'Out of Sight Out of Mind': Arguing the Case for Social Workers in Women's Prisons

In his recent review, 'The Importance of Strengthening Female Offenders' Family and other Relationships to Prevent Reoffending and Reduce Intergenerational Crime', 1 Lord Farmer responded to previous evidence-based recommendations for Social Workers to be present in every women's prison. In 2019, and in partnership with Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact), 2 a three-year pilot project (funded by the Sylvia Adams Foundation3 ) began which saw two Social Workers being placed in two prisons for women in the UK. This article will outline some of the evidence that fed into the Farmer Review, which then informed the recommendation and justification for a Social Worker presence in the prisons. The article also reflects on the first year of the Social Worker pilot, highlighting impact and outcomes of the project and makes the case for the project to be formally adopted and extended.