Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2014 | Page 18

INTERVIEW

their risk they can be re-categorised and
we can progress them. That means they
move off the Island, so it would be very
unusual for a prisoner to be released from
this prison.”
He continued: “Most are in single cells,
but about 12 per cent share. Prisoners
don’t lounge around in their cells all
day. For most it is a Monday to Friday
working week; they do about three hours
each morning and afternoon, and are
locked up in their cells from around 6.15
in the evening until 8.15 the following
morning.”
The food is basic, and there is a budget
of about £2.10 per prisoner per day; that’s
for breakfast, lunch and an evening meal.
A typical breakfast is a pack of cereal,
bread, butter and jam, and tea. Lunch
and evening meals are cooked, and there
are prisoners of every medical condition
and religion so there are special diets for
them.
There are workshops where prisoners
make furniture and textiles, including
clothes; and there is a recycling plant
and horticulture section. HMP IW makes
furniture for prisons throughout the
country - even the Governor’s desk has
been made ‘inside’. More than 1,000 bunk
beds and cell lockers are produced in one
year, along with hundreds of wardrobes,
18

www.visitilife.com

"These days it is not
cushy i n any way - I
am not running a
hotel - but it is about
providing a basic,
decent environment
where we can do our
work with prisoners."
shelf units and garden benches - and
thousands of coat hangers.
Andy said: “We are also working with
the Hospice whereby we produce goods for
them to sell that helps support the Hospice
- everything from garden ornaments and
plants to recycled carrier bags. Offending
takes from the community, so it is
important to give something back to the
community when we can.
“We have a pay rate for prisoners which
is between £5 and £20 per week. The
money they earn allows them to buy
tobacco if they smoke or buy phone
credit to phone home - things like that.

We also have an incentives and privileges
scheme, like having a television in your
cell. Prisoners have to earn that privilege,
but they lose it if they break the rules.
Prisoners pay a weekly rental for TVs; and
the best behaved ones can earn a privilege
to purchase games consoles for their cells
- but we do not permit 18-rated games
and there is no internet access.
“There are recreation times, mostly at
weekends, but also at lunchtime and in
the evenings. There are areas where they
can play pool and table tennis or watch
television. We also have a gymnasium
which plays an important part in physical
fitness of the prisoners. We try to promote
health and well being, and keep a
reasonable level of fitness.”
So what happens if a prisoner does not
conform? Andy explained: “A criminal
offence is just as much a criminal
offence inside prison as it is outside. So
if for example, one prisoner seriously
assaults another one we will get the
police in to investigate, and possibly
prosecute. If found guilty the offender
will get a further sentence on top of the
one he is serving. For serious, but not
criminal offences, about once a month
a Judge comes into the prison to do
adjudications and can give added days
in prison for breaking the rules. A Judge