English Prisons - A Guide

21st February 2014

Just been looking through some of the prisons where we can expect child killers to reside - very interesting.

The below are category B prisons:

Brixton:

Regime: Exercise periods vary according to the wing and its function. There is an IEP scheme in operation. Prisoners can pursue a range of education courses. There are a variety of classes covering areas such as IT, English, Maths, Social and Life Skills and a varied art programme. Most courses lead to nationally recognised qualifications. All take place in a newly refurbished Learning and Skills centre. The gym offers a range of PE and accredited programmes. There are no traditional workshops.

A new Kitchen is currently being built and plans are in discussion to replace the Reception, Healthcare, & Sports complex.

Lowdham Grange:

Accommodation: Mostly single - some doubled - some with en-suite shower

Operational capacity: 888 as at April 2013.

Reception criteria: Category B. Determinate sentence of at least 4 years with at least 12 months left to serve.
Indeterminate sentence prisoners (IPP's)
Labour grade 1 and 2 (no in-patient health care facilities).

Regime: Workshops, Education, National vocational training (bricklaying, plumbing, electrician, industrial cleaning), offending behaviour courses (including Thinking Skills Programme and RESOLVE). Voluntary Testing Unit programme and Drug Treatment Services. Psychology and Counselling support. "Buddies" scheme. Diverse multi-faith chaplaincy.


Peterborough:

The regime at Peterborough includes a varied provision of education and workshop places on each side of the prison. There are library facilities for the male and female sides of the prison which operate as a branch of Peterborough Library Services. HMP/YOI Peterborough also has Learn Direct Centres.


The activity areas include :
• The Link - a one-stop information, advice and guidance centre for accommodation, debt and employment issues, appointments with partnerships agencies & resettlement providers, induction and pre release programmes and self management programmes (both sides of the prison).
• The Kleaning Academy – industrial cleaning skills and health and safety qualifications are taught providing graduates with vocational qualifications and practical training (both sides of the prison)
• The Bridge – Holistic Centre providing a range of vocational and educational training programmes aimed at improving self esteem and self management alongside vocational qualifications in hair, beauty and holistic therapies (female only)
• Renaissance Hair Salon – providing an accredited training programme for trainee stylists, as well as a valuable hairdressing service for women.
• Manufacturing/Light Assembly workshops – contract services with local businesses to provide manufacturing, assembly and packaging services (male side only)
• Eco Arts Workshop – Arts led work for female prisoners including partnerships with Peterborough City Council community arts and recycling projects (female side only).
• Breaking the Cycle – A Restorative Justice partnership with Cambridgeshire Constabulary and The Big Issue, refurbishing abandoned bikes and donating them through the ‘Big Issue' to day centres and charities (male side).
• Painting and Decorating – Training provided in painting and decorating with working parties assisting with the upkeep of the prison (both sides of the prison)
• Grounds and Gardens - Training provided in grounds work and gardening with working parties assisting with the upkeep of the prison (both sides of the prison)

There is an excellent gymnasium and cardio-vascular room on each side of the prison. The female prisoners also have an outdoor games court and trim trail. The male prisoners have an outdoor Astroturf football pitch. Both sports centres provide a range of sports qualifications for prisoners

The Spars are terribly busy everyday please book in advance.
Those seeking special menus should speak to their concierge on each landing.
Bathrobes and lovely selection of fragranced toiletries are provided. Guest are requested not to rip the heads of other guests as they will be sanctioned and sent to our extra luxury secluded suites.

Well, shall we now look at high security prisons, where "the worst, most dangerous prisoners" are kept?

Frankland:

Education
Contracted out to Manchester College. Courses are provided from remedial to Degree level, five days per week, 52 weeks per year. The prison Library holds an impressive stock of books, books on tape, and CD's.

Workshops
Purposeful activity includes furniture production, a charity workshop, a sight and sound workshop. PICTA, CIT and VTC courses are available.

Gym
The gymnasium is well equipped and has been praised in recent HMCIP and OFSTED reports 2008. An extensive PE programme is run for staff and prisoners. Frankland also has a well-equipped external occupational health suite.

Healthcare
A large number of clinics are held, many conducted by visiting specialists. In patient facilities consist of 1X 4 bedded ward and 10 furnished rooms. Primary care is contracted to the Darlington PCT. We also have fully equipped dental suite, X-ray, telehealth and wing based treatment rooms. The Suicide Crisis Suite is located in the Healthcare Centre.

Full Sutton:

The regimes at Full Sutton are provided in order to facilitate the progress and full development of prisoners prior to release. Half-time working ensures that both education and vocational training is available to the maximum number of prisoners. A full range of educational courses is available, ranging from Basic Skills through to Open University degree modules. Every prisoner is assessed on arrival, during the induction process, to ensure that Sentence Planning targets are appropriate to the individual needs.


Employment is available in several formats:
• multi-skills workshop for bricklaying, painting and plumbing vocational training
• recycling workshop
• textile workshops
• contract services / electrical mechanical assembly
• Braille transcription
• Catering
• Industrial cleaners
• Charity workshop
• PICTA (computer course)
• Full & varied education programme

Gymnasium: The gymnasium also provides both recreational and vocational training. All training and courses receive awards from nationally recognised bodies and many of the courses are linked to all main areas i.e. education, employment and physical activity. This especially applies to the ‘Basic Skills' level programmes. Resettlement advice and some pre-release work is available through the education department, trained staff and links with external agencies.

Healthcare: The Healthcare centre has a full-time Medical Officer and there are 6 beds available in the centre, with an additional 2 safer cells and a crisis suite.


Wakefield:

Prison Shop

DHL provides a service to all offenders who can order items from a shopping list, including fresh produce, for collection throughout the week on a wing rota basis. The offenders are allocated monies from their spending account that allows them to spend money earned through work participation. Offenders may supplement earnings with private cash sent in by families or friends as postal orders.

Gymnasium & Sports

The gymnasium facility at HMP Wakefield offers an extensive selection of activities that operate on rotation to ensure all offenders have access to a range of physical activity. Specialised classes are also offered including an over 60s afternoon that encourages men who wouldn't ordinarily use the gym to participate in gentle exercise and provides an opportunity for greater social interaction. The physical education officers are committed to providing an inclusive regime that encourages as many people as possible to keep active and physically fit. As of May 2008 over 55% of the establishment's population access the gym facilities in some way.

Food

The kitchen is run by a dedicated mix of civilian, uniformed discipline staff and approximately 30 offenders, providing meals for the whole establishment. The kitchen caters for an ever-increasing spectrum of needs that include religious, cultural and medical diets. At present the kitchen make provisions for Jewish, Sikh, Muslim, Vegan and Vegetarian prisoners and also caters for people who are diabetic, gluten-free and those who have a varying degree of food intolerance. These diets also provide appropriate meal provision during religious festivals such as the Muslim period of Ramadan. A new initiative of NVQ certificated training qualifications is at present being developed in a specially designed training kitchen as well as in the main prison kitchen. This enables offenders who are keen to work in this area to be involved in the process and be motivated in the process of large scale catering.

Accommodation & Facilities

There are 4 main residential units built around the Victorian style floor plan. January 2006 saw A Wing open, which completes a ten-year refurbishment of the prisons accommodation. Each wing holds approximately 185 offenders in single occupancy cells. F Wing holds refractory offenders and there is facility for up to 8 Close Supervision Centre offenders. The CSC unit offers exceptional levels of regime for the offenders housed here. Visits, gym and education can all be undertaken on the unit. All residential units have kitchens available for offenders to prepare their own meals. The Incentives and Earned Privileges system operates throughout the establishment allowing standard and enhanced offenders the opportunity of in cell TV. All offenders are subject to Mandatory Drugs Testing (MDT) and there is Voluntary Testing Arrangements (VTA) throughout the prison, which are compulsory for all offenders employed in positions of responsibility such as wing cleaners or kitchen workers.

And of course:

The purpose built Education Department offers a wide range of learning opportunities. It focuses on the need to raise basic skills whilst also offering Open University Courses to those who wish to study at degree level.

So, there you have it - nearly all prisons in England provide education up to degree level.

So our government, and the EU do care about an Englishman's education after all...

Sounds like a few of the pensionable aged generation should do something to get jailed for, in the winter months at least.

Vintage wrote:Sounds like a few of the pensionable aged generation should do something to get jailed for, in the winter months at least.

That's a good point there Vintage - poor buggers are treated disgracefully compared to the scum occupying our luxury prisons.