HMP Canterbury seeks help to offer improved services for prisoners

Canterbury prison is starting a new scheme in a bid to improve its environment and reduce reoffending figures.

The project is said to provide additional services to the for­eign national prisoner popu­lation at HMP Canterbury many of whom remain in the UK, and in addition to sup­port ex Armed Forces person­nel and their families within the criminal justice in Kent.

UK prison budgets are ex­pecting a 24% reduction over the next four years which will have an impact on their serv­ice delivery. For that reason a community interest com­pany called Civvy Street will be providing free creative arts therapy, counselling, re-skilling and re-training oppor­tunities leading to real jobs.


Crime Rates

According to a survey con­ducted by the Council of Eu­rope the crime rates in England and Wales are much higher than in many European coun­tries with over 240 prisoners per 100,000 people population.

“When I joined the Prison Service in 1979 there were around 40,000 prisoners in the UK. Despite a variety of strategies we now have over 86,000 in custody,” said Paul Marsh, chair of trustees for Migrant Helpline and volun­teer for the supporting Com­munity and Voluntary integra­tion within Canterbury Prison.

Mr Marsh, a principal officer at HMP Canterbury for more than 30 years and who received a MBE from the Queen last June has had the idea for such a company for a long time.

“As a retired individual I have no power in changing how HMP Canterbury is being managed, however through starting up a social enter­prise and seeking running costs from healthcare sources I can deliver free additional of­fender regime activities which would evidence a reduction of reoffending,“ said Mr Marsh.

HMP Canterbury holds more than 300 inmates from 69 different nationalities and they all need help pre­paring for life after prison.

The first big step of the project has been a visit by Mr Marsh and a small delegation on behalf of Migrant Hel­pline to Longuenesse Prison in France which also holds prisoners from different na­tionalities. There are 800 in­mates, 21 of whom are British.

Big Society
“The contrast to the UK prison system is quite stark. It was an insight into their judicial system. Their pris­ons integrate with soci­ety and they are ‘socially’ managed,” said Mr Marsh.

                                                 Paul Marsh receiving his MBE

“I have gained an extremely refreshing view of an alterna­tive approach emphasising ‘a community responsible inter­action’. Their holistic support to everyone is I believe an ex­ample of the Big Society. The term has been used in British parliamentary cross party circles as an example of how we all can make a difference to the quality of people’s lives, whether inside prison or out­side for the wider benefit of the public. French local com­munities are empowered in many aspects. For instance, their mayors have so much more influence than ours.”

A successful project from Longuenesse Prison that might be implemented into HMP Canterbury is setting up a judo team as a part of prison activities. The mar­tial art is said to develop and raise self-esteem, confidence and self-control combined with respect for the opponent.

“I thought it would be a mar­vellous innovative initiative to enhance the well-being of the prisoners,” said Mr Marsh.

Arrangements are be­ing made for the director of Longuenesse Prison to visit HMP Canterbury in or­der to share experience for the benefit of the offenders.

Mr Marsh added: “I remem­ber a comment made by a pre­vious chief inspector of Her Majesty’s Prisons, Lord David Ramsbotham, whom I had the pleasure of meeting. He said: ‘A society can be judged by the quality of its prisons.’”

The community interest company is in the proc­ess of further development with a pilot project to be ex­pended to other Kent prisons.

Mr Marsh is also plan­ning a visit to a conference for prison visiting schemes in Trier, Germany in May.