30/11/2021
Police Oracle
Work with offenders on some welcome new announcements
As readers know, our prison system suffers from having so many antiquated (not to say dilapidated) buildings which makes getting them fit for modern communications a significant challenge.
In-cell phones
However, the pandemic has acted as a major catalyst and there are signs of slow, but steady progress. The latest Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) external bulletin updates on the in-cell telephony programme which aims to deliver accessible and affordable in-cell telephones to prisoners. In-cell telephones provide a crucial means of allowing prisoners to build and maintain family relationships, which is, obviously, fundamental to their successful resettlement. HMPPS also expects that enabling prisoners to have regular access to phone calls with their family and friends will make prisons calmer and more stable, leading to safer prisons. In-Cell telephones have the potential to reduce incidents on the wing as there is no time spent waiting for landing phones to become available. There is nothing more stressful than being worried about an issue at home but not being able to get to the phone to find out what is going on. Nor is it ideal to have personal and sensitive conversations on a prison landing.
HMPPS says that 60 prisons have now received in-cell telephony. Recent installations include: HMP Swansea, HMP Lancaster Farms, HMP Risley, HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall and HMP/YOI Portland. There are a further three prisons on track to complete before Christmas: HMP Warren Hill, HMP Stoke Heath and HMP Huntercombe. There are a further 15 prisons at the implementation stage to receive In-Cell telephony. These prisons are expected to have phones in place and working by May next year.
In-cell technology
HMPPS is also starting to roll out in-cell laptops, albeit at a much slower pace. The laptops have two functions. The first function, provided by UniLink, allows for existing paper-based processes such as ordering canteen, topping up phone credit, submitting requests and ordering meals to be done online. By removing paper-based processes and giving prisoners the ability to complete these tasks digitally, HMPPS hopes that prison staff can spend more time on the wing, building relationships and focusing on activities which support sentence progression.
The second function is to allow to access educational, entertainment, mental health content and more via the “Content Hub”, a restricted and secure intranet created, designed, developed and written solely for the prison estate.
More specifically, the Content Hub is a platform for prison residents to access prison services and information that both supports individual self-improvement and frees up staff time. Residents can listen to, watch and read a range of educational content, including mental health and addiction support, podcasts, TED talks, inspirational videos, spiritual growth, mindfulness programmes, yoga, in-room exercise regimes, local YOI news, comms and updates, their up-to-date personal information (bank account, timetable, visits and privilege info), as well as relaxation and distraction content, such as games, nature documentaries and 24/7 National Prison Radio (NPR).
So far this year, the In-Cell Technology Programme has delivered in-cell laptops to young people at HMYOI Cookham Wood and prisoners at HMP Lindholme. The programme is also due to deliver to prisoners at HMP New Hall during November 2021.
In the next quarter, delivery of the laptops and supporting work will continue to HMYOI Feltham, HMYOI Werrington, HMYOI Wetherby and HMP Styal. Following that, the programme will be rolling out to HMP The Mount and HMP Ranby and returning to HMP Wayland and HMP Berwyn (who have had the technology for a number of years) to refresh devices.
The new prisons being designed and built under the Government’s prison building programme will have the digital infrastructure built in from the start making access to the digital world much easier for people serving their sentence in these new institutions.