Bedford

PRISONERS

The prisoners thought staff good (‘some great’) and said peer mentors (including Information, Advice & Guidance workers) made ‘a real difference’. They praised the food (‘best I’ve come across’), the gym and its staff, the library (‘like a library on the out’), drug & alcohol services, and visits including hot food, family visits – and the Christmas party for kids.

OFFICERS

The Officers highlighted staff camaraderie and Officers’ flexibility in supporting the regime. They valued ‘good detailing’, helped by the involvement of a former Officer. They, too, rated the food, and highly praised Reactiv8’s training & employment support (including CSCS training). The gym was ‘excellent’ and its staff ‘great’, and Christmas events, football tournaments, and staff well-being days were highlighted. They valued daily wing operational and monthly full staff meetings, staff recognition (Team and Employee of the Month) and a fortnightly training shutdown to develop new staff’s jailcraft.

MANAGERS

The managers said staff-prisoner relations were better than most Cat Bs and praised their ‘committed’ staff’s ‘resilience’, and the ‘incredible’ CMs (‘central to everything’). They, too, rated staff recognition, training, the kitchen and the gym. They highlighted 2 full-time mentors giving extra training to POELTS, an OMU fully staffed by non-operational staff (ensuring no cross-deployment), resettlement support from the CRC and partners, monthly wing forums (with prisoners and the Head of Residential), and a ‘culture change’ forum with prisoner reps (which the No. 1 chairs). Self-harm was noted as low due to staff-prisoner relations, outside agency support, prisoner counselling, and individual multi-disciplinary case management – which ‘also helps’ with challenging behaviours.