Opening semi-independent living spaces can help prisoners coming towards the end of their sentences prepare for life on the outside, a report has found.

HMP East Sutton Park Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), which provides oversight on conditions at the women's open prison and young offender institute near Maidstone, says former staff accommodation refitted for inmates needs to be permanently opened to ease the transition to life after jail.

The flats were refurbished at a cost of around £250,000 with the intention that 16 residents would occupy them and live semi-independently in preparation for release from the prison system.

However the IMB report states that the Prison Service has decided not to finance the extra staff required to open the pre-release accommodation, citing over capacity in the prison estate.

The rooms have temporarily been used to accommodate inmates during the coronavirus outbreak, but it is understood this would come to an end once the epidemic is under control.

Commenting on the report's findings, Peter Judges, who is chairman of the IMB, said: "It is the board's clear view that the flats should be brought into permanent use to enable residents, particularly those who are coming to the end of long sentences, to get used to being as self-sufficient as possible before release.

"Most of them will have spent long periods in closed conditions where they will have been told what to do, when to it and how to it.

"The flats should be brought into permanent use..."

"East Sutton Park is about residents taking responsibility for themselves and the board sees the semi-independent living as a positive step on the road to re-integrating into the community."

Aside from the issue of the semi-independent living quarters, the report of the IMB, which covers the period November 2018 to October 2019 inclusive, finds the conditions at East Sutton Park to be good.

The summary of findings states the IMB feels "the prison is well run with residents for the most part enjoying a good relationship with staff". But it urges the Ministry of Justice to proceed with opening the refurbished flats.

In response to the report, a Prison Service spokesperson said: "We want to see fewer women entering prison and have invested £5.1m in community services, where the underlying causes of their criminality can be addressed.

"The extra capacity at HMP East Sutton Park is no longer needed but the space remains ready to use should this change."

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