This study was prompted by a desire to explore in more depth the health and health care needs of current and resettling female offenders — at a time when prisoner health needs and health care requirements were to be moved from the prison service into the mainstream NHS.

Women offenders face particular challenges on resettlement into the community and although some issues will be the same for all women prisoners, women lifers face distinct issues and these are often overlooked. In particular, a lifer will only be released when she has convinced the Parole Board that she is a sufficiently low risk to be managed in the community. An essential aspect of this assessment is the release plan and whether it provides sufficient support for effective reintegration. Resettlement is, therefore, of particular significance to women lifers because it can impact on their chance of being released and of being recalled. The purpose of this study was to research the range of resettlement issues facing women lifers from a legal perspective. The focus was women lifers’ preparation for release in the context of the life sentence; the parole board process and the life licence.