Report on Isle of Man Prison

[peel sunset]

2 hours ago, 2112 said:

On today’s NPM news item, they report that the IOM are using portakabins, which an advocate mentioned during sentencing of a defendant. Are these for prisoner accommodation or used as classrooms? WTF is going on at Jurby Hilton, and what is Minister Poole Wilson doing, apart from posing with a cheesy grin?

Before long, a new prison will be needed, with the stock excuse being, it’s not fit for purpose and doesn’t meet current standards. 
 

 

I have heard that there are 24 units in the grounds which will be used for current prisoners who are on work parties or day release.  They are ready within days.  There is no rehabilitation at Jurby and teenagers are in and out of there all the time, not because it is not a deterrent because they know no better, they have zero support, RDR is on hold so they come out with £0 in their pocket and revert back to crime.  The Governor has no faith in his staff and doesn't support them, so many new staff, days of lock up as they are being trained and prisoners get aggitated.

 

F wing (work part wing/in out wing)  is full of grasses who have had their cells spun and found with unapproved items, or sold their canteen and been caught, which sends a signal don't toe the prison line and get the reward.  

The prison will continue to have to expand for numbers if there isn't a change in the management and mindset

[NoTailT]

I was up that way last week and saw a crane lifting stuff in to the prison.

Apparently there's room for 160 prisoners and they're at 158 and they have nearly 20 that should be kicked to the UK prison system as non-residents but the UK systems own problems is stopping them being 'exported'.

[WTF]

a full prison would explain the 2 suspended sentences handed out to blokes who groped women as reported in yesterdays examiner.

[peel sunset]

23 minutes ago, WTF said:

a full prison would explain the 2 suspended sentences handed out to blokes who groped women as reported in yesterdays examiner.

I am led to believe that C wing (Sex Offender wing) is full and there is now that category of prisoner on other wings.

Visiting is becoming an issue now too which impacts the innocent families: 

140 prisoners allowed 2 visits a week = 280 individual instances needed per week to satisfy this requirement

There are 4 sessions per week 1.50 to 2.50pm  (Tue, Wed, Sat, Sun) with 30 tables in the visiting room =  120 instances available

So 160 spots cant be accommodated, granted not all prisoners get 2 visits a week (1 if not on enhanced) but most do, so 57% of the required needs of the prison re visitors are not able to be met 

Also if the visitors work or have children in school only Sat and Sun is an option for them.

I would be keen to know what plans are in place to increase visiting (maybe an evening) to allow for the extra headcount now within the walls and to facilitate the needs of the visitors who have jobs to go to. The families are not convicted of any crime but the mismanagement of the prison is punishing them too.

 

 

[Roger Mexico]

14 minutes ago, NoTailT said:

I was up that way last week and saw a crane lifting stuff in to the prison.

Apparently there's room for 160 prisoners and they're at 158 and they have nearly 20 that should be kicked to the UK prison system as non-residents but the UK systems own problems is stopping them being 'exported'.

There's been surprisingly little discussion about this and little in FoIs or WQs from MHKs to give us any figures.  Even the Independent Monitoring Boards reports don't contain any statistics as they used to pre-Covid.  No one really wants to look at the inevitable consequence of actions they approved.

But the topic of prisoner numbers did come up in March Tynwald (the last we've got much Hansard for - production seems to have stopped) when Moorhouse (inevitably) asked: Whether the Prison is reaching full capacity and what actions are being taken to resolve this.  Poole-Wilson said:

The Isle of Man Prison has seen a significant increase in population over the past 12 months. At the time of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons visit in April 2023, the Prison population was 90 and had been at or around that level for some time. The current figure now stands at 128 prisoners. The increase is attributed in large part to the proactive work by the Isle of Man Constabulary to tackle the importation and distribution of drugs, aligning with the aim in our Island Plan to keep our Island safe.

Although the Prison has an operational capacity of 141 cells, in practical terms this figure is lower due to the configuration and management of the Prison

So in less than a year, the prison population has gone up by over 40% after being stable for years.  This can't be blamed on the revolving-door types like Goldie otherwise it would have been rising before that.  And given the length of sentences being handed out - it's not going to go down for a while, will have continued to increase since March and continue to do so.  Heaven knows what the extra cost of all this is.

And the Minister admits this is because of another of these pointless 'wars' on drugs.   Yet more virtue-signalling about making the Island 'safer' (has the price of drugs risen or their usage declined?) which, like all the farting about in balaclavas, seems to be more about looking tough than doing anything to improve the lives of most of those on the Island

[NoTailT]

11 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

There's been surprisingly little discussion about this and little in FoIs or WQs from MHKs to give us any figures.  Even the Independent Monitoring Boards reports don't contain any statistics as they used to pre-Covid.  No one really wants to look at the inevitable consequence of actions they approved.

But the topic of prisoner numbers did come up in March Tynwald (the last we've got much Hansard for - production seems to have stopped) when Moorhouse (inevitably) asked: Whether the Prison is reaching full capacity and what actions are being taken to resolve this.  Poole-Wilson said:

The Isle of Man Prison has seen a significant increase in population over the past 12 months. At the time of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons visit in April 2023, the Prison population was 90 and had been at or around that level for some time. The current figure now stands at 128 prisoners. The increase is attributed in large part to the proactive work by the Isle of Man Constabulary to tackle the importation and distribution of drugs, aligning with the aim in our Island Plan to keep our Island safe.

Although the Prison has an operational capacity of 141 cells, in practical terms this figure is lower due to the configuration and management of the Prison

So in less than a year, the prison population has gone up by over 40% after being stable for years.  This can't be blamed on the revolving-door types like Goldie otherwise it would have been rising before that.  And given the length of sentences being handed out - it's not going to go down for a while, will have continued to increase since March and continue to do so.  Heaven knows what the extra cost of all this is.

And the Minister admits this is because of another of these pointless 'wars' on drugs.   Yet more virtue-signalling about making the Island 'safer' (has the price of drugs risen or their usage declined?) which, like all the farting about in balaclavas, seems to be more about looking tough than doing anything to improve the lives of most of those on the Island

From what I've heard, it's bursting at the seams and this was highlighted at the recent suicide inquest.

Short staff, too many prisoners, means they can't follow standard intake process and someone took their life because process wasn't followed.

[Two-lane]

How about the situation if another 20,000 people arrive?

Is there a linear relationship between population size and the number of prisoners?

[littlebushy]

1 hour ago, NoTailT said:

I was up that way last week and saw a crane lifting stuff in to the prison.

Apparently there's room for 160 prisoners and they're at 158 and they have nearly 20 that should be kicked to the UK prison system as non-residents but the UK systems own problems is stopping them being 'exported'.

Delivery of coke?

[Dirty Buggane]

3 minutes ago, Two-lane said:

How about the situation if another 20,000 people arrive?

Is there a linear relationship between population size and the number of prisoners?

Of course non of the people we import will be law breakers, they will be to busy in the genetic engineering labs or finding cures for herpes. Building a power plant that is not only clean and green but also improving lives in Africa and while we do that people will also be taking notice of the wisdom that emerges fro our Parliament and so peace and tolerance will cover the earth and end world famine. Is that enough of a pipe dream for the civil service.

[TheTeapot]

Hot bed of criminal activity the Isle of Man.

If I were in charge...

I'd massively improve the community service scheme. I'd speak to all the local authorities and get some proper plans in action. especially on basic maintenance jobs that don't always get done like painting railings which really anyone can do, but whatever really. "This year our aim is to do this, this and that." I'd tell the magistrates to issue short community punishments for minor offences instead of fines, especially if the person was likely to be able to easily afford it, and where possible use community punishments generally. I'd make it publicly known what the projects are and invite people to also take part, and make it possible for people on long term incapacity or JSA to also join with the possibility of a work reference from it too. 

Prison is not good, for anyone. We need one of course, people who commit serious violent crimes need a strong punishment, but we lock too many people up for too long for too little. And then don't give them enough help to ensure they don't end up there again.

[peel sunset]

1 minute ago, TheTeapot said:

Hot bed of criminal activity the Isle of Man.

If I were in charge...

I'd massively improve the community service scheme. I'd speak to all the local authorities and get some proper plans in action. especially on basic maintenance jobs that don't always get done like painting railings which really anyone can do, but whatever really. "This year our aim is to do this, this and that." I'd tell the magistrates to issue short community punishments for minor offences instead of fines, especially if the person was likely to be able to easily afford it, and where possible use community punishments generally. I'd make it publicly known what the projects are and invite people to also take part, and make it possible for people on long term incapacity or JSA to also join with the possibility of a work reference from it too. 

Prison is not good, for anyone. We need one of course, people who commit serious violent crimes need a strong punishment, but we lock too many people up for too long for too little. And then don't give them enough help to ensure they don't end up there again.

Sentencing does have to follow legation and guidelines but I have to agree if it is within the powers of the courts to not offer a custodial sentence or suspended (which is a joke of a sentence) community service adds value back to the tax payer rather than a cost and is still a punishment.  The courts seem have forgotten it exists.  

I agree serious crimes (especially violent) will need to have prison time; under the radar early release is happening at Jurby but the selection process is blinkered, if you are on F wing and approved for work party or RDR then you are on the "list", F wing is full of grasses and people who pull the "I have a conflict of A, B , C etc"; no new RDR roles have been approved in months due to this. 

People due out in say 3 - 6 months should be doing RDR and its just not happened.  These kids could come out with some money to set themselves set up in a flat and give them time to get a job, but they are sitting in there, banged up as staff shortages, and when they are released they go straight back to a life of crime, the only way they know.

[Passing Time]

9 minutes ago, TheTeapot said:

Hot bed of criminal activity the Isle of Man.

If I were in charge...

I'd massively improve the community service scheme. I'd speak to all the local authorities and get some proper plans in action. especially on basic maintenance jobs that don't always get done like painting railings which really anyone can do, but whatever really. "This year our aim is to do this, this and that." I'd tell the magistrates to issue short community punishments for minor offences instead of fines, especially if the person was likely to be able to easily afford it, and where possible use community punishments generally. I'd make it publicly known what the projects are and invite people to also take part, and make it possible for people on long term incapacity or JSA to also join with the possibility of a work reference from it too. 

Prison is not good, for anyone. We need one of course, people who commit serious violent crimes need a strong punishment, but we lock too many people up for too long for too little. And then don't give them enough help to ensure they don't end up there again.

All sound excellent ideas Teapot. Stumbling block is the prison themselves. They put the blocks on external work parties as it means somebody has to do an element of work. Then you have the bleeding heart brigade harping on about prisoners rights. I have friends who for one reason or another have done time and each one said they would have loved to do something other than sit around playing games in prison.

[Non-Believer]

The reintroduction of capital punishment would help. Miscreant civil servants to the fore.

[TheTeapot]

1 minute ago, Passing Time said:

 Then you have the bleeding heart brigade harping on about prisoners rights. 

I might be one of these

[Passing Time]

1 minute ago, TheTeapot said:

I might be one of these

Might I ask why you would object to prisoners working outside?