TOO many vulnerable and mentally unwell women have been sent to jail due to a lack of suitable services in the community, prison inspectors have found.

A new HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on HMP Styal, published today, found that 39 women had been sent to the prison due to their “acute vulnerabilities and the absence of specialised support in the community.”

The need for mental healthcare was evidenced by the fact that 30 women were referred to transfer to hospital under the Mental Health Act, although they faced long delays with one patient waiting more than 100 days.