Articles & News

September 3, 2008

Belmarsh prison

A CHARITY which campaigns for penal reform and works with offenders is bidding to run a new jail in Thamesmead.

Outline planning permission for the proposed jail - called Belmarsh West - was granted by Greenwich council on December 14 last year.

Crime reduction charity, Nacro, has confirmed that it is adding its expertise in offender resettlement and rehabilitation services to a joint bid to run prisons.

The partnership - which also includes the private security firm, Group 4 Securicor, construction company Galliford Try and drugs charity, RAPT (Rehabilitation for Addicted Persons Trust) - is also bidding to run another 600 bed prison in Merseyside.

Voluntary groups, like Nacro, already run courses in prisons but none has attempted to manage a prison before, say experts.

Nacro chief executive Paul Cavadino said: "It makes sense for a charity like Nacro expertise in rehabilitating prisoners to be part of a consortium involved in running prisons.

"We can ensure the regime will provide good quality resettlement and that it will help to rehabilitate offenders.

"There is powerful evidence that if prisoners who need it, get help with education, rehousing and mental health issues, they are much less likely to reoffend on release.

"So it is in the interests of the whole community for a charity like Nacro to be involved in designing a regime in a prison like that."

The Ministry of Justice is currently looking at private finance initiative bids to fund the building of the prison next to the existing Belmarsh high security prison in Western Way, Thamesmead.

And it is expected construction work will begin next year.