Together Women continue to provide the gender specific resettlement services for women residing in New Hall prison. Based within the heart of the grounds, our women centre replicates the safe environment of our community women centres’ where customers can meet with staff, attend groups and have a coffee, which is a novelty within the prison establishment.

We have had a presence in the prison since 2007, as we recognise that some women will inevitably receive a custodial sentence. However, our services have developed significantly over the past 11 years. Our main areas of delivery include;

• Support for women experiencing, or at risk of Domestic Abuse: A full time Key Worker and Qualified IDVA provide 1-1 support and risk management for women at risk of violence on release into the community. Support includes access to the Freedom programme, DASH assessment and MARAC referral where appropriate. In addition to this, each woman is screened on reception into custody and assessed according to risk of Violence. Our approach is preventative so we can minimise the amount of women becoming entrenched in unhealthy relationships.
• Rape and Sexual Trauma Counselling: Our qualified counsellor is based within HMP New Hall full time, supporting women with their counselling needs.
• Sex Work support: 1-1 and group support for women who are involved in the sex industry. Community organisations from across the Yorkshire and Humber region attend the centre to support the women pre-release. Courses and group work includes sexual health, keeping yourself self and exit strategies.
• Generic resettlement support: The centre hosts a number of agencies to help women cope with their custodial sentence and assist with any practical and emotional needs they may have. These include Muslim Women in Prison and Prisoner Advice clinic who are legal experts.

The women centre was awarded a Butler Trust Commendation in the year 2013-14 for ‘Outstanding resettlement services for female offenders’. The recommendation was for all female establishments to replicate a similar model of through-care support.