Have you ever wondered what life is like behind prison walls?
Outside of those who actually serve time or work in a prison, few people get to really see inside and truly understand prison life.
But flying under the radar, there are hundreds of volunteers across the UK who spend up to three days a month visiting their local prisons, to make sure inmates are being treated fairly and humanely.
Cumbria is in need of more of these unpaid volunteers, who are members of the Independent Monitoring Boards.
The IMB organisation has a statutory duty to monitor places of immigration and detention, through everyday people.
It’s a role that gives people unique unrestricted access to all areas of a prison day or night, the ability to speak with prisoners and engage with and watch over everyday life and activities.
We spoke with Phil Bishop, 65, of West Cumbria, who has been chair of the IMB at HMP Haverigg, Cumbria’s only prison, for the past five years, to find out more about what the role and life at the prison is really like.
Phil first decided to take on the role of an IMB member after he retired six years ago.
He said he was looking for voluntary opportunities outside the norm, with an element of challenge.
Phil added: “I didn’t want to go into retirement and just stop and as an IMB member you’re in a unique environment, with a marginalised group of people and there’s that feeling that what you’re doing is helping people.
“It is a rewarding role, sometimes it’s the smallest thing that helps someone, it can be the smallest conversation with a prisoner and you can make such a difference.”
What does a typical visit to Haverigg look like?
IMB members will visit Haverigg up to three times a month to monitor the prison and speak with prisoners.
It’s their job to report any concerns and note down any good things that are happening at the prison.
A typical visit will see members check all areas of the prison – from the shared spaces to accommodation areas, to education and training spaces that are used to rehabilitate inmates.
Phil said: “Haverigg is an open prison, it’s not prisoners in cells with fences everywhere, we can move freely and prisoners can move freely, so it is slightly different.
“In a typical day I would go into the prison, go through the IT systems, and see what has been happening to start with.
“I would then visit all areas of the prison and go into places like the accommodation areas and look around and engage with prisoners and staff to satisfy ourselves that there are no problems that day.
“Talking to prisoners can look like listening to complaints and issues and taking note of any good feedback they might have.
“If there’s any issues, we will carry out follow up enquiries. But we don’t advocate for prisoners and we aren’t part of the prison service, we are on an independent line that we must tread carefully.”
During their visit, members will observe all kinds of aspects of day-to-day life, whether it’s checking general cleanliness or food standards or monitoring for any dangerous practices.
Phil said that IMB members are looking to make sure prisoners are safe, treated fairly and humanely, have good access to health and wellbeing support and that there are good programmes in place for resettlement.
He added: “You have to take in every area fully, so you’re looking for things like the cleanliness of bathrooms and communal areas and in places like the kitchen and canteen we will observe the food and meal times and we can taste the food.
“If it’s a case of seeing dangerous practice, it’s making enquiries to make sure prisoners are exposed to anything that puts them at risk.”
Phil said that while for some the idea of visiting a prison might seem intimidating, that your confidence grows over time.
He said: “It can be intimidating because it is an area that most members of the public don’t get to see or engage with, but we have a comprehensive training and induction programme and in person mentoring and new members are accompanied on early visits.
“But it is a prison environment, so I’m not sure it’s ever right to feel fully comfortable there.”
IMB members are also trained to maintain their independence and protect themselves from things like manipulation while in the prison environment.
Phil added: “Emotionally, in the early stages, there is a feeling of vulnerability until you become more comfortable.
“It’s not an environment most people gain access to, your confidence does build over time, but you still need to keep that safety consciousness, so you’re not subject to things like manipulation.
“You have to make sure you don’t get too close to anybody in the prison, you’re not there to be friends with a prisoner or sit with the staff.”
What is life at Haverigg actually like?
Haverigg was first opened in 1967 and it now detains around 550 men in total, most of which are over the age of 40.
In 2019, the prison transitioned from a Category C prison, which detains prisoners who cannot be trusted in open conditions, to a Category D prison, an open prison that focuses more on rehabilitation and resettlement.
It also increased its capacity by 60, bringing it’s total overall capacity to 559 people.
Phil said because Haverigg is an open prison, it is a relatively stable environment behind the scenes.
He added: “The overall culture can be a bit of a shock to prisoners as them will come into open conditions from closed conditions, and it can be difficult for them to adjust.
“They’ve come from a place where everything was done for them, to the culture they are trying to develop at Haverigg, which is one of self development, if they want something they have to take the steps to get it themselves.”
Phil said that Haverigg has extensive education and work training programmes in place for inmate rehabilitation.
Prisoners are able to access all kinds of qualifications from university level to basic education and courses cover everything from solar panel installing to bricklaying.
The prison also works with local businesses to offer its qualifications and work opportunities and improve employability for prisoners once they are released.
He added: “They have some really unique things at Haverigg, there’s a shop just outside where they sell produce grown in the prison on farms, they do woodworking courses and they have a smokery and go out to farmers markets to sell
“There’s also a comprehensive gym used by prisoners and health care teams are able to support disabled prisoners with using this space. They also do a 5k park run every Saturday and it was the first park run in the UK that staff and members of the public are also involved with.
“They also have stables with some ex-race horses, so they teach equine therapy and management as a work option and for health and wellbeing.
“You don’t fully realise or appreciate what is going on there until you delve into it, there’s 550 people there doing all sorts of things, but a lot of the prison service is mostly out of sight, out of mind.”
Phil said it’s also very important for IMB members to have an open mind and be committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.
He said: “Haverigg has a range people with different cultures, religions, beliefs and sexual preferences, it is a real cross section of life.
“You can’t have any prejudices, you have to go into it with a completely open mind. You have to take what you see and believe and think critically.”
How do people volunteer at Haverigg?
While IMB members come from all walks of life, there is a set of criteria people must meet in order to apply.
People applying for a member role must:
- Be over 18
- Live within 30 miles of HMP Haverigg, or be from West Cumbria
- Give 12 hours of your time per month
- Be computer literate, a good communicator and a team player
- Be able to listen, observe and apply common sense
- Be committed to equality, diversity and inclusion
- Declare criminal records (but this won’t necessarily prevent a person from becoming a volunteer)
Every member is appointed by the Prisons Minister and members undergo an interview by a panel to see if volunteering is a good fit.
Applicants are also taken on a tour of the facility they are applying to, so they can make sure the role is for them.
If a person is successful, they then go through security clearance and are generally appointed within around six months of applying.
IMB members who are just starting out are given training online and in person as well as mentoring.
They are also accompanied by other senior IMB members during visits for around a year before they begin carrying out visits alone.
The role is unpaid as the IMB role is recognised as a public duty, but expenses are paid for travel and childcare costs and in certain circumstances, loss of earnings are covered.
Prison visits typically take place around three times a month and board meetings to report findings also take place.
Typically there are around nine or 10 IMB members for each prison, but in Cumbria, there are currently only three.
Phil said: “It is a role that does tend to attract retirees, but we can be flexible and help accommodate younger people who are in employment and those different perspectives are really important to us.
“Our role is representing the West Cumbrian community and making sure the prison on our doorstep is acting accordingly.”
You can find out more about becoming an IMB in Cumbria here.
