Bella Centre (Community Custody Unit)

A community custody unit, not a conventional prison

In shortBella is a small community custody unit in Dundee opened in 2022 for low supervision women, with three shared houses and capacity for 16.

• Operational2022The Scottish Government research gives August 2022
• Capacity16Three shared houses in the Hilltown area of Dundee
• Combined with Lilias40Scottish Parliament research briefing, June 2026

The Scottish Prison Service says the Bella Centre houses low supervision women and young people. The SPS describes the community custody units as designed to be trauma informed and gender specific, supporting women who would benefit from closer community contact and access to local services, and living independently on a shared house principle.

• Each house has shared kitchen and living areas and en-suite bedrooms, with accessible rooms on the ground floor.
• HM Inspectorate for Scotland records that Bella was the first community custody unit to open following the Commission on Women Offenders report by Dame Eilish Angiolini in 2012.
• Its sister unit, the Lilias Centre in Glasgow, opened in October 2022.

Who lives at Bella

In shortWomen are transferred in from another establishment after meeting the unit’s criteria, and the unit reached full capacity in 2024-25.

Bella does not receive women straight from court. The 2024 inspection explains that women are transferred from another establishment and must meet the criteria for living in a community custody unit before being considered.

• On 25 January 2024 the unit held 10 people, all sentenced adult women, aged 24 to 58, serving sentences ranging from 6 months to life.
• On 20 November 2025 the SPS reported 12 people held against a design capacity of 16.
• Independent monitors report the unit reached its full capacity of 16 in the last quarter of 2024-25 for the first time since opening, and that all rooms are single occupancy.

What inspectors found in March 2024

In shortEight of nine standards were rated satisfactory, with strong staff relationships and concerns over searching and inconsistency.

• Inspected5 to 7 March 2024Full inspection by HMIPS
• Rated satisfactory8 of 9Purposeful activity rated generally acceptable

The Chief Inspector described the report as largely positive, with a pre-inspection survey in which women felt safe, respected and supported by their personal officers. He said that the staff and prisoner relationships were impressive and showed strong signs of success.

Daily life and activity

In shortEmployment and training were limited in 2024, though education, community placements and a flexible regime were in place.

The inspection found employment and training limited, partly because of the lack of suitable opportunities within the unit. A few women worked as cleaners and others had opportunities in the community, for example in a local café.

• Fife College tutors visited twice a week and offered Scottish Qualifications Authority courses in communication, numeracy, personal development, nutrition and understanding mental health, plus cookery classes.
• A coffee cup meeting each Monday let residents discuss the week’s activities.
• Each woman met her personal officer at the weekend to agree a weekly planner.

Research and monitoring since

In shortMonitors and the December 2025 evaluation both praise staff relationships and both raise body searching.

• Monitor visits, 2024-2554118 hours logged; only two requests from residents
• Searches on return from community1 in 5Routine strip searches, felt to be degrading

Independent Prison Monitors praised staff dedication and resilience and said residents reported positive relationships with staff and other residents. They said the search practice was contrary to the trauma-informed ethos, and that changes could not be made locally because they require updates to the prison rules.

• The evaluation of the two units, known as SPAROW, was carried out by researchers from the University of Glasgow for the Scottish Government.

Working at the Bella Centre

In shortBella is staffed by SPS officers on SPS terms, and we found no Bella-specific vacancy.

• Control and restraint refresher100%Training compliance at the time of the visit
• Fire response47%Flagged for improvement
• Emergency response59%Flagged for improvement

Bella is staffed by SPS officers on SPS terms. The inspectors found a small, cohesive team with a rotating first line manager shift pattern, and noted that absence management, poor-performance processes and recognition were largely handled by HMP & YOI Stirling.

• We did not find a vacancy specific to Bella, so check the SPS recruitment portal.
• SPS visitor information says the centre is a 20-minute walk from the railway station and 10 minutes from the bus station.