HMIP Report on HM Unit

Shotts 1998

ANNEX C - PURPOSE AND REGIME H.M. UNIT SHOTTS

October 1996

CONTENTS

APPENDICES

1) Unit Application Form Terms and conditions of entry
2) Terms and conditions of entry
3) Sample timetable
4) Wage payment details
5) Work-free days scheme
6) Non-participation procedure
7) Items allowed in use

1. INTRODUCTION

This document has been produced as information and guidance to Scottish Prison Service staff and Management. It comes about as a result of extensive re-examination of the unit working practises undertaken by representatives from the unit commensurate with the document "Small Units in the Scottish Prison Service" (1994).

2. PURPOSE OF THE SHOTTS UNIT

Shotts unit serves the need of male adult mainstream establishments by housing, for a limited period, prisoners identified as management problems resulting from manifest unacceptable behaviour brought about by an unwillingness or inability to cope with prison life.

Through intensive participate interaction in a community setting and involvement with programmes to address within-prison problems, the aim is that prisoners will come to terms with their situation and become reasonable people able to resume serving their sentences in mainstream prisons.

3. STATISTICAL INFORMATION

Since Shotts unit became operational in 1990, a total of thirty prisoners have been accepted for entry. The average length of stay is eighteen and a half months with individual lengths of stay varying from one day to seventy two months. Eight prisoners have failed and been returned to their prisons of allocation for reasons ranging from violent behaviour to possession of dangerous illicit items.

Eighteen prisoners have progressed successfully to mainstream establishments. Three prisoners self-rejected, two because the unit did not offer the material benefits they had hoped for and one due to difficulties with other prisoners. Two prisoners have failed and one liberated. Eight prisoners are currently housed in the unit.

4. CRITERIA FOR ENTRY INTO SHOTTS UNIT

• The prisoner will constitute a management problem as a result of his own unacceptable behaviour. Other available management options should be explored prior to the tendering of a unit application.
• The prisoner should be of at least average intelligence.
• He should demonstrate reasonable verbal and interpersonal skills.
• He should be serving a lengthy sentence (normally in excess of ten years) and should be within the first half of his sentence.
• He should be capable and willing to interact with other prisoners and staff within the unit.
• The prisoner must be willing to change and he must want to come to the unit (a factor which will be evidenced by his signing of the Shotts Unit Terms and Conditions).
• 4.2 There are certain factors, the presence of which would rule out any application to the Shotts Unit, as follows:
• Symptoms of psychoses. The Shotts Unit community setting is not suitable for the mentally ill.
• No prisoner prescribed psychotropic medication will be considered.
• Sex offenders/schedule one offenders will not be considered.
• No appellants or those with significant outstanding charges will be considered.

There is no doubt that there are problem prisoners within the system who are excluded by virtue of the foregoing and it is acknowledged in the report "Small Units in the Scottish Prison Service" (1994) that there is a need for various types of units. It must be stressed that to admit the wrong type of people could be very counterproductive and may undermine the purpose of the Shotts Unit. It is the hope that the setting of a criteria will deliver the Shotts Unit regime to the appropriate people and in future rule out political factors, trade-offs between Establishments and personal intervention.

5. THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications are made via a standard application form which is available from the Unit (see appendix 1).

Completed applications should be sent to the Head of Custody Division at Calton House who is also the Chairman of the Small Units Strategy Group (see next paragraph).

The Small Units Strategy Group will assess the application in the light of others in the pipeline and if appropriate, representatives from the unit in question will assess the candidate and liase with local management from the sending establishment.

6. SMALL UNITS STRATEGY GROUP

This group convenes monthly and is chaired by the Head of Custody Division. It is attended by management representatives from each of the units.

This group exists to take an overview of current applications and to monitor and regulate the strategic direction of small units. It also provides a forum for unit governors to discuss issues of mutual significance.

7. SHOTTS UNIT REGIME

7.1 ACTIVITY

The working day is split into four sessions and a timetable approach to activity is taken (see appendix 2). Certain elements f the timetable are compulsory and the remainder is planned between the prisoner and his Personal Officer.

7.2 PARTICIPATION The expectation is that prisoners will

participate in at least twenty hours of constructive activity. An incentive-based wages scheme has been introduced (see appendix 4) which encourages twenty five hours participation and gives officers the authority to dock wages if performance level drops.

7.3 CRAFT SHOP A craft shop has been created in which one off

wooden items are made and supplied to "Time", a prison workshop based charity retail outlet. Participation in the craft shop is one of the compulsory elements of the timetable.

7.4 PROJECTS If they wish to, prisoners may continue to work at their

own "projects". These are output based activities where the prisoners produce items to sell. The profits from these projects are divided between charity (20%), the prisoner (40% goes to his P.P.C) and the remaining 40% is contributed to the Unit Common Good Fund.

7.5 COMMUNITY MEETING Monday afternoons are designated

visitor-free sessions and are devoted to the weekly "community meeting" in which all staff, management and prisoners participate. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss unit issues and every member of the unit has the chance to raise any general issue or seek clarification on matters which pertain to the unit as a whole. An Agenda book is kept and the meetings are recorded by means of a Dictaphone and minutes produced. Participation in the community meeting is a compulsory element of unit life.

7.6 FOUR-GROUPS Personal issues which arise between individuals

are initially tackled by means of a discussion group known as a "four group" which consists of the two people experiencing the difficulty and their nominated representatives. Any unit member may involve a four group and the meeting will be minuted.

7.7 SPECIAL MEETINGS If any person refuses to participate in a

‘four group" or should the issue remain unresolved at its conclusion then a special meeting’ may be called. Attendance is compulsory for all available unit members and the issue is discussed in an open forum.

Special meetings may be initiated appropriately at any time, by any individual provided the issue pertains to a general unit issue.

7.8 WORK-FREE DAYS SCHEME

Shotts Unit prisoners are allocated twelve days per annum on which they can opt to abstain from work. The purpose of this is to relieve the pressure of daily life in the unit and to encourage prisoners to plan ahead. (see appendix 5)

8. DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

Normally, Shotts Unit regime would not involve recourse to orderly room procedures. Minor breaches of discipline may be dealt with in the following ways.

8.1 Failure to earn: In the event that duties are not carried out properly (see appendix 4 for details)

8.2 Use of visit passes: Persistent abuse of the visit allocation may result in the issue of three visit passes per week and there will be no entry for visitors without a valid pass.

8.3 Temporary relocation to prison of allocation -

This course of action may be taken in the case of persistent verbal abuse or fairly serious flouting of the unit rules. The temporary native of this relocation would be dependant on satisfactory behaviour.

8.4 Confiscation: Illicit articles and monies will be confiscated and this necessitates recourse to orderly room procedures.

8.5 DE-SELECTION

Unit prisoners who display the following behaviour

will have demonstrated that they are no longer suitable and will be returned to their prison of allocation.

i) Use of violence towards any other person constitutes a serious breach of trust and necessitates the above.

ii) Sustained non-participation would undermine the unit regime and therefore cannot be tolerated. Every effort will be made to encourage participation. If these efforts fail then an eight week long monitoring process will be brought into action, culminating in de-selection. (see appendix 7)

9.1 MONETARY CONTROL

In keeping with the document "Small Units in the Scottish Prison Service" (1994) the unit has moved to a credit - based monetary system. This represents a major shift in practise and the implication is that all money transactions are paper based thus eliminating the usefulness of illicit cash and allowing staff to monitor and regulate spending.

Similarly, such a system facilitates the introduction of a meaningful incentive - based wage earning scheme (see appendix 4).

The normalisation benefits of a cash system are acknowledged but felt to be more appropriately brought in at a later stage in the sentence.

9.2 PRISONERS PERSONAL CASH

Access to personal cash is restricted to the same level as that in mainstream prisons (currently 2.50 per week). The highest possible wage is ten pounds, therefore the maximum spending power of a Shotts Unit prisoner is 12.50 and attainment of this is heavily dependant on good overall performance.

10. SECURITY

The Shotts Unit is a purpose - built maximum - security establishment, the perimeter wall of which is contained within Shotts main prison. The unit houses some category ‘A’ prisoners and as such, searches and security checks are carried out as per the Prison and Young Offender Rules (Scotland) 1994.

No articles or foodstuffs are brought in by visitors. Any articles which come in do so via proforma and are subject to restrictions on their nature and the volume of items currently in use. (see appendix 7).

11. RECEPTION

All items coming in to the Unit do so via reception. All new prisoners coming to the Unit are processed via reception in the normal manner and excess property is stored there.

12. VISITS

Shotts Unit management recognise the importance of maintaining links with family and friends. In recognition of this prisoners are permitted three visits per week, each of two hours duration.

The visits facility itself is comfortable, well-equipped and served by a well-stocked canteen. Prisoners are permitted to make tea, coffee and snacks for their visitors and they have access to outside and indoor play areas for children.

Visits are supervised at all times and visitors are encouraged to make contact with the Shorts unit family contact development officer.

13. REGIME MEAL

Shorts unit staff, management and prisoners sit down together once per week to eat a meal which has been prepared as a joint effort between a prisoner and member of staff. The purpose of this activity is to foster a community spirit and it is an effective way of breaking down barriers between staff, management and prisoners.

14. PET PROJECT

Shotts Unit prisoners are allowed to keep pets. The number and type is strictly controlled. At the time of compiling this information we have a cat, cockatiel and pigeons. The therapeutic effect of caring for an animal is well established in research and our pet project is monitored by a local veterinary surgeon.

15. SENTENCE PLANNING

The Unit has built upon the existing Scottish Prison Service sentence planning scheme: each prisoner has a personal officer. Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual are compiled and the week’s activities are planned between the prisoner and his personal officer. Each Wednesday staff have a two hour meeting during which time a casework approach is taken towards sentence plans, where appropriate.

16. STAFFING

The unit has a Governor in charge and Deputy Governor with responsibility for its entire operation. The Governor reports directly to an Area Director, thus allowing him a great deal of autonomy. Whilst the unit is located within the perimeter of H.M.P Shotts it is the case that it stands as an entirely separate institution in its own right. The unit is complemented for seventeen ‘D’ band officers who operate on an early shift/backshift basis, night shift being covered by H.M.P. Shotts.

Unit vacancies are advertised in the normal fashion.

17. INVITATION

Shotts Unit will be happy to accommodate requests presentations to groups of staff or manager. Similarly visitors to the unit are welcome and any interested parties should drop us a note, whereupon arrangements will be made.

Telephone: 01501 824145

Information compiled by J. Clinton, Deputy Governor