Rebuilding better, a legacy building for HMP Holloway

HMP Holloway was closed in June 2016 and was then purchased by Peabody in 2019, a housing association with a £42m loan from the Mayor of London. Their commitment is to build approximately 1 100 homes and a legacy Women’s Building that helps women in the community as well as those who come into contact with the Criminal Justice System.

The current issue of The View Magazine features an article from Erika Flowers, who made a board game following a workshop asking women who have experienced incarceration, what they want to see at the Holloway site. One of the most important services that the women felt was needed was employment. They would like opportunities such as volunteering and employment for those on early release on tag to be provided. Women need help rebuilding their lives after prison so employment help would be vital, including help sourcing different types of employment. The site would benefit from having active case workers, who can help the women to find work outside of the standard opportunities, help with writing a CV, job searching and interview and telephone techniques. There should be active research into companies that would be willing to take on an ex offender. Some of the women also felt a mentoring centre would be helpful to ensure they do not fall back into old bad habits or acquaintances. This may include helping to sort out a bank account, a phone and some housing.

Women also felt they might benefit from a safe shared house for ex-prisoners, with easy access to the help they need. Currently, details of their vulnerabilities are not passed along to relevant bodies and as a result, complex problems are not identified. One suggestion was for a pod style set up with 4-6 individual units with a communal area and potential 24-hour support. It was felt that, for those who had been so institutionalised, sudden reintegration into society posed transitional issues. Being in an environment they are used to, might help them to transition into society more easily. However, it would be important that this environment does not have the same control and surveillance as a prison, to reduce the risk of retraumatising women. Other suggestions raised during the discussion included a remembrance garden, a community vegetable garden, a salon, mother and baby help and money management courses.

In June 2020, Islington Council published a development brief for the site, which allows us to see whether the ideas the women raised are included in the plans. Their first round of public consultation showed an emerging consensus that the building proposed should have a wide range of services, activities and facilities to women from across North London who are in the criminal justice system, moving on from the criminal justice system or who are at risk of entering the criminal justice system. It has been agreed that the building should provide an integrated and holistic package of services for users of the centre as well as women within the wider community. These may include support to escape domestic violence, therapy, the chance to learn new skills and art and exercise studios. The council stressed that, whilst some advocated that it be opened it all, it has to be women only or many vulnerable women won’t use it.

The design of the building will be ‘trauma informed’ to create a comforting environment, particularly for those service users who are vulnerable. Access to some parts of the building will be carefully managed to safeguard the safety and privacy of the women. The council also stress the need for care to be taken to avoid any triggering memories or feelings of being imprisoned. The more sensitive areas of the women’s centre should not be overlooked from the streets or adjoining buildings and the whole centre should be acoustically insulated.

To address the issue of childcare, the council says there will be a creche included and a storage space for prams. Islington Council says they will encourage Peabody to undertake a limited architectural competition to invite women practitioners to prepare initial scheme designs based on the final version of the brief. These would then be subject to a public exhibition and the feedback from this could be used to help select the winning scheme.

Islington Council’s plans for the former site of HMP Holloway sound promising. Their promise that the design of the building will be ‘trauma informed’ differs from other women’s centres that are not so successful. This design will allow underlying issues that may drive a woman to crime to be addressed. It is encouraging that they have insisted that the centre will not recreate the feeling of being imprisoned. Hopefully this means less women will be traumatised by attending and this can be a positive experience fr the women and for the community.

The View campaigns for substantial disinvestment from the criminal justice system, to more upstream and community focused interventions, so the community is involved in creating positive buildings and helping women rebuild their lives.