New Social Art School Women in Prison

The WIP Project - about women in prison and criminal justice

"Unfortunately some of the women

believe that this is the safest and best

home they’ve ever had in their lives."

Ian Gunn, Governor of Cornton Vale, 2006-2008

Inside HMP&YOI Cornton Vale, Scotland’s only women’s prison, another girl is placed on 24-hour suicide watch, alone in an empty cell, with a blanket and a mattress on the floor. From outside, a nurse is watching her through a hole in the door, making sure she doesn’t succeed in killing herself. The prisoner, 19 years old, is already a well-known face. She is incredibly beautiful and, in another life, who knows, she might have become anything but another typical female offender, victim of abuse, mentally disordered, unhappy and alone. She never stays long, but she always returns...

The Hopeless (Situation), Girl in suicide outfit being restricted by prison wardens. Still from 'Girls Behind Bars', BBC documentary (2008). Painting by Eva Merz, 120x160 cm (2008/09)

Politicians are often accused of being ‘soft on crime’, so they are eager to send signals to the public of ‘tough measurements’. Britain is now the ‘jail capital’ of Western Europe. In Scotland the average daily prison population in 2008/09 was 7,835, up by 31% over the past 10 years. Females only make up 413 in numbers, but that figure is an increase of 97% since 1998. Back then, the Scottish government, appalled by the sad state of incarcerated women, pledged to halve the female prison population over a ten-year period. Something has clearly gone wrong.

Only one fifth of the female prisoners are considered to be serious criminals, a vast majority are sentenced for non-violent, petty crime, disorderly behaviour, possession of drugs and small-time dealing. With prison overcrowding, there is little chance of addressing the underlying causes of the women’s criminality; addiction problems and mental disorders, often rooted in the abuse they have suffered - and two thirds of them are mothers. Prison is an expensive way to make things worse for them, and experts all agree that society urgently need alternatives to imprisonment of women and girls who pose no risk to the public. Getting tougher, obviously, is not the way forward.

This project set out to explore the issues of women in prison from the inside. In November 2007 Eva Merz proposed an artist residency in Cornton Vale, with the purpose of interviewing prisoners and staff for a publication. However, due to staff-shortage and other practical problems, the prison was unable to accommodate such a project. It had to be done on the outside. Now interviewing prison authorities, wardens and ex-convicts the project aims to build bridges of understanding by offering visibility and providing well-researched and accessible information, so as to challenge public perception of crime and punishment.

With support from Margaret Hannah of the International Futures Forum, Prison Governor Ian Gunn, as well as fellow New Social Art School members, Vykoukal, Gordon, Rodriguez-Remedi and Linder Brox, the project continues to progress, building towards a substantial publication about women in prison. With a little more empathy involved, it is realistic to believe that the public is not as punitive in outlook as some might suggest.

Important! 25 things to change for women in prison

For their 25th Anniversary the organisation Women in Prison asked the women in prison and in the community what they wanted to change about prison.

Please, also find much more information in the sidebar here...

This project has been funded by Statens Kunstfond (DK) + Scottish Arts Council