitors Centre is available, run by Contact Cheshire Support Group with play area and refreshments. In the main Visits Hall, facilities include a tea bar and a children's play area (also run by Contact Cheshire Support Group).
The prison was featured in the BBC2 documentary Women on the Edge – the Truth about Styal Prison on 27 February 2006.
Notable people currently imprisoned or who were imprisoned at HMP Styal include: