Health and care of women through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period in prison and on probation

The aim of this report is to explore the health and healthcare of people in prison and on probation in England and make recommendations to improve these. It combines insights from, and individual chapters authored by: front line professionals working in prisons and the secure estate and in probation public health professionals commissioners and policy makers in health and justice third sector organisations academics and lived experience experts The important challenges of substance misuse in prisons have been extensively explored in the recent independent review by Dame Carol Black published in 2024. For this reason we have not concentrated on this issue in this report and would point people to Dame Carol’s recommendations (see reference 1). Sentencing policy is obviously outside the remit of this report on health, although the implications of long and short sentences on health and healthcare is considered. Any response to the Sentencing Review by the Rt Hon David Gauke 2025 is likely to have an effect on prison and probation health and healthcare (see reference 2). While important to this population, it was outside the scope of this review to do an in depth review of social care in prisons. The ongoing independent commission into adult social care should consider the justice population. [Note: Full report attached to RIS record - the above title is included as chapter 2 of the report - see pages 73 - 94]