Prison battles to cope

The low risk male prison near Devizes has been praised in a report following an inspection by a team from Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons.

The report says: "This is a report on a good prison, which is determined to become even better in the face of considerable change and expansion.

"Three characteristics underpin its ethos. First, there are good, positive and respectful relationships between staff and prisoners.

"Secondly, there is visible and supportive management from the governor downwards.

"Thirdly, the prison is not complacent or settled in a comfort zone, it is committed to innovation and improvement."

However, the report highlights that the increase in the number of prisoners is causing a problem as there are not enough work and education placements.

The prison has taken an extra 80 prisoners, bringing numbers to full capacity at 426. The expansion is due to the increase in the prison population nationally.

Anne Owers, Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons, said: "By the time staff and resources are available to provide purposeful activity for them (the prisoners) the population will have increased still further.

"It is clear that in spite of the determination of managers, the prison will be playing 'catch up' for some considerable time."

Acting governor Kenny Brown said new workshops were being built with one opening later this year and more next year.

Since the inspection was carried out in April Mr Brown said the number of "unemployed" prisoners, those with no work to do, had dropped from 38 to two. This has been achieved by some prisoners undertaking part time work and part time education.

On the prisoner and officer relationships the report says: "We saw very many examples of respectful treatment of prisoners at Erlestoke.

"In our prisoner survey 69 per cent of respondents said they were treated well or very well in reception, compared with the average of 51 per cent.

"The common use of first names between staff and prisoners illustrated very well the established working relationships between them."

The 100-cell Wren unit, however, was criticised.

The report said the condition of some cells was unacceptable with severe damp and mould growth, while others had windows that did not close.

The inspectors praised prisoners who repainted the cells.

They concluded: "The general standard of accommodation is good and overall even the worst living conditions here compared reasonably favourably with much of what we find elsewhere in the prison estate."

Mr Brown said the prison was limited by what it could do to improve the Wren block as the accommodation was outdated and old.

The inspection was carried out eight months after Claudia Sturt became the prison's governor.

Mr Brown said: "When you look at inspection reports on other prisons this report on Erlestoke is exceptional.

"Claudia would be the first to say that the improvements in the prison are due to the efforts of the staff and management team."

Deputy governor Serena Watts said: "There's been remarkable improvement at Erlestoke in the time since the last inspection. The report highlights the good relationships between staff and prisoners. The respect shown by the prisoners is a result of the staff treating them with respect."

Quentin Goggs, the chairman of the Independent Monitoring Board, said the prison has changed enormously during his involvement. "The kitchen is tons better than it ever was. There's also been a lot of work on anti-bullying. It's taken a lot more seriously than it was years ago," he said.

Mr Goggs has written to the Home Office Minister, Paul Goggins, to complain about the removal of Claudia Sturt to Dartmoor Prison, less than a year into her post at Erlestoke.

New drug rehab course

ERLESTOKE is one of just four prisons running a new drug rehabilitation programme.

The intensive six-month programme consists of 12 steps aimed at getting prisoners to kick their drug habit.

The prison has a 68-place drug rehabilitation unit.

Prisoners are regularly drug tested and anyone taking drugs is moved off the unit.

The drug rehabilitation programme includes group therapy and written work where prisoners are told to write about why they use drugs.

Ten weeks of after-care are also included together with relapse prevention.

Steve Crane, 44, from Reading, is serving a four-and-a-half year sentence for supplying heroin.

He has been in and out of prison for the past 28 years, the last ten for drug-related crimes, including a prison term in France for drug smuggling.

He started smoking cannabis 30 years ago but only began using heroin after turning to dealing. He has been on the drug rehabilitation programme for a number of months and has been clean since last October.

"If I hadn't been on this programme I would have continued on drugs," he said.

Crane, who hopes to get a job for the first time in 15 years when he leaves prison, expressed remorse for drug dealing.

"The programme has made me consider the victims. I think about how the families of the people I have supplied must be feeling and I feel ashamed," he said.

Mike Wade, 25, from Cornwall, has been a drug addict for ten years. The former heroin user used to take three bags of heroin a day.

He said: "I have been on drug rehab programmes but I have relapsed after being released. I don't know if I will kick my habit but I want to. The programme is giving me the tools to address my habit. It's up to me to pick up the tools."

Praise for tackling bullying

INSPECTORS said there are excellent systems for monitoring the behaviour of suspected bullies at Erlestoke Prison.

They found good evidence that incidents had been investigated and action taken.

Although they said resources for supporting victims were not as well developed as those for supporting the bullies, they recognised that improvements were pending.

Suicides and incidents of self harm at the prison are rare. One incident of self harm has been recorded in the past year, with two deaths in custody over the previous five years.

The report said prisoners identified as being at risk were well supported.

The prison's psychology department carried out an anti bullying survey in 2002 and 96 per cent of respondents said they had not been bullied in the last six months.

Just over 72 per cent said they always felt safe on their unit.