Top marks Hydebank is a model of excellence - Long
Date published:
Hydebank Wood Secure College and Women’s Prison is a ‘model of excellence and good practice, transforming lives’, Justice Minister Naomi Long has said.
The Minister was responding to the publication of two independent reports by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland and HM Inspector of Prisons in England and Wales, in which both the facility for young male offenders and the women’s prison at Hydebank received top marks – a first for a prison in Northern Ireland.
Naomi Long said: “The outcome of today’s reports is a culmination of many years hard work by the Prison Service and its partner agencies. Just over ten years ago inspectors described Hydebank as a failing prison – today it is a model of excellence and good practice.
“There is no doubt the exceptional work being done at Hydebank is transforming lives. Rehabilitation is working. Young men and women are choosing to turn their lives around through education and learning. Academic and practical skills in industry-focused subjects including catering and hospitality, barbering, horticulture and animal husbandry are helping them to find employment when they leave prison. Importantly also, re-offending rates are reducing, which again confirms these young men and women are turning away from a life of crime, making our communities a safer place to live.”
Minister Long added: “I want to thank the inspection teams, led by Jacqui Durkin and Charlie Taylor, for their work. Their independence is key in ensuring our prisons are held to account.
“Many people coming into prisons do so with hugely complex issues, addiction and mental health problems. We, as a society, should never underestimate the challenges our prisons face on a daily basis, to support and challenge those people to change their behaviours.
“Of course, with any report there will be learning, and the inspectors have explained where we can further improve.”
Director General of the NI Prison Service Beverley Wall said: “At its heart, prisons are about people – those who work there, and those who reside there. Our staff are among the most dedicated and professional people working in the public sector.
"That is not often recognised on the outside. I am hugely grateful to the Inspection teams for recognising the ‘excellent quality’ of relationships between prisoners and staff in both parts of Hydebank.”
Hydebank Governor, Richard Taylor said: “This has truly been a team effort by everyone at Hydebank. In particular, the partnership with Belfast Met has been transformational since we became a secure College almost ten years ago.
"Inspectors have reported that over 90% of the people in custody are involved in education, skills and work. In the last year we can also say that more than 600 certificates of achievement have been presented. People leaving Hydebank are doing so with qualifications and skills which they can use to help them find employment.”
Notes to editors:
Notes to editors
- Photo captions: Hydebank Wood Secure College and Women’s Prison.
- Hydebank Wood Secure College and Women’s Prison is a medium security Prison located on the outskirts of South Belfast. It accommodates young male prisoners (18-24 years) and all female prisoners in Northern Ireland. Today’s population is 115 women and 55 young men.
- Two simultaneous reports have been published on Hydebank – one relating to young males and one on females in custody.
- Prisons are assessed against four healthy prisons tests as being good rated as four, reasonably good as three; not sufficiently good as two; and poor as one. Hydebank Wood Secure College and Women’s Prison were each marked against the four prisons tests as follows:
• Safety - full marks (4 and 4)
• Respect - full marks (4 and 4)
• Purposeful Activity - full marks (4 and 4)
• Preparation for Release - full marks (4 and 4) - Press queries about this publication should be directed to the DoJ Press Office via email to Email.
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