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East Sutton Park Prison has been singled out for the way it kept essential work going for its inmates during the Covid pandemic.
A team of 11 from the government's Inspectorate of Prisons visited the prison just outside Maidstone for a total of four days in April and the results of their findings have just been published.
East Sutton Park is one of only two women's open prisons in the country. With a capacity for 96 prisoners, it is currently housing 81, most of whom are serving comparatively long sentences of more than four years.
The prison is housed in a grade ll listed 15th century Jacobean mansion, set in 80 acres that includes a working farm.
The inspectors praised the governor Natasha Wilson for finding ways to continue with the prison's strong rehabilitative work despite the challenges of the Covid-19.
A third of prisoners had continued to leave the prison daily to work in essential roles in the community.
To support this, 20 new individual accommodation units or pods had been installed so that the returning workers did not have to mix with the rest of the prison community.
In addition four new four-person flats had been created which had allowed the prison to reduce its usual dormitory-type accommodation, which had housed up to six prisoners per room, to just three per room.
Those not able to leave the prison were given work on the prison farm.
When the prison had been last inspected in 2016, it had recorded very high levels of satisfaction from the prisoners. This inspection this time noted that relationships between staff and prisoners had slipped slightly, though remaining high, and there had been an increase in the number of complaints, but it was thought this was largely due to the more restrictive regime necessitated by anti-Covid measures.
The prison remained a safe place to be: there had been only two acts of violence in two years, and only 16 incidents of self harm since April 2019, a low figure for prison populations generally.
Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: "The prison has largely maintained its strong rehabilitative function despite the pandemic. Women continued working both in and outside the prison during the national restrictions. Almost a third of the population was released on temporary licence every day to carry out essential work in the community, which was impressive.”
Opportunities for women to leave the prison temporarily to see their children and families had been suspended, in line with COVID-19 restrictions, but the prison had promptly introduced mobile phone FaceTime sessions with families and friends on a weekly basis, which was greatly appreciated by the women.
Mr Taylor said: “The prison has continued to be a safe and purposeful place during the pandemic.
"Opening new accommodation to minimise the risk of virus transmission had brought considerable improvements, and living conditions were better in the former dormitory accommodation.
"The challenge for prison leaders now is to address the decline in the previously very strong staff-prisoner relationships and to improve support for women as they prepare for their release.”
To see the full report, visit here.
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