Stoke Heath Young Offenders’ Institution still facing cuts
Tuesday 3rd August 2010, 8:01PM BST.
Shropshire’s young offenders’ institution will not be immune from massive spending cuts as it tries to respond to two critical reports, north Shropshire’s MP warned today.
Owen Paterson told bosses at Stoke Heath YOI, near Market Drayton, they would have to tighten their belts when he visited the centre yesterday.
The news comes in the wake of two reports published last month, which raised concerns about some older inmates missing out on vital education and training because of staff shortages and sickness.
Further concerns were raised about inmates joining gangs and a lack of respect shown by inmates to prison staff.
Mr Paterson said today: “We discussed how it comes down to the management team to deliver a public service with less money, which is something they are going to have to do in future.
“It was a constructive meeting and I met the governor and the staff to ask how they were managing at the moment.”
Last month the Independent Monitoring Board for Stoke Heath YOI published its annual report, which raised the question of how bosses would make improvements in the face of public spending cuts.
Dame Anne Owers, Chief Inspector of Prisons, said in her report, which was also published last month, that processes for the support of young adults in the early days in custody were inadequate.
Bosses at the YOI said last week they were already reacting to the recommendations using the resources which were available to them and said they were making progress in dealing with specific issues raised by the authors of both the critical reports.
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It’s nice to know that MPs are as truthful as ever. Several union officials at Stoke Heath were allocated time to meet with Mr Paterson. During our conversation he made no reference to cuts and as one of the cheapest establishments in the country we are running on bare bones. We made several suggestions of how savings could be made nationally, each time the reply was ‘write to me and I’ll pass it on to Ken Clarke’. Passing the responsibility to management is not the answer. There is only so much that the management team can deliver on the budget allocated to them but whatever the regime it must be safe for everyone. Perhaps the MPs should work a shift in a prison and see how difficult it is for all staff. ‘Dame Anne Owers, Chief Inspector of Prisons, said in her report, which was published last month, that processes for the support of young adults in the early days in custody were inadequate’. Budget cuts result in less staff and less support. Where does it end?
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give them bread and gruel, no tv, no pool, no xbox…
I know it will be tough for the little angels, but it might just make them not want to come back.
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