Women's prison regime was “squalid and degrading”

Standards of care at London's Holloway prison for women last year reached “unacceptably low levels,” according to a report from the board of visitors. The report cites areas of “filth and squalor,” endemic health problems, inadequate fire services, and a “degrading” lack of clothing for inmates, as just some of the problems.

Holloway is the largest prison for women in Britain, with a maximum operational capacity of 532 prisoners. Average occupancy in 1995 was 508 women, compared with 444 in 1993 and 493 in 1994. Many women admitted to Holloway have …