ANNUAL REPORT 1995-96

5. REGIMES

Reception

5.1 From the perspective of the prisoner, the first impressions gained during the reception process are likely to last for a long time. Some will be first offenders, others confused, anxious or disorientated and therefore all should be dealt with sensitively and in an environment which is fit for the purpose.

5.2 We have been encouraged by the efforts which we have seen in a number of establishments to adopt a holistic approach to the reception of prisoners and to utilise this very early period to provide information, identify vulnerable individuals and offer guidance. That said, the tidal wave of prisoners passing through HMP Barlinnie's reception for example, makes completion of even the basic admission procedures a daily challenge. At the other end of the scale, arrival late in the evening of even small numbers of admissions (for example at Cornton Vale) means that there is sometimes very limited time for comprehensive processing before the establishment is locked up for the night.

5.3 Both of these examples in their different ways highlight the fact that without adequate time and resources, it is impossible properly to address the needs of offenders as they enter prison. This is particularly crucial in respect of picking up early warning signs from individuals who may later go on to commit acts of self harm or even suicide. There is arguably a very practical case for seeking to divide the reception process into a number of manageable and clearly identifiable phases. These would range from dealing with documentation and property, through medical examination to ensuring the provision of basic information, reassurance and guidance. Reception should be seen as a process rather than an event and where resources are squeezed or time inadequate, then prisoners should continue their reception in a planned and structured way beyond the first day or part of a day in custody.

5.4 As to the condition of reception areas, these were variable. It was disappointing to note that HMP Edinburgh's reception was still a temporary facility. Additionally, it was still possible to find prisoners waiting in cramped conditions for long periods of time - eg, in HMPs Barlinnie and Greenock.

Induction

5.5 Notwithstanding the challenges for those establishments which have a high turnover of short sentence prisoners, we nevertheless contend that all admissions should undertake a period of introduction to their new establishment. Effective induction is particularly important for remand prisoners, the majority of whom will not receive a custodial sentence and for whom the need to deal with anxieties in relation to Court appearances, separation from family and community and perhaps loss of employment, may be especially intense. Greater priority needs to be given to these individuals.

5.6 The first few days in prison are often disorientating and stressful and it is important that prisoners are provided with essential basic information about their rights, entitlements, opportunities and obligations. In an effort to begin to address this need, some establishments have added informative local sections to the Prisoners' Information Pack and others have introduced comprehensive induction programmes for all new admissions; we were particularly impressed with those in operation at Peterhead and Glenochil. Whilst we would not recommend a standard approach to induction because establishments need to be able to develop programmes appropriate to their populations, we nevertheless believe that local induction packages for all prisoners should be developed in every establishment. A passive approach to induction by the provision of a booklet is not enough. In our view, failure to provide a comprehensive induction programme militates against establishing a firm foundation for developing good staff/prisoner relationships, beginning to address offending behaviour whilst it is still in recent memory and tackling the prisoner subculture.

Sentence Planning

5.7 The Sentence Planning initiative was formally launched in 1992 with the following aims:

To encourage prisoners to exercise control and choice over their time spent in custody

To allow officers and prisoners to work together in agreeing targets and goals

To enhance the role of the officer through closer liaison and involvement with prisoners

To create a calmer atmosphere in prison, which generates fewer incidents

To help prisoners cope with life on their return to the community, with more acceptable behaviour.

5.8 Subsequently in June 1995, a staff training package was re-launched aimed at enhancing the understanding and use of sentence planning procedures throughout the Service. However, on the basis of what we have seen in formal inspections this year, there is still considerable room for improvement in the operation of the scheme. On the positive side, formal and regular reporting on each participating prisoner which thereby encourages staff/prisoner interaction, was generally good. On the other hand, the completion of sentence planning documentation was in many cases seen by staff and prisoners as merely a paper driven exercise. The considerable majority of sentence plans which we examined lacked meaningful targets and only in a few cases was it possible to make a connection between the needs and aspirations recorded in the plans and what the prisoner was actually doing. We very much hope that the planned 'reinvigoration' of sentence planning will address the deficiencies which currently exist and that all Personal Officers are given appropriate training to become fully conversant with their role and responsibility in this area.

Personal Officers

5.9 We recognise that Personal Officer schemes which give responsibility to Prison Officers to act as a primary contact point for designated individual prisoners, are the ideal vehicle for engaging staff in the care and training of prisoners. They can provide a means by which staff gain constructive authority over prisoners and at the same time, enhance the Officer's role and provide a worthwhile service to prisoners. There is a number of possible permutations in relation to what might be considered the essential features of a good Personal Officer scheme. The following are commonly agreed to be the core elements:

A clearly defined role and purpose

Appropriate training and support

Time and resources to discharge the responsibilities of the role - particularly with regard to sentence planning

Management commitment to the scheme

Proper arrangements to cover absences

The skills and opportunities to confront prisoners with their offending behaviour.

5.10 We found that where there was a requirement to undertake sentence planning - ie, in those establishments who held long term prisoners - Personal Officer schemes existed in one form of another. That said, we found that where Personal Officers had received any role specific training at all, it frequently only covered one or two areas rather than covering a range of skills including interviewing techniques, report writing, counselling and interpersonal skills. We know that this kind of training is available within the SPS, but access to it is patchy. Many staff also felt that they were given insufficient time for Personal Officer work, particularly for interviewing prisoners and completing sentence planning and other documentation.

5.11 In busy local prisons, it was suggested to us that Personal Officer schemes whilst highly desirable, were much less practical because of the transient nature of the short term population: however, we do not share this view. Managers must find a way to ensure that prisoners have a named member of staff to whom they can turn with their problems and who can, where appropriate, refer them on to others for specialised help.

5.12 Where Personal Officers are well trained, well motivated and clear about their role, the benefits in terms of productive and positive staff/prisoner relationships are considerable. It is most important, therefore, that such schemes are carefully nurtured in every establishment.

Offending Behaviour Programmes

5.13 Offending behaviour programmes generally run in conjunction with other activities such as education and employment and might helpfully be considered under the umbrella of offence focused work. In the overwhelming majority of establishments which we visited this year, we found a wide range of courses aimed at addressing offending behaviour. These included such courses as anger management, addiction education and counselling, sex offender treatment, cognitive skills, parenting, personal and family relationships, interpersonal skills and marital violence - and this is by no means an exhaustive list. We were invariably impressed with the level of creativity and enthusiasm shown by staff in their personal commitment to ensuring the success of the courses in which they were involved.

5.14 With the notable exception of the impressive sex offender programme at Peterhead, however, very few courses which we saw were based on sound theoretical models or were effectively evaluated. The consequence of this is that it is impossible to determine which courses are effective in achieving their objectives and which are not and therefore the prospect of seeding effective programmes across the Service is diminished and the risk of spreading ineffectual ones goes unchecked. Some intervention programmes with prisoners do work and the components which constitute good programmes are known and therefore we believe that before any new offending behaviour programmes are introduced, they should be subject to more rigorous design and evaluation than is currently the case. Perhaps the new in-house psychology service which is due to be commissioned this year, could have a significant role to play in providing advice and guidance on good theoretical models and sound evaluation.

Cognitive Skills

5.15 The philosophy behind the introduction of the Cognitive Skills programme is that offenders need to be taught a range of skills including problem solving and decision making, thinking logically and rationally and developing coping mechanisms as an alternative to anti-social behaviour ... "change the thinking, change the behaviour".

5.16 Cognitive skills training has now begun in a number of establishments but it is much too early to assess its likely impact on participating prisoners. However, we have noted the lack of readily accessible support and supervision for cognitive skills trainers who have a most challenging task in single handedly delivering some 70 hours of technical training over 35 sessions. It is important that the cognitive skills initiative should be given the best possible start if it is to meet its objectives. It is important too that those prisoners who participate are selected on the basis of need as identified in their Sentence Plans and not on an ad hoc first come, first served basis.

Routines

5.17 There is increasing pressure to develop regimes which offer a wide range of opportunities for prisoners to improve their social and employment skills and their basic education and to address the behaviour which leads to their offending. As a result, establishments are continually seeking ways within existing constraints in which to maximise the available time out of cell so that work can be undertaken with prisoners - from developing positive relationships to working intensively to address offending behaviour and all levels in between.

5.18 In our view, however, regime flexibility is seriously inhibited by the rigidity of current staff attendance patterns which, over the years, have formed the basis around which prison routines have developed. The main consequence of this is that the working day for prisoners is truncated and for example, prisoners' meals are timed to fit the routine which in effect means that some establishments serve lunch at 1130 or earlier and tea at 1600 hours. At weekends, there can be a resultant gap of 15 hours between meals, which we find unacceptable.

5.19 We believe that it is possible to meet the legitimate needs and expectations of staff in relation to their patterns of attendance, while at the same time providing for a system which delivers staff to the places where they are most needed, when they are most needed, throughout the day. This is clearly a complex issue which will require careful thought and thorough examination, but it is perhaps a matter which is long overdue serious consideration in a joint management/staff forum.

Clothing

5.20 We have been pleased to note that all those establishments which we visited this year have made significant efforts to improve both the quality of the clothing which is issued to prisoners and the frequency with which it can be washed. The degree to which prisoners are permitted to wear their own clothing varies between establishments, but in those housing long term prisoners it is not unusual to find laundry facilities in accommodation blocks. These facilities are invariably well used, with the vast majority of prisoners who have the privilege of wearing their own clothing at specified times, taking particular care of their appearance.

5.21 There is, however, room for the provision of a better service in which clothing, towels and bedlinen can be laundered on a more regular basis. This is particularly needed in respect of bedlinen which we found to be in a very poor state in a number of prisons including particularly Peterhead and Greenock. We therefore welcome the general review of laundry provision which is currently underway and trust that it will address and resolve issues including frequency and quality of laundering as well as repair and replacement of items which are clearly at the end of their useful life - such as in Cornton Vale.

Employment

5.22 It is important that as many prisoners as possible should be provided with structured and meaningful activity throughout the day. Each of these activities should be aimed at preparing prisoners for release and providing them with a better chance of coping more effectively in the community than they had on first arriving in custody. The quality of employment opportunities in prison are therefore important in preparation for release.

5.23 Some of the work opportunities which we saw last year were good - such as those at Low Moss, Shotts and Glenochil. At the other end of the spectrum however, in Peterhead, Greenock and Cornton Vale, provision was poor and with little scope for enabling prisoners to develop marketable employment skills. There was also too much low skilled, repetitive work provided and this, in combination with low wages (an average of £6 per week), reinforced the belief held by many prisoners that work was therefore considered by the SPS to be of low value, which in turn generated low self esteem. It is perhaps not surprising therefore, that we found some prisoner populations who seemed to be work shy which was manifested in significant numbers reporting sick during the working week in an effort to avoid work and others being placed on discipline report for work refusal.

5.24 The universal provision of good quality work for prisoners is, we know, a most difficult task especially in times of relative economic downturn. The SPS tries to provide meaningful work for fluctuating numbers of prisoners and some 2,334, or 41% of the convicted population, are currently so involved in industrial work on a daily basis. Other, more limited forms of employment are available, but it is especially challenging to find regular work of consistent quality in local prisons where crucially, most prisoners begin their sentences and at which early stage it is so important to begin to establish the ethic of participation in meaningful activity, including work. We therefore welcome the centrally commissioned review of industries which is currently taking place and which includes a wide ranging examination of existing provision with accompanying cost benefit analyses. The review will also seek to establish clear links between industry, vocational training (VT), education, certification and pre-release preparation.

5.25 Cooperative ventures between prisons and suitable commercial firms in the community already exist but the review is also seeking to expand these. This is primarily on the basis that it would be valuable to determine whether such ventures could in fact provide an environment which would realistically mirror outside employment and whether accompanying training and opportunities for certification would be better preparation for success on release than existing provision. We would also like to see a pilot scheme which enables prisoners to earn a realistic wage, part of which could be saved for release, part of which could be sent out to dependants and part of which could be offset against the cost of imprisonment.

5.26 In the interim, however, we commend the approach being developed by Shotts to optimise access by prisoners to the prison's limited resources. Here, the working week has been split into 20 sessions, with prisoners being required to work for no less than 12 and to attend education and other programmes for the remainder. This approach ensures that all prisoners have access to all of the activities some of the time and thereby have a better chance of meeting the personal needs identified in their Sentence Plans. This timetabling approach is still under development, but we were impressed with what we saw and have no doubt that it has a firm future.

5.27 In relation to VT, we found much of which the prison service can be justifiably proud. Courses were popular, well attended, well taught and offered prisoners the opportunity to gain certification in a variety of trades. That said, VT courses must be reviewed periodically to ensure that they retain relevance to the employment market. Additionally, access to them should be carefully controlled to ensure that the prisoners who attend derive maximum benefit from them.

Pay

5.28 In spite of the fact that the cost of staple goods such as postage stamps, toiletries and tobacco has risen considerably in price, prisoners' wages have changed very little by comparison. The average wage is about £6 per week for those who have work and around £3 to £3.50 for those who have no opportunity to work. There are also inexplicable anomalies between pay rates for adult prisoners and YOs with the latter receiving lower average pay despite the skill level or comparability of the tasks. We have raised this matter before.

5.29 There is some merit in the argument which suggests that low wages encourage the growth of a prisoner economy in which bullying, drug dealing and trading in phonecards and other items of value to prisoners, becomes an accepted way, within the prisoners' subculture, of supplementing income. For those who do not engage in such activities, there is increased temptation to pressurise families and friends to provide personal items and private cash - which is an unwelcome and heavy burden for low income families and which does little to improve relationships. In addition to this, there is a perception among prisoners that low pay equals low value and that low skilled work is poor preparation for release. All that said however, it is clear from prison climate surveys undertaken across the SPS, that the majority of prisoners would prefer to work than not.

5.30 A review of regimes has been under way for some time now and we would urge that its deliberations should include a comprehensive review of whether current pay levels are reasonable reward for work undertaken. They also need to be sufficient to enable prisoners to purchase a reasonable range and quantity of goods from the prison canteen and to keep in regular contact by phone and letter with family and friends.

Community Outplacements

5.31 The average number of Category ‘D’ prisoners (ie those in the lowest security group) who were working outside prisons in 1995-96 on a daily basis reduced from the previous year, when approximately 200 were so employed. Individuals who qualified and were considered suitable, were from Open prisons (HMPs Penninghame, Dungavel, Noranside and Castle Huntly) or working from TFF hostels, including the new female unit at Polmont. Some limited placement schemes were also available at HMPs Friarton and Greenock.

5.32 The range of work on offer was generally adequate. Those employers whom we met in the course of the year also seemed satisfied with arrangements. Payment varied according to task, but employers could generally rely on the prisoners’ willingness to work. Employers also felt that they were putting "something back into society" via these individuals. There were, however, some local difficulties in relation to outplacement - for example, there was a lack of suitable public transport at some establishments for ensuring that individuals could get to outlying areas to work on time, which meant that prison transport often had to be used. In some locations there were insufficient outplacements available or those that were available, tended to be seasonal. We were satisfied though that outplacement liaison officers worked very quickly and effectively to address problems as they arose.

5.33 Prisoners appeared to derive considerable benefit from outplacements especially in terms of self esteem, sense of purpose, preparation for final release and eventual resettlement in the community. However, it is important to ensure that only those prisoners who are at the right stage of their sentence for this test and who are likely to derive the greatest benefit, should be allocated places.

5.34 Community outplacements greatly help with the engendering of a sense of purpose and progression to those prisoners who have reached the appropriate stage in their sentence. In our view they have the potential to contribute to the longer term reduction of crime and represent a very imaginative step by those members of the public who are willing to employ prisoners in this way. An element of risk is clearly involved in outplacement schemes and can never be completely eradicated. Nevertheless, all that we have seen continues to indicate that sensible precautions are being taken by the SPS.

Physical Education (PE)

5.35 Some establishments have better facilities than others, which does not always reflect the size of the prisoner population, their needs or the establishment’s strategic priorities. Rather the extent of facilities are often determined by what space is available. Thus for example, a new gym and all weather sports area is being created at HMP Aberdeen, but the gymnasium facilities at HMP Barlinnie, which is Scotland's largest prison, are woefully inadequate.

5.36 PE has a very useful part to play in the regime as it helps to release pent up energy and tensions. A properly structured fitness programme will also help prisoners in their recovery from dependence on drugs or alcohol. However, we believe facilities must routinely be available to prisoners at weekends and that much more could be done to increase general access to them - particularly through the use of Sports and Games Officers.

Recreation

5.37 Despite the aspiration to develop more constructive out of cell activities, we found that there was very little for prisoners to do during recreation periods. Almost without exception, those prisons which were able to designate areas specifically for recreational use, provided spaces which were frequently drab, utilitarian and unattractive and those establishments which had no designated recreation space, struggled to provide facilities on the landings within cell blocks. The availability of cell hobbies and encouragement to undertake them was very patchy across the Service and with some notable exceptions, the use of prisoners' spare time to undertake appropriate charity work tended to be left to enthusiastic and committed officers who had a special interest in this area.

5.38 Easy access to good library facilities with talking books and music tapes as well as magazines and books, was the exception rather than the rule. We found this disappointing in view of the fact that libraries should be recreational as well as educational facilities and ought therefore to be located near to accommodation areas and open when prisoners are free to visit them.

5.39 Overall, we felt that recreation time at evenings and weekends provided great scope for creative thinking in terms of extending the regime beyond the limitations of the basic Monday-Friday 0830-1600 day. At the very least, however, existing provision needs to be revitalised and in our view could be one of the appropriate subjects for examination by joint staff/prisoner working groups. The statutory needs of those on remand ought also to receive much greater priority. Indeed, as this group is not required to work and spends the majority of the day locked in a spartan cell, their recreational needs should arguably be much better than those who have been convicted for offences. A rising incidence of suicide amongst remand prisoners adds poignancy to the perception that in cell television ought to be permitted for such individuals as a potentially life saving measure, in addition to other steps to increase personal contact.

Visits

5.40 The Inspectorate will shortly be publishing a Thematic Study entitled "The Importance of Visits in Scottish Prisons" and this section paraphrases some of its observations. Apart from Scottish establishments, some prisons in England and a total of nine prisons in USA and Canada were also examined in order to gather information and undertake research for the study, which we hope will provide impetus towards achieving a better balance of standards across all Scottish prisons. For example, the visit rooms and arrangements at HMP Noranside are excellent and we favour some of the flexible arrangements already in existence at HMP Dungavel. A refurbished visits room has also been opened at HMYOI Polmont and represents an excellent and much needed improvement. On the other hand, we found that visit arrangements at HMP Peterhead were inadequate and had the effect of further penalising families who had already travelled great distances to get there. Other visit rooms - for example at HM Institution Cornton Vale were very cramped and many were grubby - eg at HMP Edinburgh (although some improvements have since been effected there - and not before time). Arrangements at HMP Barlinnie were barely adequate and despite some improvements to the visitors' waiting area, the visit cubicles themselves were still extremely depressing - though hopefully the construction of a planned new visits complex will become reality here in the not too distant future. We are, however, most impressed by a series of initiatives underway at HMP Shotts which include a number of elements fundamental to the provision of a quality visits service. They include:-

A computerised visit logging system. All requests for visits are now entered directly into a computer which reduces the amount of staff time required to process them. Efficiency has greatly improved as a consequence and there is a concomitant reduction in the failure to take up visit places. There is also much less frustration amongst prisoners about visit arrangements, which may in turn be leading to a lowering of tensions in the prison as a whole.

A much improved information system for families. Written hand-outs have been revamped in cooperation with prisoners and their families. Regular briefings on the prison environment are now also given by Family Contact Development Officers (FCDOs) to those families and prisoners who request them. Both of these initiatives are already providing a means by which relationships between visitors and staff are significantly improving.

The provision of a families' waiting room adjacent to the Visits room where FCDOs are on hand to provide information and discuss problems with visitors and families. This is a half-way house solution which we commend - a type of 'mini-Visitors Centre', but without the much greater costs of a new build. Crucially, it also ensures that prison staff in the shape of FCDOs, are represented, whereas in other Visitor Centres eg HMP Perth and the majority of those in England, entirely volunteer civilian staff are involved.

5.41 We still believe that much more has to be done to provide visit arrangements which meet the needs of prisoners and their families and not primarily the routine of the prison. Equally, it is very apparent (especially as a result of our inspections abroad) that Scotland is some considerable way behind what is provided in many other countries. Our concern here is to capitalise on the positive influence which families and friends are capable of exerting on a prisoner's general attitude and response. We have seen the beneficial effects which can derive from involving families in a positive way in the custodial experience and with good understanding and support on their part, the chances of a prisoner's successful return to the community are much enhanced. Family research in USA has shown that prisoners released without family support are six times more likely to offend within the first year.

5.42 Visits can of course be a vehicle for smuggling illegal substances such as drugs into prisons - though the real scale of such activity is unknown. It is nevertheless a major security and control issue for the SPS, which will always have to maintain a careful balance between the best possible quality of family contact time at visits and proper security considerations. There are, however, additional ways of tackling drugs at visits which might include, for example, providing a system of incentives for additional or longer visits for those who prove to be drug free for an extended period. Closed visits should, however, continue to be used for those who are involved with drugs. Our observations abroad also led us to conclude that better drug detection systems could and should be introduced when funds permit.

5.43 Perhaps the obvious conclusion to be drawn, once more, is that imprisonment almost invariably causes damage to family links. This damage often grows as sentences lengthen and can later prove expensive for society to repair, on top of the already considerable costs of imprisonment. Visits have a part to play in reducing this damage and especially at the early stages of custody. The main recommendations from our Thematic Study include:

Funding for full-time FCDO posts at all major prisons should be confirmed; their presence should then provide the basis for future impetus.

Visiting hours should gradually be extended over the next five years.

Community Relations

5.44 The majority of establishments have appointed Community Liaison Officers to ensure that they are not isolated from the community and that integration, rather than segregation, becomes the norm. Chaplains are amongst those most closely involved in nurturing community links, usually by involving their parishioners and local community in services and activities, whilst FCDOs also play an important role by focusing on families. Many prisons also raise money through the goodwill and efforts of their prisoners, which is then distributed to local charities. Meanwhile many outside organisations also take a very active interest in prisons and this includes those who are listed at Annex 5, the objective being that the more that prisons can lower the drawbridge and others in the community can 'see inside', the better it will be for all concerned. The SPS is engaged in dealing with some of society's most difficult problems, but its work is done away from the public gaze - greater public education is therefore fundamental in ensuring that local communities fully understand the work of the Prison Service.

5.45 The media has considerable power to inform the public about penal matters and we were heartened in 1995-96 by much of the balanced and reasoned reporting which was contained in most newspapers and broadcasts. That said, both SPS staff and the Inspectorate were sometimes disappointed by the inaccuracy of some (mainly tabloid) articles and by some of the more unnecessarily sensational headlines. We support the policy that wherever possible, Governors-in-Charge as well as SPS Communications Branch should be directly accessible to media questioning. However, it should always be borne in mind that media access to prisons should be compatible with the need to avoid offence to victims and to prevent prisoners from using the media for their own purposes. In general, we are heartened by the policy of openness which continues to be developed across the SPS.

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