Thread by @minniebirch

Today I visited a private prison. I had prior views, stemming from being a decent person who doesn’t think anyone should profit from crime & the fact that my partner once had to lose his summer to bailing out the Olympicfiasco this company caused #whogavethemtheprisoncontracts

Upon arrival it was thorough. I had my photo taken, finger prints taken and was thoroughly searched. I felt sad that we don’t do this where I work. Considering the issues we have with staff bringing in contraband. 1-0 to the private sector I guess.

But...and for me this was a big but....the officers are not officers!!!!! They look like air hostesses but their chains and truncheons and radios stand out more than they do on the uniforms I’m used to seeing. It’s a bit fake to me. I’m not sure why but I don’t like it 1-1

There’s a lack of information or preparation. Perhaps because I am from another establishment. Generally the place is calm & I don’t step into an environment that requires any prewarning anyway.There’s a third less residents than where I work there are “air hostesses” everywhere

I’m not sure of the exact figures but staff numbers (after taking a massive hit) are rising again in public prisons, it tends to be common knowledge that staff to resident rations are better in the private sector. So 2-1 to the private sector again?! 🤷🏻‍♀️

The grounds are outstanding!put the tall barbed wire fences to the back of your mind &focus on the sunflowers, bee hives, memorial garden, horticucultaral centre and a sensory garden which is mid build! The children’s visitors have their own outdoor park albeit a small one. 3-1

The grounds are similarly well loved where I work and are a real pleasure to wander around but here it has extra touches. Did I mention the budgie house where they breee budgies for the residents to have as companions? #privateprisons

There’s an art room and a space for older residents and everything is signposted and simple and friendly and ...calm! But then we get to industries! ...ah ha this is where I’m going to get angry surely?

Seemingly not..Yep there’s some serious money being made on some seriously cheap labour which doesn’t upskill prisoners & doesn’t really support rehab & maybe takes jobs from civvies but it is no more than what’s happening with industries in the public sector prisons 🤷🏻‍♀️

My jury is out and my guide for the day can’t answer many of my questions I have about how exactly they generate income/save taxpayers money. from their explanation they seem to receive the same state funding but have more power over what to do with it? 🤷🏻‍♀️ can anyone explain?

On to the library. I imagine a creative learning space which will use literacy to save lives one book at a time...these places get a bonus based on reoffending rates right? They are the places of xboxes for everyone. Surely this library is going to be something else...right?

I WILL get on to the librarian because she is out of this world and is actually using literacy to change lives but, as is often the case in the public sector, she is doing it under resourced and under appreciated I feel...but I will get to her :)

The library is an extended shipping container/temporary classroom. The extended part is 3 months old. For sometime it has been shipping container sized. It has no computers. Similar stock levels to a small village library & the power to loan in around 40 extra books a month.

The public sector run library I work in is more resourced, uptodate, supported, recognised & used.Due to the half hourly slots the residents have to use this private library a book group of any kind is not possible. The librarian plans to come in on her day off to try and run one

It would seem the whole rehab focus is on "programs" the prison receives extra Govt. funding for the amount of programs it runs so they take priority. There are some amazing rehab programs across the prison estate & they are often run by superhumans BUT...

This is the sad bit, it seems to be at the cost of services like the library. Services which use literature, art or music in a way which can't be so easily measured and put in to some sort of 12 week program scheme. Stuff which isn't linked to that bonus income.

I am genuinely surprised by this. Everything seems to operate on the goodwill of staff & residents going above & beyond to make this community work. Storybook Dads stopped when the guy running it left. The Prison radio stopped when the guy running it left.

The library deliveries work because the librarian collects the books from the town library & carries them in with her. Her database was designed by a resident, there is no real back up plan for monitoring book reservations when this needs updating.

The librarian is the only paid civilian member of staff. When she goes on holiday or is sick they have to convince a teacher from education to cover or they close.

I am so incredibly convinced that the way our library runs is having better outcomes but I cant always even get our onsite managers to see this, if the public library service ever lost the tender for our prisons contract I think we'd struggle to maintain what we have.

A lot of what we have is already being done/paid for as voluntarily not as part of our job role. But the support we do get from our library provider is so much more than this & that is because they are "library people" & they understand the positive impact we can have.

BUT, I leave with a feeling that this is a place I would love to work and I have a little list of ideas I have stolen from the librarian and her resident workers to improve my library...and this is down to the amazing staff and residents they have there.

The librarian has created this beautiful safe space where books are places to both find and lose yourself. She has done this in a very small under-resourced space and she only gets a half hour slot with residents to share this with them. The whole library is hurry up and wait.

You wait for the half hour slot to start, there is little to do in this time (today at least but I imagine that's partly because they are answering all my questions & can't get on with their usual tasks) Then the next group comes in & it is manic as people rush to use the time

She has three official orderlies - these are prisoners/residents who work with her as their job here but she mentions she often has men who volunteer their free time and I can see why. She has all these wonderful/fun/creative ways of working which make you want to work for her.

She has the PSIs and Prison frameworks all ordered in a filing cabinet and a spreadsheet of regularly asked for Acts, White papers, legal information and the spreadsheet tells you where they are in the cabinet!!

She has taken everything that is required of a prison librarian and thrown it into half hour slots. When the men come in she gets to work with her team like a well oiled machine managing this magical way of being super quick but giving everyone her time & attention.

So, my feelings after my first visit to a private prison library are mixed & I still feel unsure about the model of the private prison. This library like so many others runs perfectly because of the dedication & passion of a librarian who believes libraries can truly change lives

On the drive home I am full to the brim with pride to be part of a service that dedicates so much but I also despair that we are constantly having to navigate obstacles to make things work rather than being recognised as one of the most powerful tools for change that we have.