Prison Visits

By the very nature of the work, probation officers find themselves visting prisons on a regular basis. Personally I've always enjoyed this aspect of the job, that is as long as you can carve out enough time and escape the tyranny of the damn computer. There are basically three types of visit. Half a day for a local remand prison for a PSR, and while you're there you might as well see a couple of other prisoners who might be on remand for new offences say, or someone sentenced but on medical hold or pending a court appearance.

A full day would mean up at the crack of dawn and typically a two hour drive to some distant prison, desperately trying to remember the way as they're always in the middle of no where, poorly signposted and you visit so infrequently you always forget the route. It could well be a Sentence Planning meeting and the only chance to see a prisoner from one year to the next. Life isn't all work and no play and afterwards I always treat myself to a nice pub lunch chosen from the Good Beer Guide and if there's time a quick visit to some local historical landmark.

Finally there's the overnight stay with a very long drive each way and the opportunity to take in a couple, or even three prisons if you plan it carefully. These opportunities are getting more rare as management try and reduce the expenses bill, but what sort of service do these prisoners get so far from their home patch. Of course HM Prison Service is not known for it's ability to co-operate with many agencies, let alone it's supposed close allies in the probation service. I well remember undertaking a long  journey with overnight stay to visit a prisoner at HMP Winchester, only to be told by the gate staff at 9.30 in the morning that 'he's on that coach heading back up your way'. They think that sort of thing is very funny of course and always cite 'security' for not being able to inform you, even though they know full well you are due to visit. 

There are many different types of prison ranging from the Maximum Secure Cat 'A' establishments, to a Local Remand, 'Cat' B Training, to 'Cat' C and 'Cat' D Open Prisons. There's Womens Prisons, Young Offender Institutions and the Special Hospitals. An enormous variety, each unique in operation, culture, layout, design and most amusing to me, booking in procedures. I've never known any two prisons have the same system and routine. You can get photographed, scanned, finger-imprinted, dog-sniffed, rubbed down, inked, tagged and issued with slips, cards, tokens, forms, passes, badges and any combination of each.

I believe prison visits are extremely important and are always appreciated by inmates. It signals that you've taken some trouble, got off your backside and that you care about them and their situation. It must be very dispiriting for a prisoner when it's say a sentence planning meeting and you're not there. I know audio links are available, but what message does that send the person? I would never dream of missing a really important meeting, say a Parole Board Oral Hearing and in my experience they will re-schedule in order to accommodate with your diary.

Whatever management might say about video links or even audio links, how on earth can you discuss sensitive issues over a TV link? Indeed how can you build or maintain a relationship with a prisoner in this way? It is self-evident that you can't of course and the bean counters must be reminded that visits remain a vital part of the job. But it's getting increasingly difficult with petty rules about maximum distances before having to use a hire car. Personally, I just can't stand the hassle and just claim the maximum allowed by personal vehicle and stand the rest myself.