Prison classrooms meant to teach lags skills during rehabilitation lying empty

11 February 2023 , 17:45

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An inmate relaxing in a workshop

An idle lag puts his feet up in a deserted state-of-the-art prison workshop meant to teach inmates new skills.

A jail inspector was so astonished at the sight he took a photo and included a copy in his official report.

The picture was taken at HMP Ranby in Nottinghamshire, which bills itself as a training prison.

Inmates at the category C jail are supposed to learn skills from joinery to plumbing as part of their rehabilitation programmes.

But the inspector said woodwork, plastics and textile facilities and joinery and plumbing classes were often empty.

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Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor’s report of last month’s visit said: “Only a handful of prisoners attended classes.

“We found prisoners idle in workshops, where machinery was broken and there was insufficient work to occupy them.”

Charlie Taylor's report found that just a few prisoners attended workshops (PA)

He slammed prison bosses for being “slow to get started”, despite having expensive equipment ready to go.

Mr Taylor added: “Leaders had been far too cautious.”

Ranby was also criticised by the inspectorate last year for keeping cons in their cells for 23 hours a day. It later emerged prisoners were paid £3.50 a day to dismantle millions of Covid test kits and unused PPE.

Critics said the photo was evidence of a failed £550million Tory promise to make the prison system work.

HMP Ranby in Retford, Nottinghamshire (PA)

In 2021, the Government pledged a three-year jail work and skills revolution aimed at helping lags land a job on release and reduce reoffending.

Initiatives include training them to be baristas, pub and bakery workers, partnering with firms like Greene King, Costa Coffee and Greggs.

Andrew Neilson, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “The Government has committed £550million to ensure work, training and education – but where is this money going if over half the people at training prisons such as Ranby are unemployed?

“People cannot be rehabilitated spending 23 hours a day locked in cells, while classrooms and workshops remain empty.”

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A Prison Service spokesman said: “We are recruiting 5,000 extra prison officers across the estate to ensure prisoners can access the vital training opportunities that reduce reoffending and protect the public.”

The annual cost of reoffending is estimated to be around £18billion.

Stian Alexander