THE NEW governor and his deputy at HMP Verne are promising to bring about change and tackle the prison’s issues head on.

It comes after the publication of a report by the Independent Monitoring Board last month – carried out between the dates May, 2010 to April, 2011 – that highlighted several areas of concern within the prison.

These included problems with illegal phones, heroin and staffing issues causing ‘greater tension in the prison’.

The Portland icon has seen many changes in its unique 164-year history, but now staff face an altogether different challenge as the prison fights to stay in public control.

Governor James Lucas and deputy David Bourne took over the running of the ex-citadel earlier this summer, and they have said they want to make changes to the prison with the help of the staff and partners.

But it also highlighted areas where the prison was doing well including its excellent kitchen facilities and woodworking workshop, which could be expanded to provide more training for the inmates.

The senior management team said they are determined to make positive changes inside and outside the iconic citadel walls.

They are planning on working with local businesses and community groups to fulfil one of the prison’s main priorities – education.

Deputy governor David Bourne said: “We have read the IMB’s report and the points to improve on. We will take on board the action points and work to make the prison better, together with staff. We want to give the Verne something to offer staff and prisoners. We want to make it a positive place and turn people’s lives around.”

One noticeable change inside the walls has been the new fence put up three months ago, which provides another barrier between staff and prisoners at night.

One of the greatest threats to the island’s prison is the looming prospect of privatisation of prisons that are not deemed to be fulfilling their purpose adequately.

Mr Bourne said: “Prisons and jails are facing closure or are subject to competition from privatisation. Mr Lucas came with the idea of keeping the jail open.

“We feel we are in the best position to look after our prisoners. Better that we do it rather than a company that are looking to make money out of it.”

Issues like drugs and illegal phone use in the prison are being clamped down on with staff being redeployed around the perimeter at night to stop people throwing parcels over the walls and staff being trained in locating hidden items on people entering the prison.

Mr Bourne added that he wanted staff to feel involved in trying to tackle issues in the prison like drugs.

He said: “We want to engage with staff and listen to their views and suggestions.”

'We want to provide opportunities'

STAFF said that there was a new air of positivity running through the prison as they all wanted to pull together to remain in the public sector.

A new team has been set up at the prison to engage with the community. Michelle Preston is part of the innovations and development team.

She said that they were trying to put programmes in place to engage with the community.

She said: “We are opening the gates a bit and letting people in to work with us.

“We are hoping to find more partners from businesses and community groups to come and work with us.”

She added that they had several older inmates and they were hoping to renovate an area in the prison for them to use.

She said: “There’s a real buzz at the moment.

“There’s a good feel in the prison. Everybody wants to keep the prison in the public sector.

“It’s important for us to make sure we’re successful, for the people that live here and work here.”

She added: “We want to give people real opportunities to have real work and gain skills.

“It’s not about taking jobs from the community, it’s really about filling the gap and giving something back.”

Prison officers’ branch liaison Tim Roberts said that staff were feeling like they were being listened to by senior management.

He said: “We had a difficult six years with the last governor but in the last six months it’s been better.

“We’re not going to agree on everything but we are being spoken to. We are being consulted.”

“David and James will listen to people and instead of being indecisive and thinking about it, they will do it.”

He added: “There is a tremendous difference in how people feel.

“Before people weren’t happy and just wanted to go home.”

Category C facility

THE Category C men’s training prison is home to 607 offenders, for most of them the Verne will be their second or third prison.

Prisoners are placed into prisons depending on a number of factors including the severity of their crime. A Category A prison is the most strict facility with prisoners allowed very little freedom.

Prisoners may move around the system and different facilities during their sentence.

If prisoners are well behaved and meet certain criteria they may be downgraded to a Category B or C facility like the Verne.

Some of the entry criteria for the Portland strong-hold include: Inmates must be over 25 years old, must have nine months left to serve on their sentence, and must have no history of escape or racism.

That is because approximately 50 per cent of prisoners are foreign nationals representing more than 50 nationalities.

The Verne is classed as an open prison because prisoners are in rooms rather than cells and have their own key.

They are able to walk around inside the citadel.