THE treatment of women within the criminal justice system at jails including Tardebigge's Brockhill Prison will be the subject of a Government review.

The review, which will look at facilities and support for women, was ordered last week by Parliamentary under-secretary for the Home Department Fiona McTaggart.

It will be led by former MP and barrister Baroness Jean Corston and follows the deaths of six inmates in a 12-month period from August 2002 at a Cheshire prison.

The review will look at facilities and support for women with mental illnesses, drug addictions and other problems - issues that have previously been raised by HMP Brockhill's Independent Monitoring Board (IMB).

In the board's report for the period August 2004 to July 2005 staff at the prison were praised but it said: "Many of the prisoners are very vulnerable and are at high risk of self harm and suicide and they need a good deal of support from the staff."

And a letter written in October to the Home Secretary from the board's chair Roy Nicklin said: "Women with mental illness should not be housed in penal establishments. They require specialist medical treatment."

A Home Office spokeswoman said the review was not an issue that individual governors could comment on.

A progress report is expected by the end of June, with a final report by the close of the year.