Prisoners could be put to work
Monday 20th July 2009, 11:30AM BST.
GUERNSEY could have a ‘working prison’ if the Home Department can secure the funding.
And it is also looking at merging three control rooms that currently deal with calls to the emergency services in an attempt to save money.
Minister Geoff Mahy was one of several in the States last week who put Treasury on notice about spending plans for next year.
Deputy Mahy said a prison inspector who reviewed Les Nicolles felt there was scope for workshops to be established so prisoners could acquire skills that could benefit the community on their release.
‘The idea is to have a “working prison” so prisoners aren’t spending most of the day in their cell or occupied on the wing, they are making good use of the time they are in the prison,’ said Deputy Mahy. ‘If it’s a benefit to them, it’s in turn a benefit to society and the community at large.’
He said the department also needed to look at redeploying prison officers to maximise the support given to inmates. ‘Some of the time we are finding prisoners are not doing gainful activities because we have not got enough prison officers to support them. We’re looking at the way it’s run and how we use the skills of prison officers – whether some tasks could be done by lesser-trained prison officers so trained officers can concentrate on more-important tasks.’
Turning Les Nicolles into a ‘working prison’ could cost about £300,000 a year, but with incremental increases that level of spending would not be reached until 2012 .
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What about getting them to work outside too if this is not done already (making sure arrangements for security are in place!)
Litter picking or weed clearance around the island is a never ending job that would be suitable.
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I think it’s a great idea, although in my opinion they should also look into getting prisoners to do community tasks, such as clearing up grafitti (or even moving scrapped cars at Cobo!).
Prison should be about providing opportunities for rehabilitation as well as meting out justice. Besides, it’s not good for anyone to be sat around all day doing nothing – far better to give them something productive to occupy themselves.
Although there will always be the “hardened” criminal element, if ex-offenders are given opportunities to be welcomed back as productive memebers of society, it may stop the cycle of re-offending. This can only be good for society.
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Perhaps we could send some crim’s round to sort out recycling for those who are too precious to do it themselves??
Or if they have no formal qualifications and low to no morals they’d be a perfect fit with all the other crooks in our glorious finance industry!!
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What a good idea…
During the credit crunch we find ourselves tightening the purse strings all the time – what better way to save money then to get the lags of Les Nicolles to work….
Prisoners over here have had it too easy for too long – its about time that punishment was actual punishment! I’m sure they will moan as they would rather play pool etc then sweep up roads & clean out gutters & drains for free but hey – who cares… you lost your right to an opinion the second you committed the crime!!
Send the prisoners to work & do it now – maybe that would put people off going inside!!
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I have been saying for sometime that the laundry at the hospital should be moved to the prison I think there would be significant savings over the years for Health and Social services, they could also take on private contracts, hotels etc.
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A very good idea to bring structure and productivity to the Prision. It should also help build routine and acceptance with a structured day to the Prisioners, which hopefully in turn would make adjusting to a more social lifestyle on release easier and make the Prisioners more employable.
The laundry is a very good idea, that makes good sense and hopefully has an economic balance between spending to set it up and run it compared to the existing laundry costs the Hospital has.
If each Prisioner did a shorter shift in the suggested laundry then there perhaps might be enough work to go round a big chunk of the inmates.
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I do find it amusing how people who’ve never been locked up (I’m assuming for most of the people posting here that is the case) have so much knowledge about prison life and how it feels to be an inmate. I’ve never been locked up (apart from one night after a few too many) so I cannot claim any great authority on the matter either however I know friends who have been in prison, I was also involved with Prison work through my church and I can assure you for the vast majority it’s no picnic.
OK so Guernsey Prison isn’t the Bangkok Hilton nevertheless I’m sure it’s no fun being an inmate there. Although prisoners do have access to recreational facilities, they are often restricted to their cells for lengthy periods of time. Don’t forget they are also locked up in a small facility with little access to friends and family; the vast majority of their personal freedoms are removed. I’m not saying that shouldn’t happen – it’s prison after all – however I don’t think one should underestimate the effect that has on a person.
Finally, in response to WH Bonney I think you may find that getting prisoners to do structured productive work, including the possibility of getting out for a while (albeit under guard) is probably less of a “punishment” than the tedious nature of current prison life. The idea is a good one, a decent balance between justice and rehabilitation. I also think on paper the laundry idea is a common sense plan worth investigating.
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Lets train the lags to be airport firefighters and kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Everyones a winner!
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I appreciate that many people see work as a ‘punishment’, but it is not. It is a good idea to do this as it allows the inmates to spend time doing something constructive that benefits themselves and society as a whole. This is not about punishing them further for their crimes, incarceration is their punishment.
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Student Bob
“the other crooks in our glorious finance industry!!”
You mean the crooks who are paying for you to do your degree?
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I think it’s a great idea and far better for the inmates than being left to sit about doing nothing. At least people would feel that they are contributing something to society.
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Interesting interview on this morning’s BBC radio Guernsey. The first inmate was a Welshman and the second a Scot. Seeing as we are quite adept at creating our own crooks, should we spending money on adult non-locals?
Or is £30000 per foreign prisoner per year not quite enough for the taxpayer? Support those youngsters that have fallen on the wrong side of the fence by all means. But……….
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Thanks Sanguine, but please remember that there are some taxpayers who don’t work in finance.
Personally, I prefer to think I’m leeching off the finance crooks. At least that way some of their ill-gotten gains will benefit the needy not the greedy.
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@Student Bob
As long as you are cool with living off the proceeds of crime instead of getting a loan…
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Whilst I support the work ethic, and the benefit working brings to one’s soul. Is our prison not filled mainly with drug dealers and paedophiles.The drug dealers are guaranteed that they have a nice supply of drugs in prison and the paedophiles have a school right outside of their window…..Taking these two important factors into consideration, if this work ethic is pushed upon these pillars of the community they could very easily go on strike!!
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I think thats a great idea. I am all for it. Sat around and doing not much. a roof over their head and 3 meals a day is not much of a punishment.
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I think they should just deport the ones that are not local, it’s a waste of the tax payers money feeding them 5* cuisine etc.
I like the idea, but they should really be cleaning the roads etc.
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@Rational Alternative
No it’s not just drug dealers and paedophiles. Daily Mail reader by any chance?
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hHow about, don’t do the crime and keep your job?!
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