Wandsworth

PRISONERS

The prisoners called safety greatly improved lately, helped by ‘more staff’ and VR reps ‘on each wing’, said there were some ‘excellent’ staff, and thought in-cell phones & Kiosks were transformational. Family visits were ‘very good’ (‘really informal’, staff in ‘civvies’, access to games etc), as were education & training (especially CISCO’s IT Essentials course & Radio Wanno: also widely listened to, and ‘a great source’ of information for prisoners).

OFFICERS

The Officers described a ‘big family’ of friendly, supportive staff ‘who you know have got your back’, ‘amazing’ POELT trainers and mentors, with 2 weeks of post-training shadowing ‘a great help’, and new Officers made very welcome. SOs on the landings and a full-time CM per wing made ‘a huge difference’. They rated twice-daily SO briefings, monthly training shutdowns and the ‘massive’ gain from in-cell phones, and Kiosks, which cut staff workload and give responsibility to prisoners.

MANAGERS

Managers agreed it was ‘a family’ (‘more than many places’) with staff who were committed to ‘making a difference’. In-cell phones & Kiosks were very highly valued. Safety was ‘much improved’, with VR teams of staff & peer reps ‘crucial’, alongside Keywork (‘going really well’, and welcomed by all). They valued strong leadership and the No. 1’s ‘clear direction’. Library services, including an outreach trolley, help for new readers, adult literacy group, Toe-by-Toe, and events, including visits and readings from authors, were ‘fantastic’. They also highlighted regular job fairs with outside employers and pre-release support and training from the ‘Standout Programme’. They praised the 12-bed mental health unit (run on TC lines), ‘excellent’ local mental health service support, and full health screening (including for blood-borne viruses) on arrival – ‘recognised as good practice’. They also valued a video conferencing centre to allow remote court appearances, which would take pressure off reception and ‘save a fortune’ in escorts.