Wrong Kind Of Ford Inmates

Watchdogs say too many prisoners who are unsuitable, either because they are too high a security risk, or whose behaviour is disruptive, are being transferred to Ford, but then have to be moved away again.

The criticism of other prisons is made in the annual report of Ford's Board of Visitors.

Board chairman Pauline Allen says that during the 12 months covered by the report, up to August last year: "There have been many instances where men sent to Ford have a history of behaviour and offences which render them unsuitable to remain."

A Prison Service investigation has backed the board's concerns and other prisons have now been urged to make sure that only inmates from the right category are moved to Ford.

Mrs Allen said the security set-up at the open prison was sufficiently strong to prevent unsuitable prisoners being a threat to the community.

"We are in an area with a large number of retired people, and we want to reassure them that great care is taken about security and the assessment of prisoners."

She added that since the report was written, Ford had been put under further pressure by a substantial rise in prisoner numbers, from around 350 at its lowest last year, to more than 500 at present.

This had resulted from a large influx of prisoners who had been re-categorised, and the fact that Ford had vacancies.

"We now have beds where we have never had beds before, but in general, everyone has coped brilliantly."

The prison had recently had its capacity extended to 540 inmates and was likely to be approaching that number by the end of this week.

Elsewhere in the report, the board expresses concern at the "apparent emphasis" on low-skill tasks in the prison workshops, and at the inadequate healthcare facilities for prisoners, calling for the latter to be addressed "as a matter of urgency".