Sheppey's Standford Hill open prison has been praised for maintaining the high standards of treatment and conditions following a visit from inspectors.

The Category D jail in Eastchurch, which holds men coming to the end of their sentences and prepares them for resettlement back into the community, was assessed as 'good' – the highest possible grade – in three of the four 'healthy prison tests'.

Joe Coshan reports on the inspection for KMTV

These were for the prison's safety, rehabilitation and release planning, and purposeful activity. It was rated to be 'reasonably good' in the fourth test for respect. These were the same as the assessments made in 2015.

In his latest report – published on Tuesday – the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke, said Standford Hill was "doing well in fulfilling its purpose as a resettlement prison".

Inspectors found the prison remained safe and calm, staff rarely used force and there had been no fights or assaults in the previous six months.

They said prisoners, who have their own key to their rooms and can move around the site, understood the freedoms and opportunities the prison offered and did not want to risk a return to closed conditions.

Mr Clarke said: "A key strength of the prison was the opportunity it afforded prisoners to study, train and work.

"No prisoners were unemployed and 48% regularly worked, studied or trained in the community."

"A total of 55% of prisoners were in employment on the day they were released from the prison," he added.

The report also praised the good staff-prisoner relationships and its offender management work.

It said: "Unusually, almost all prisoners had an up-to-date assessment of their risks and needs. Release on temporary licence (ROTL) was used appropriately and safely to reintegrate prisoners into the community and arrangements for protecting the public were robust.

"We were impressed to find that 96% of prisoners discharged in the previous six months went into settled and sustainable accommodation," it added.

Criticisms included some incomplete paperwork and that the out-of-hours access to health services was limited.

Mr Clarke said despite the small number of areas for improvement, the rehabilitative work at Standford Hill "clearly motivated and incentivised prisoners and gave them a good chance of a successful return to the community on their release".

Governor Dawn Mauldon, who took over the top job in November 2018, said she was particularly proud of the work that was undertaken everyday by staff and the prison's partner organisations to help inmates successfully rehabilitate.

"It really is because of the staff's dedication that we were able to get a good report," she said. "The majority of our men said staff treated them well, which actually clarifies the good work our staff do."

Karl Kemmenoe, who has been a prison officer at Standford Hill for 19 years, explained how staff-prisoner relationships were essential to stopping the revolving door.

"You need to build up the relationships because you need an element of trust between yourself and the guy you're talking to. If you're trying to help that person and there's no trust, he's not going to talk to you, open up, tell you what his problems are and if you don't know what his problems are you're not going to be able to help them," he said.

"It's easy to brush these people off and, at the end of the day, they're human beings like you and me, they've just taken the wrong path – we've got to turn them down the right path.

"If they're not going to talk to you and take the advice you're giving them, they're going to end up going the wrong way again.

"We want to get them released from here, with a job, money in their pocket, a place to live and, hopefully, with their relationships all intact so, when they do go out, they've got everything they need out there and they don't have to re-offend."

Alan Wood, the prison's business and community engagement manager, added: "The report identifies that resettlement and reducing re-offending is at the heart of everything we do, and part of that is our 'Working Out' scheme.

"Of the 464 men at Standford Hill, we have over 200 engaged with many community placements, working at charities across Swale, and also full-time paid employment. It's all about giving them that work ethic and a paid job before they leave."

Among the prisoners is Robert Wylie, 42, who is serving an eight-year sentence for drugs. He has been at Standford Hill for one-and-a-half years and is due to be released in a few months' time.

When asked what it was like to be at the open prison, he said: "You get more freedom here, more time to get out and work. They find you work and charity placements, which you can carry on when you're released.

"It sets you up more, rather than just being thrown back into the community."

Mr Wylie had previously been released from a closed prison, but subsequently re-offended.

"You don't know what you're doing when you're just released. Standford Hill helps you get work, they've put me through my gym instructor qualifications, I'm now a qualified gym instructor and I feel more prepared to be released."

When asked how he felt about returning to society, Mr Wylie said he was nervous.

"It's daunting being let out, you've got to try and fit back in again, but the staff here are amazing. They have given me a lot of hope. I'm looking forward to being released, it's onwards and upwards now."

Read the full report in next week's Sheerness Times Guardian and Sittingbourne News

Read more: All the latest news from Sheppey