Part of written evidence from a serving prisoner at HMP Frankland

 

I wish to make the following contribution as an ‘interested party’ by my way of written evidence to the forthcoming Justice Committee inquiry. I think it may assist if I first provide you with a little background on both myself and HMP Frankland, that brings me to make the contribution I do.

 

Personal Background

**Throughout the duration of my sentence I have endeavoured to identify every possible opportunity for personal growth and development, notwithstanding my genuine motivation to address the personal failings related to my thinking and attitudes that led to my offending. I have been a Samaritans ‘Listener’ for over 4 years, and a Prisoner Consultative Committee (PCC) spokesperson for my peers for almost 5 years. In addition I have pursued and achieved numerous vocational qualifications such as my City & Guilds NVQ L1/L2 in Hospitality and Catering, NCFE L2 Peer mentoring, and Stonebridge College L2 distant learning diplomas in Counselling and Depression Management. For the past 18 months I have been a contributory and committed member of the recently launched ‘Rehabilitative Culture’ as a peer ‘Culture Champion’ providing support, advice, motivation and sign posting to my peers in respect of progressive opportunities, sentence planning, personal development and hope within the confines of a prison within the HSE. It is my intention to remain focussed on such peer support roles and personal development for not only the remainder of my sentence, but hopefully on to release and within a position in the community supporting both ex-offenders while also helping deter those in high risk social environments from drug use and abuse and landing before the courts.

 

HMP Frankland

There was no secret in the fact that HMP Frankland, albeit a well-managed and relatively safe prison by HSE standards, had historically attracted a negative and non-progressive belief and ‘culture’ amongst its residents. The prison clearly offered little in the form of prospects and progression to the majority, regardless of offence, sentence, or personal motivation to change and reduce risk. Such a perceived culture clearly served to compound and debilitate further many prisoners’ already low morale and limited motivation to change.

In 2013 HMP Frankland benefitted from the arrival of a new No-1 governing governor Mr Norman Griffin. Mr Griffin has progressed through the Prison Service and 9 different prisons from landing officer, senior officer, principle officer and on to governor grade, previously the No-1 governor at HMP Hull before taking up post here in HMP Frankland. Clearly a highly experienced and articulated ‘people person’ that from the outset made it known he was intent on implementing change and generating hope and prospects for those suitably entitled or motivated.

 

While alone the arrival of a new governing Governor and alternative leadership, ideas and management itself brought sound bites of change amongst my peers, this became compounded and enhanced in early 2015 on the announcement by the DDC of High Security Prisons (Mr Richard Vince) of a Rehabilitative Culture (RC) within the HSE estate. The proposed R.C is underpinned by a substantial ‘Rehabilitative Culture Handbook’ compiled and contributed to by various MOJ stakeholders and eminent criminal psychologists etc. The handbook is intended for both staff and prisoners alike and is intended to provide guidance on a R.C structure, while underpinning a people strategy of ‘Being The Best we Can’. Ultimately to maximise the potential for rehabilitation, redemption, reformation and minimise the potentially destructive impacts of long term imprisonment.

 

Progressively, and consistently since mid-2015 to the current time there has been not only a steady roll out and awareness campaign underpinning the launch of the RC here in Frankland to prisoners and staff alike, but this also coincided with powerful rhetoric by Government ministers that surrounded the then ‘Penal Reform Bill’ and subsequent Queens Speech that itself announced fundamental changes in the way prisons and offenders are managed. The focus being on proposed and inspirational changes towards rehabilitation and the reduction of offending. The message was strong, powerful, and to many already serving custodial sentences, well received, a breath of fresh air and injection of ‘positivity’ in to what was here in Frankland clearly a ‘negative’ and non-progressive environment. There clearly could not in my view have been a better time to launch the RC initiative, particularly within the HSE and its inherent reputation for being the land of no hope with limited opportunities to reduce risks, rehabilitate, progress and resettle in the community. Such prospects have historically only been attributed to a prisoners pathway and prospects once he left the HSE and entered the Category B & C training prison estate, if indeed many ever left Frankland.

 

HMP Frankland like all HSE dispersal prisons not only holds long term Category A, life sentenced prisoners, but also a large number of Category B determinate sentence, or short tariff IPP & life sentence prisoners, that do have foreseeable release dates and are going to be released back in to the community, with the same expectations from the wider members of society that they have been rehabilitated, have reduced their risk factors, and will not reoffend. The cost to the public purse per prisoner in the HSE, regardless of offence whether he is serving 10 years or 40 years, Category A or Category B is almost double of that for housing Category B and C prisoners in Category B & C dedicated prisons, as is the ratio of staff per prisoner in all residential and activity areas. Frankland holds over 800 prisoners, but employs over 1,000 staff. In essence the prospects of a prisoner here in Frankland benefitting from a ‘Rehabilitative Culture’ and dedicated support and guidance from uniformed, hands on discipline and offender management staff should be far greater than that in a standard category B or category C mainstream prison.

 

Question 7 of your inquiry:

 

What are the implications for prison reform of ‘the Transforming Rehabilitation programme?

 

I respond to the above question by confining my evidence on this matter to my informed knowledge and understanding of such matters as a long term resident here in Frankland. I rely on my observations as a ‘stakeholder’ with both staff and peer feedback on the possibility of success of the ‘Transforming Rehabilitation programme’ in this HSE establishment.

 

  1. The potential for HSE dispersal prisons becoming a fundamental platform from which a prisoner serving a long custodial sentence can format and implement his ‘progressive pathway’, risk reduction and rehabilitation in advance of any dedicated Category B or C training prison location could be profound and have far reaching benefits on not only the offender himself, but also undoubtedly the prison services overall success. I speak on an informed basis on such personal benefits,  and by nature had the drive, motivation  and personal skills  required to recognise and tap into opportunities that were available to me here in Frankland. However many offenders do not, and require the support and pathway facilities a rehabilitative culture promotes and can provide, that was not previously supported or promoted in the HSE by either government or local management and staff.

 

I, like all my ‘Culture Champion’ peers and almost every prisoner located on all residential units throughout the establishment welcomed;

 

In the main, most prisoners welcomed, while often not fully understanding, that from the highest level of government, believed changes for the better were on the horizon for serving prisoners. Such a prospect was enhanced and underpinned here in Frankland by an approachable governing governor that sought to engage and interact with prisoners throughout the prison in a way not previously experienced, while making no secret of both his own aspirations and the Rehabilitation Culture initiative would have on those prisoners in Frankland demonstrating a willingness to change, and a commitment towards reducing risk and rehabilitation.

 

Roll out and awareness of the Rehabilitative Culture initiative in Frankland came by way of;

 

  1. As a general view, my experiences and peer feedback indicate that in Frankland we have;

 

  1. With little reservation, I like many of my peers, believe in the Transforming Rehabilitation programme and the R.C initiative and identity within HMP Frankland. We recognise the long term plan and accept on an informed basis why it is indeed a long term plan, and the progress or benefits cannot be measured in the short term. Because I have travelled my own journey, faced the challenges, set goals, created opportunities and ultimately progressed within Frankland and as an individual during my sentence, I see myself as evidence that a prisoner committed to his progression and reduction in risk, can achieve this in the HSE. Particularly, HMP Frankland is in my experience a suitable environment for the right sort of prisoner with the right sort of motivation, guidance and support to benefit from a Transforming Rehabilitation programme or R.C initiative, and will in turn find their remaining time in prison more purposeful, productive and beneficial, while thereafter reintegration in to society significantly more structured. I feel the captive audience suggested above (55%) could in due course come on board more and more, and the evidence of prisoners demonstrating progress and buy in, will ideally serve to widen the formal take up of compliant, pro-active and contributory prisoners here in Frankland, that will in due course serve to enhance the culture and citizenship amongst prisoners and staff, while reducing, drug use, violence and self-harm throughout the establishment.
  2. However, there is clearly one fundamental problem instilled into the HSE that will influence and hinder any prospective change in culture or success of a Transforming Rehabilitation programme. The inherent and historical culture and reputation of the HSE was previously such as that sensationalised by media outlets on a regular basis, namely high security institutions housing some of the most dangerous prisoners in the country; murderers, terrorists, sex offenders etc.  Although that may in part  be correct, there is indeed a large proportion of prisoners that do not attract such status, and are receptive to any support, guidance and intervention assistance the foot soldier officer on the ground had historically provided. Fifteen or twenty years ago, prison officers were a lot more than just "jailers and key-turners" with the majority of wing based discipline staff multi-tasking as not just a prisoners personal officer and first point of contact, but also his offender supervisor, report writer and mentor. Such pivotal and contributory roles have slowly been eroded by government policy, leaving front-line discipline staff de-skilled and reduced to no more than bottom line key turners employed to unlock, feed, manage and then lock up prisoners in an environment offering little in the way of career progression, job satisfaction or remuneration above that of any alternative, bottom line civil servants. Back in the day, it was these hard working multi-skilled landing staff and personal officers that acted as an offender supervisor and motivator and these same uniformed staff that delivered offending behaviour courses and risk reduction, intervention work with prisoners, arguably achieving far better results than a handful of trainee psychologists hiding away in ivory towers that prior to any limited prisoner interactions for the purpose of any OBP, had no contact or relationship with that prisoner, nor would do afterwards.

 

  1. It is not the prisoners unwilling to consider change or recognise how a way forward within a Transforming Rehabilitation programme or Rehabilitative Culture here in HMP Frankland is a progressive one, it is in fact > 60% of all uniformed front line staff that joined the prison service 15 or 20 years previous as part of a team, whilst feeling appreciated by prisoners and management alike, that are now the ones left demoralised and unmotivated towards any proposed changes. Without intending to be disrespectful, many are now left detached and disdained and are not even remotely interested in a prisoners rehabilitation and progression and believe all suggestions for change here in Frankland are as a direct consequence of the new Governing Governors ‘own ideas’ and are not prepared to consider or accept any wider governmental or MOJ penal reform initiatives. These problems are clearly compounded by low staff morale, earlier benchmarking, staff shortages and fears for future job security, leaving any suggestions of increased workloads, responsibilities or "again" becoming Rehab Culture advocates a non-starter. Those staff more open minded, new recruits, or those in pursuit of challenges, personal development and career progression or job satisfaction are often intimidated, persuaded or obligated via peer pressure to stand fast within the established status quo and ‘jailer’ mentality after the appalling way that they feel that they have been treated over the past decade. It would be unfair not to say however that there are a commendable, but clearly isolated minority of staff that do wholly stand out and are appreciated as willing and contributory supporters of R.C, and indeed do their ordinary jobs in an extraordinarily good manner. However these are a minority.

 

  1. It is my submission that Government must urgently  address the problem of disengaged staff in the HSE that are unwilling or no longer motivated to contemplate penal reform, change and a progressive and rehabilitative culture again becoming part of the prisons core remit and daily life for those of us that live here and those that work here. Transformation of rehabilitative cultures and the way in which serving prisoners complete their sentences requires not only ‘change’  by the offender, but ‘change’ by those that manage, advise, motivate and support those offenders on a daily basis. Although natural churn of staff retirement and recruitment will eventually see a change in front line core staff, this will take many years and those new staff require amended and enhanced ‘job descriptions’, training, prospects and job security.

 

  1. Transforming Rehabilitation in the HSE is I believe a challenge in its own right requiring dedicated and committed ground level human resources in order to succeed or be sustainable over the transition period. A highly committed DDC, governing governor and SMT, with the best laid plans from Government can only work with the human and financial resources available to them. Offender Management staff throughout this establishment are already stretched to the limit, while being cross-deployed on other duties a regular occurrence for many of these pivotal contributors that a rehabilitative culture requires. There clearly exists the ‘will and the way’, but not the ‘who’? If such a position was to remain, then it would only be a matter of time before those prisoners seeking to engage, self-motivate, change and progress, that could only do so with the help, advice and support of O.M and discipline staff, would lose confidence in any tangible benefits being available to them. This would thereafter generate resistance and scepticism from prisoners towards any suggested future interventions at a later date. The person managing a prisoners progression, risk reduction and change, should not be an office based person that only meets that prisoner once a year for his sentence plan board. Any one wing at any one time during the core day at HMP Frankland has the presence of between 10 and 30 articulated members of uniformed discipline staff that have over time got to know each prisoner on their wing extremely well. Just like it was 15 years ago and it is these people that could again be the "who". Prisoners need consistent contact, interactions, advice and support if measurable change is to be achieved.

 

  1. What is working well, and is clearly a balancing contributor here in Frankland is the introduction and use of suitably qualified and motivated prisoner peer ‘Culture Champions’. This is becoming more and more a proven method of persuasion and active citizenship that promotes good practice and change amongst our peers as we strive to instil and inspire ‘hope’ and opportunities penal reforms and a rehabilitee culture brings in to our daily lives and prospects for the future. Such schemes and initiatives require the support and contributions of front line discipline staff if the work of peer support mentors is not to be undermined and diluted?

 

  1. Governor autonomy and devolution of criminal justice budgets within the HSE would I feel undoubtedly serve to enhance an individual prisons core rehabilitative transformation. Such a change would allow bespoke  and local sourcing/facilitation of human resources from discipline staff through to academic and vocational training providers, social enterprise and key life skills, while providing opportunities for competitive and cost saving procurement of secondary services such as maintenance and catering that in its current national format remains a significant burden on prison budgets, while further restricting the scope of governors and managers to ‘create a modern and effective prison’ under their highly qualified and experienced leadership. One size clearly does not fit all, and it is ultimately us prisoners that face what is often inadequate access to offending behaviour programmes and offender supervisors, vocational training, or prison resources and opportunities etc as a result of national budget and service provision constraints that would be alleviated or not present under local autonomised control and management.

 

Possibly not as concise or confined as you would have liked but I felt that in order to qualify a beneficial contribution from a prisoner in the HSE, the committee needed to understand the local dynamics from the prisoners ‘stakeholder’ perspective and just how any rehabilitative transformations are being received real time by both staff and prisoners. I hope I have been of some assistance.

 

September 2016

 

**personal information redacted