The flow of drugs into a prison and the treatment of its inmates are among the issues being tackled by new managers.

Governor Stephen O’Connell was brought in to Maidstone Prison after a damning inspection of the jail last July.

A three year strategy to improve everything from safety and security to reducing re-offending has been produced to work towards.

Mr O'Connell says he has made progress in just the first year.

He said he has “dented” the drugs culture within the prison, which was highlighted by inspectors and was exposed in a Freedom of Information Act by the Kent Messenger.

Frequent drug testing, more voluntary testing, and efforts to prevent drugs being brought into the prison have all helped cut down the amounts available.

“We have made a dent in the drugs culture here; we aee making progress but there is still work to do,” he said.

And Mr O’Connell said he was most proud of a decency strategy which was being introduced, which meant both staff and inmates would feel more valued.

The strategy includes how staff answer the telephone and develop relationships with inmates, and includes cleaning staff.

It says: “It costs nothing to implement and the potential benefits are enormous... Offenders are less likely to self harm if they are treated decently.

“Staff are more likely to feel valued if their peers and managers treat them decently.”

Mr O’Connell said: “It isn’t a big bang; it is a cultural change. Decency for me has been at the centre of my three governships. It’s the only thing that I have done in prison that’s free.”

Inspectors who visited the prison last year described it as “unkempt and shabby”, but there are plans to resurface much of the site and for improvements in the buildings.

Weald wing, part of which is almost 190 years old, and which was described as “unfit for purpose” in the inspection report, closed in August last year, with 80 prisoners being dispersed to prisons around the country.

Building work, which is expected to be complete early next year, is underway to bring the wing up to scratch, with re-wiring, new windows and doors, redecoration and new furniture.

A two-year project to re-point the ragstone wall around the prison is also in progress, with a master craftsman and apprentice working their way around the whole site.

An unannounced inspection for the prison is due in the next three months for inspectors to determine if enough progress has been made since their last visit.