Europe Can No Longer Look Away: Women’s Prisons Under Human Rights Scrutiny

In 2025, the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) announced a landmark thematic review of women’s prisons across Europe. The move reflects growing alarm over the treatment of incarcerated women and the failure of prison systems to meet basic human rights standards.

Women make up a relatively small proportion of the prison population, yet their experiences behind bars are often marked by disproportionate harm. Across Europe – and particularly in England – women in custody face inadequate healthcare, insufficient mental health support, unsafe environments, and a lack of gender-responsive facilities. Issues such as maternal health, access to cancer screening, trauma-informed care and protection from violence remain consistently under-addressed.

England’s position is especially troubling. It incarcerates more women per capita than any other European country, raising serious questions about criminal justice policy, sentencing practices and the social cost of imprisonment. The CPT’s review will involve direct engagement with detainees, prison staff and authorities, assessing whether conditions amount to inhuman or degrading treatment under European human rights law.

The review aims not only to expose systemic failings, but to drive reform. By issuing recommendations to member states, the CPT seeks to improve accountability, promote transparency and push for meaningful policy change that recognises the distinct needs of women in custody.

This urgent investigation, examined in depth in View 16, highlights why women’s prisons have become a critical human rights issue – and why Europe can no longer afford to look away.

 Buy View 16 here: https://www.theviewmagazine.com/view-16