OLDER prisoners on Portland can now enjoy a welcome retreat away from younger inmates.

After three years’ hard work, an eagerly-awaited ‘time out’ area has been opened at HMP The Verne.

The facility, for inmates aged 55 and over, includes a TV, kitchen area, lounge seating, an area for discussion groups and space for wellbeing and fitness.

Dorset HealthCare’s prison healthcare team opened the retreat thanks to a successful bid of £30,000 from the King’s Fund – a national health charity that shapes NHS policy and practice.

Deborah Neilson, lead nurse manager for Dorset HealthCare at The Verne, said: “It has been hard work and we have met a lot of challenges along the way.

“We embarked on consultation with our prison population to see what they would like to call it and what they would like to see included. “I have been overseeing the project for three years and I am so proud of it.

Ms Neilson added that the prison population is an ageing one and prisons have to adapt to cope with older inmates.

Eager prisoners helped decorate and shape the area into an area they would enjoy and benefit from.

It will also be used to host health related support groups and other activities for the wider prison population.

Michelle Preston, community partnership manager at HMP The Verne, said: “We are keen to develop links with other external groups who may be able to further support our work with the over 50s in line with our reducing reoffending agenda.”

Sarah Waller, programme leader and representative for the King’s Fund, spoke to prisoners and advised them to look after the facility in which she said they were lucky to have.

She said: “It really is fantastic.

“Older prisoners really need to look after and care for it.”

Governor James Lucas added: “I am very pleased about the ‘time out’ retreat.

“Our work team have really made something positive happen. It is really important that we have such facilities.”