HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ thematic report has revealed that over a third (34%) of men held in young adults’ institutions reported less than two hours out of cell each day. This has detrimental effects on young people’s mental and physical health, their relationships with staff and their level of optimism about release.
The Inspector noted that the findings suggest that ‘purposeless prisons are not only harmful for prisoners, but that this harm could extend to wider society.’ It is in everyone’s interest to ensure that people in prison, in particular young adults who need opportunities to mature and develop agency, have access to activities that enable them to reflect, learn, gain social skills and make plans for a positive future – such as coaching.
Prison staff also benefit from coaching, which increases morale and helps address staff retention which the Inspector commented is one of the causes of lack of time out of cell and the uncertainty of the daily regime leading to disappointment and frustration:
‘Staff shortages were a recurring theme of our inspections where prisons struggled to deliver a consistent regime for prisoners, and insufficient staff resulted in short-notice cancellations of activities and planned time out of cell. Prisoners spoke of not knowing when they would be unlocked or for how long.’
This week we, like many in the sector, have welcomed the government’s commitment to reduce the women’s prison population; to set up a Women’s Justice Board with proper accountability mechanisms and, in particular, to address the specific challenge of young women in prison.
After coaching young women in the community, we have recently started coaching young women aged 18 – 30 years old in prison. The response has been very encouraging! One young woman said ‘I’ve got my mojo back. Since the last session I’ve applied for loads of jobs and I’ve got two interviews next week.’
But young women and men in prison both need access to the time out of cell to make progress. At Spark Inside, we are here to work with people who both live and work in prison so we can unlock their potential and reduce the number of people in our prisons by empowering them to live fulfilling lives away from crime.
Vicki Cardwell, CEO, Spark Inside
Read ‘Purposeful prisons: time out of cell’ report here
