THE BBC's Catriona Renton was invited into the Lilias Centre to see the facilities and speak to residents about their experiences of living there.
Located in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, the centre opened in October 2022 and is the second Community Custody Unit for women in Scotland.
The CCUs offer a completely new and innovative custodial environment, with shared houses and a focus on ‘custody in the community’.
Drawing on international best practice, this new model of custody gives women wider opportunities to explore and understand the life circumstances and choices that have led them to being in prison.
Women benefit from closer community contact and access to local services, to create and sustain independence in preparation for successful reintegration into the community.
Unit Manager Kristie Clelland explained: “What Lilias gives women is the opportunity to take stock of where they are and feel supported in moving on with their own plans for the future. That could be employment options, that could be intensive work with recovery services or it could be engaging with occupational therapy or our psychologist.”
“Our job is to link them with the supports and services they require to ensure they don't come back to us.”
Next month, representatives of the UK's Ministry of Justice will be visiting Scotland to see whether English prisons can learn lessons from how women in custody are supported north of the border.
Catriona's report was featured on BBC Breakfast, the UK's most watched morning programme.
Read the online piece here: Lilias Centre: Where female prisoners prepare for freedom - BBC News