The inside story of industry in a North-East prison

It may have been Ronnie Barker’s glorious sitcom “Porridge” or classic prison movies like Shawshank Redemption, Escape from Alcatraz or The Green Mile, it might even have been my teenage addiction to Prisoner Cell Block H, but I’ve always been terrified and fascinated by life in prison.

Everything most of us know about prisons has been gleaned from the big screen, the small screen, books or the internet, but few provide a true reflection of what life “on the inside” is really like.

On approach, HMP Northumberland provides a foreboding image. One minute there is nothing but rolling Northumberland countryside, the next you’re driving alongside 30ft barbed wire-topped fences surrounding squat, nondescript outbuildings.

Like all prisons, it will never be mistaken for anything other than what it is.

But beyond the walls of the Category “C” prison, operates a college which produces results and grades comparable to most further education establishments, factories that churn out uniforms, chef tunics and hardy work clothing; an engineering operation maintaining parts of the prison infrastructure and a charity providing road-ready bicycles for third world countries.

There is even an enormous market garden that would put to shame even the most well-tended allotment, farm patch or garden centre.

It is easy to forget that each of these operations is 100 per cent manned by prisoners.

HMP Northumberland has been run by Sodexo Justice Services for almost a year. The company also manages four other prisons in the UK.

It holds 1,348 male offenders and became only the second public sector prison ever to be transferred to a private operator when SJS took over in December 2013.

According to its website, Sodexo’s vision for HMP Northumberland is to, “lead the way on the Government’s priority to create a working prison model. Our plan is to provide prisoners with ‘real work’ opportunities which match those available in the community.”

And in that regard it is ahead of the game.

Matt Spencer is the Director of HMP Northumberland. Formerly the Prison Governor, when the establishment was managed by the public sector, Matt chose to stay on as Director under Sodexo Justice Services as he saw the potential for developing the Working Prison model and had seen first -hand its impact in reducing re-offending. He arrived at the tail end of the amalgamation of Castington Youth Offenders and Acklington Prison that created HMP Northumberland.

“Having a job is key to preventing re-offending,” he said. “For some, the idea of getting up in the morning for work is a real shock to the system – nothing in their previous lives has prepared them for this, but instilling the work ethic is important.

“It is like all industry, people have their own motivations. A prisoner may have no interest in preparing himself for work; he may have no interest in stopping offending and, as such, doesn’t engage as well with education and work. However, some are incredibly focused and are determined to not only find work when they leave prison, but to gain qualifications that will help them succeed.

“We want our prisoners to succeed. We want them to feel like they are part of a company and for the working day that they are not in prison. We want them to take pride in their work and be motivated to perform well.”

It would be easy to misconstrue Matt’s approach as taking the punishment out of prison. However, that could not be further from the truth.

He said: “What we are doing is preparing people for life outside prison. People come here for the first time and it is a major shock to the system. In many cases it is the shock they needed to make them realise they do not want to re-offend and end up back inside. We provide them with the skills, the confidence and the contacts to ensure they have the best possible chance of finding work.”

The prison works with a host of local and national companies to ensure that the education, work and training provided behind prison walls prepares men for the employment opportunities that they will find on the outside.

Mairi Campbell, Offender Learning and Skills Sector Manager, works for The Manchester College, which is contracted to deliver education at HMP Northumberland.

She said: “We are very much a college first and foremost, we just happen to be inside a prison. Learners that come to us are treated the same as learners who come to us to do the same courses on the outside.

“Our role is the same too: we are here to prepare people to compete in the jobs market.”

Like any new learner, the journey begins with an interview with the National Careers Service where aspirations are discussed, skills assessed and options presented. Most prisoners are brought up to Level 2 Standard in English and maths before they begin a vocational course.

Among the many NVQs on offer are hospitality, plastering, bricklaying, painting and decorating, woodwork, multi-trades, mechanics, horticulture, barbering and textiles.

“Our hope is that when they leave us, they not only have the skills, but also the confidence to apply for jobs,” adds Mairi. “80% of our learners achieve their qualifications and this compares favourably with most other colleges.”

Our tour of HMP Northumberland, which has an outside wall stretching 5km around the prison site, was led by Head of Regimes Clair Hutchings.

Never once is there a hint of threat or discomfort as she chats with prisoners working the soil over in the market garden or manning sewing machines in the textile factory.

“We carry out a great deal of work to make sure the prisoners are trained in roles that have vacancies on the outside,” she said. “We work with businesses and build relationships with them to open doors for people when they leave prison and we’re even aware that we are developing skills in here that will help North East companies “re-shore” work back to the UK – our textiles course is a perfect example of this.

“The average weekly wage is around £11.50 and some can earn up to £20. This is very important to men who are sometimes coming from families where they are the second or third generation who has never worked.”

As Clair talks, we pass a hive of activity where mattresses are being stacked in huge piles. It is the recycling centre, where inmates break material down for companies who can then re-use it in other products.

We walk between two enormous fences topped with barbed wire as she points out “residential accommodation”, the prison laundry where shouted instructions can just be heard over the thrum of machinery and eventually to a large corner of green that stands out like an oasis in a desert of metal and concrete.

The market garden is managed by Horticultural Instructor, Dave Huntley. He oversees the daily work of 23 inmates. He said: “We have genuinely skilled guys working in here and we bring in farmers and people from the industry to help them develop and get better.

“This isn’t a hobby and it isn’t easy. We are working hard for long periods of time and what we are growing is either going to market or into the prison kitchens. We can’t shut down for a few days – the weather’s been great lately, but we are out here in all conditions, but the prisoners will tell you that it’s absolutely worth it.”

While prisoners were reluctant to be photographed or interviewed, it was easy to see how the training programmes inside the prison had impacted on them.

In both the textiles shop and in the market garden, few prisoners talked except to ask for equipment or point out that it was nearing lunchtime.

One prisoner who didn’t mind was “transport operative” David, who has one of the privileged jobs. He drives visitors and employees around the enormous site throughout the day as well as delivering meals, post and disposing of waste.

“I have been through a few behavioural courses and the basic learning courses and enjoyed them all,” he said. “But there’s nothing like driving. It’s a great job, a trusted job. I love it.

“There’s a lot of trust placed on me in this job and while I’m doing it, I feel like I’m at work in a proper job.”

NECC Chief Executive, James Ramsbotham, said: “I have visited several prisons in recent years and the work of prisoners in Northumberland is of the highest standard I have ever experienced. This view is shared by others in the prison system.

“Sodexo and prison staff have achieved a huge amount in a short space of time. The improvements to the work experience available will have a beneficial impact on re-offending and help ex-offenders lead productive lives as valued members of society.

“The challenge is for businesses to identify work that could be accomplished within prisons, especially work that may have gone off-shore, as the staff in this prison are capable of delivering real quality.

“HMP Northumberland proves what can be achieved and many employers will benefit from the skills being learnt at a time when so many vocational skills are in demand. This prison is striving to do the best for their charges and for the wider community, which includes the business community more than ever before.”

HMP Northumberland is a modern institution which is far removed from popular depictions of prisons in film and TV. There is an understanding of how best to curb levels of re-offending, an ethos that puts the opportunity for self-improvement alongside punishment for crime and hundreds of prisoners who are learning that an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay is the first step on a path that will ultimately lead to a better life.