Here is the text of a letter we have sent to The Right Honourable Shabana Mahmood MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. It sets out what we want to see in the Government's Full Action Plan in response to the shocking report into conditions at Wandsworth by the Chief Inspector of Prisons.
I am writing on behalf of the Wandsworth Prison Improvement Campaign. We are a group with first -hand recent experience of the Prison whose sole aim is to make HMP Wandsworth a safe and decent prison.
We were delighted to read your powerful letter to Charlie Taylor (5 August) which showed your determination to tackle the many, many wrongs at Wandsworth. We will not comment on specifics in the Initial Action Plan which was obviously prepared under the previous Government. We shall focus on the Full Action Plan expected later this month.
We shall scrutinise the Plan looking for these outcomes:
· A stable and predictable regime for prisoners with regular hours out of cells, access to exercise, showers and clean clothes
· Genuine improvement in the attitudes of officers, with respect shown for one another and the prisoners in their care
· Visibility and clarity in the contracts signed for work to be done in the prison to ensure it has realistic timescales, is work urgently needed in the view of the prison management, and is cost effective
· Ensuring all prisoners receive the quality of healthcare they are entitled to expect such that men leave fitter and with more understanding of and ability to cope with their health issues
· Purposeful activity is offered to prisoners ranging from paid work to quality short educational courses, and easy access to books at all times.
· The culture of secrecy and fear that has permeated discussion of the state of the prison changes to allow more visibility and community involvement.
Last week, two members of WPIC had an introductory meeting with the new Governor of Wandsworth, Andy Davy. Both sides felt this went well and we expect to enjoy a positive relationship with him and his senior team. We have agreed to hold regular meetings with him starting in October.
The history of Wandsworth and other prisons suggests tenacity will be needed to follow through fully on the Chief Inspector’s report. You have said you will stay for the long haul. We welcome that commitment and look forward to working closely with you and others to bring about sustainable improvement.
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