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HMP Downview Female Prisoners 2025-11-24
24 November 2025
Lead MP
Rebecca Paul
Debate Type
Adjournment Debate
Tags
Crime & Law EnforcementJustice & CourtsNHS
Other Contributors: 9
At a Glance
Rebecca Paul raised concerns about hmp downview female prisoners 2025-11-24 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
I am grateful for being granted this debate on the safety and wellbeing of women in HMP Downview. Women prisoners are some of the most vulnerable in our society, yet very few people give much thought to the conditions in which they are being held. Today I want to draw attention to an unacceptable situation, one that not only places these women at risk of harm but that fails to recognise their basic rights. The law is being broken and it is being broken by our public institutions. It was in 1823 that the Gaols Act was passed, mandating sex-segregated prisons. Before then, women in prison faced sexual assault and exploitation on a daily basis. Elizabeth Fry brought about important reforms that improved conditions for women, but she would be turning in her grave at where we now find ourselves over 200 years later.
However, I want to move on to another issue. Once again, we have mixed-sex prisons—inclusion trumping safety, ideology winning out over reality, the feelings of a man holding more weight than the fears of many women. HMP Downview is a women’s prison in Banstead, near the Sutton border. It includes a wing, E Wing, specifically for biological males who identify as women. E Wing local policy sets out that it is for transgender women with or without a gender recognition certificate where risk indicates they cannot be safely held in the general women’s estate.
In 2024, of the 245 transgender males—biological males with a trans identity—in prison, 62% were convicted of a sexual offence. This is a far, far higher rate than that for the overall male prison population, which is only around 17%. And it is not a one-off either: a similar rate can be seen for 023—a rate of 56%. So sexual offences are massively over-represented in this specific cohort of biological males.
I now want to get into a bit more detail about E Wing within HMP Downview. Ministers have said many times in response to written questions that E Wing is not part of the general women’s estate, which is an odd statement for them to make. E Wing is physically located within a women’s prison, subject to the same policies and procedures as the rest of HMP Downview.
To be completely clear, we have violent males housed in a women’s prison, which in itself is against the law. These males are not segregated from the women in the daytime; they use all the same services and communal spaces. These violent males are not supervised any differently from the female prisoners, with the previous one-on-one supervision by a dedicated prison officer being stopped. That is gross negligence and shows a complete disregard for the safety and wellbeing of female prisoners at HMP Downview.
Before I bring my speech to a close, let me comment on assertions that these males have not caused any issues for female prisoners. In reality, I really do not know if that is the case, because my question about how many of the prisoner-on-prisoner assaults at HMP Downview were committed by males has not elicited a response. Ministers simply say that the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
I urge the Minister finally to grasp the nettle on this shocking scandal and ensure that women’s prisons become single sex once again.
However, I want to move on to another issue. Once again, we have mixed-sex prisons—inclusion trumping safety, ideology winning out over reality, the feelings of a man holding more weight than the fears of many women. HMP Downview is a women’s prison in Banstead, near the Sutton border. It includes a wing, E Wing, specifically for biological males who identify as women. E Wing local policy sets out that it is for transgender women with or without a gender recognition certificate where risk indicates they cannot be safely held in the general women’s estate.
In 2024, of the 245 transgender males—biological males with a trans identity—in prison, 62% were convicted of a sexual offence. This is a far, far higher rate than that for the overall male prison population, which is only around 17%. And it is not a one-off either: a similar rate can be seen for 023—a rate of 56%. So sexual offences are massively over-represented in this specific cohort of biological males.
I now want to get into a bit more detail about E Wing within HMP Downview. Ministers have said many times in response to written questions that E Wing is not part of the general women’s estate, which is an odd statement for them to make. E Wing is physically located within a women’s prison, subject to the same policies and procedures as the rest of HMP Downview.
To be completely clear, we have violent males housed in a women’s prison, which in itself is against the law. These males are not segregated from the women in the daytime; they use all the same services and communal spaces. These violent males are not supervised any differently from the female prisoners, with the previous one-on-one supervision by a dedicated prison officer being stopped. That is gross negligence and shows a complete disregard for the safety and wellbeing of female prisoners at HMP Downview.
Before I bring my speech to a close, let me comment on assertions that these males have not caused any issues for female prisoners. In reality, I really do not know if that is the case, because my question about how many of the prisoner-on-prisoner assaults at HMP Downview were committed by males has not elicited a response. Ministers simply say that the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
I urge the Minister finally to grasp the nettle on this shocking scandal and ensure that women’s prisons become single sex once again.
Emily Darlington
Lab
Milton Keynes Central
No extracted contribution text available for this contributor yet.
Rachel Taylor
Lab
North Warwickshire and Bedworth
No extracted contribution text available for this contributor yet.
Rachel Taylor
Con
Asked whether violence experienced by women is generally committed by cis men, not transgender women, and questioned if this fuels culture wars.
Acknowledged the importance of addressing violence in prisons irrespective of gender identity.
Sarah Owen
Lab
Luton North
Emphasised the high rate of self-harm among women in prison and asked about the role of overcrowding, past trauma, and lack of resources for staff.
Emily Darlington
Con
Questioned whether it is important to understand the context regarding trans women's vulnerabilities and requested clarity on HMP Downview’s situation.
Kirsteen Sullivan
Lab/Co-op
Bathgate and Linlithgow
Will my hon. Friend give way?
I will, but only briefly, because I am conscious of the time.
Kirsteen Sullivan
Lab/Co-op
Bathgate and Linlithgow
I thank my hon. Friend, and I thank the hon. Member for Reigate for securing the debate. At the beginning of her speech, my hon. Friend said that there were many vulnerable women in prisons, that over half of them had experienced domestic violence, and that many had experienced emotional, physical or sexual abuse. That being the case, does she appreciate that having anyone other than biological females on the female estate risks re-traumatising already vulnerable women?
Government Response
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Alex Davies-Jones) The Minister acknowledged the complex nature of the debate, stating that while violence against women in prisons is a significant concern, it is also important to address similar issues faced by transgender women. She highlighted the Government's commitment to reducing the number of women in prison through initiatives like the Women’s Justice Board and the Labour manifesto's pledge to continue single-sex exemptions under the Equality Act.
She addressed specific concerns about risk assessments for transgender prisoners housed separately at HMP Downview, stating that no such exemptions have been granted since this Government took office. The Minister also provided data indicating zero assaults or sexual assaults committed by transgender women in the women’s estate since 2019. She further discussed the need to manage risks posed to biological women and reiterated the success of current policies.
The Minister responded to interventions regarding risk assessments, self-harm incidents, and Scottish Ministers' approach to implementing laws post-Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance. She also addressed questions about the criteria for holding transgender individuals in separate units at HMP Downview and emphasised the importance of creating provision that ensures the safety of all. I welcome the interest in this issue expressed by all Members who have spoken, and I recognise the importance of ensuring that prisons are operating safely and effectively. We will continue to keep the policy under review to ensure it continues to be effective. Following the For Women Scotland Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, we are reviewing all aspects of transgender prisoner policy to ensure our approach remains lawful, effective, and fair.
The ruling confirmed that references to ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 relate to biological sex while making clear that protections for transgender people remain. The proposed code of practice is more than 300 pages long and it is important that the correct process is followed. We must ensure clarity for service providers, as getting decisions wrong could have grave consequences.
The Ministry of Justice is working closely with the Office for Equality and Opportunity to understand the implications of the Supreme Court ruling. The Government will provide an update once the review has ended. I assure the hon. Member that our approach seeks to ensure the safety of all prisoners while working towards a balanced solution.
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