| CONCLUSIONS |
| 9.1
This report has mainly been concerned with trends in the
SPS, rather than the production of a general assessment.
The SPS’s own key performance indicators and target
results also speak for themselves: they clearly show that
last year was very successful in terms of Custody, Order
and Control. This may not always have been apparent from
articles in the national media, with the SPS sometimes
being caught by images which were more applicable to the
English service (and which has more than five times as
many establishments, scattered over a much wider area). |
| 9.2
We also believe that last year was a watershed for the
SPS; a very major staffing review was undertaken:
business practices were also extended, at the same time
as finances and resources were re-ordered. New measures
were also being developed to advance the needs of
prisoners at the same time. The latter included
opportunity and responsibility agendas, although it is
probably too early to be assessing their effect on
recidivism; nevertheless it is apparent that the eventual
return of individual prisoners to society is being given
much more emphasis. In this and many other aspects we
assess that the SPS is taking on far more than it ever
did before with less, whilst still managing to afford
conditions of general propriety and decency to most of
those in its care. However, the Inspectorate also gained
a strong impression that resources were being stretched
at several establishments; staff in particular could do
with a phase of consolidation. |
| 9.3
We recognise that there are no obvious solutions to the
four major problems which have been referred to. For
example our conclusion on overcrowding is that it might
be better if fewer offenders were sent to jail. This
could be achieved through a reduction in those sent to
prison for very short sentences (eg 7 days) or for fine
defaulting, although we accept that setting appropriate
alternatives such as community service are much easier
said than done. A reduction in the number of remands
would also help: separately the latter could also receive
much better treatment. |
| 9.4
Lack of work at some establishments is an equally
obstinate problem, as is the emotive subject of prisoners
pay. A gradual shift towards a timetable approach which
involves education and other agendas, as well as work, is
worthy of further examination. |
| 9.5
There must be sympathy for all those who have been
bereaved by suicides in prison this year: tragic deaths
which also affected members of staff and other prisoners.
We hope for a significant reduction in the coming year,
but the signs are not good. |
| 9.6
Drug abuse is one of societies growing
‘cancers’: not surprisingly this is reflected
in some, but not all our prisons, although vigorous
efforts are being made to deal with it. However, despite
incomplete data, it might be wise further to increase
resources sooner rather than later: for example, by
re-arranging the number of drug addiction workers at some
major establishments. |
| 9.7
Finally, although we have quoted from staff in this
report we accept that hitherto the voices of prisoners
are lacking. On their behalf we issue the reminder that
for many of them, the reality of imprisonment may be very
different from the optimistic signs of change that we
have been describing. For them, prison is by no means a
soft option. Most penal establishments are austere: with
the exception of open prisons there is almost permanent
separation from families: there are long periods of
boredom, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays: comfort
levels are usually at a basic minimum. Most jails also
smell of enclosed humanity and the larger ones are often
noisy: they can act as further conduits for crime and may
“institutionalise” individuals, during and
beyond their imprisonment. |
| 9.8
Yet society must be protected from violent or persistent
criminals: this is the fundamental mission of many
prisons and the SPS is clearly achieving this. Subject to
resource limitations, a laudable and sustained attempt is
again being made to reduce recidivism as well. |
| 9.9
It has always been difficult to find an acceptable
balance between ‘punishment, deterrence,
restitution, and rehabilitation’, and the dangers of
‘institutionalisation’. Nevertheless, the
granting of Agency status has further increased openness
in recent years, which should greatly enhance public
debate as the SPS tries to re-define some of these
challenges. The more the SPS can reflect out from, and
members of society can ‘see’ into our jails,
the better it will be for all concerned. |
| |
| POINTS
OF NOTE |
| These
include the following: |
- Bullying
- All establishments to
display clearly their anti-bullying policy
(paragraph 4.16).
- Suicide
- Volunteer prisoners
to attend parts of MRB deliberations (paragraph
4.24).
- Information packs to
include local Samaritan telephone numbers
(paragraph 4.25).
- Samaritan groups to
be able to circulate in jails (paragraph 4.25).
- Drugs
- More peer and family
pressure to be applied to addicts (paragraph
4.34).
- More drug addiction
workers required (paragraph 4.35).
- Prisoner
- Prisoner Information
Packs to be augmented by audio tapes
- Communications
- and distribution to
families also to be investigated (paragraph
4.42).
- Personal Officer
- Better training and
extend to short term prisoners in due course
(paragraph 5.5).
- Employment
- A gradual move
towards a ‘timetable approach’ in some
establishments (paragraph 5.12).
- Re-examine the
possibility of abolishing Appropriations-in-Aid
(paragraph 5.13).
- Review Vocational
Training courses (paragraph 5.14).
- Physical Education
- More PE and activity
at weekends (paragraph 5.26).
- Recreation
- More access to
libraries (paragraph 5.28).
- Visits
- Better arrangements
for informing relatives about initial
arrangements (paragraph 5.32).
- Further evaluation of
Visitor Centres (paragraph 5.32).
- Community
- Governors I/C to
continue and increase contact with media
Relations (paragraph 5.36).
- Education
- Better use of
Information Technology to co-ordinate education
programmes across all establishments (paragraph
6.2).
- Improved access to
computers and books in the evenings and at
weekends (paragraph 6.4).
- Better co-ordination
with APEX (paragraph 6.5).
- Chaplains
- Access to SPIN
terminals in due course (paragraph 6.19).
- Catering
- Tea meal to be as
late as possible (paragraph 7.1).
- Better training for
prisoner assistants concerned with food handling
(paragraph 7.5).
- Better staff
showers/lavatories (paragraph 7.5).
- Canteens
- To be opened more
often (paragraph 7.6).
- Staff
- Better staff
facilities to be made available (paragraphs
8.21-24).
|
