In the concluding part of our series on Guernsey’s working prison, Martyn Tolcher finds out how the prison and probation services combine their efforts to help offenders settle back into society, ready for a new life without crime.

ANYONE old enough to remember the classic BBC prison comedy Porridge may recall the scene where a newly released prisoner is left outside the gates with nothing but his meagre belongings hidden inside a black sack.

The idea of former prisoners being left to fend for themselves on release might have been acceptable in the 1970s, when Porridge was a household favourite, but in 2013 it is a different story.

From the moment they begin their sentences at Guernsey Prison, the prisoners of today have their time inside planned very carefully and, since the island’s new ‘working prison’ initiative was introduced a couple of years ago, there has been
a particular emphasis on getting offenders properly prepared for a new working life once their time is done.

One of the key changes has been the introduction of the Release on Temporary Licence scheme that enables low-risk prisoners to do ordinary daytime jobs outside as they approach the end of their sentences.

• Read the full article in today’s Guernsey Press