Girls from Wales in the Secure Estate: Sent to Coventry?

Abstract

Drawing upon recent literature and a small-scale survey that explored the perceptions and experiences of front line workers and incarcerated girls1 from North Wales, this article examines the needs and experiences of girls who commit crime in Wales but are subsequently ‘exported’ to England to serve their sentence. While not literally sent to Coventry, these indigenous girls from Wales are forced to reside in the secure estate in England and metaphorically ‘sent to Coventry’. This article considers important emerging issues including: human rights, discrimination, identity, linguistic need, family contact and resettlement.