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Prison Gives Inmates Keys To Their Cells Creating 'Respectful' Environment

Prison Gives Inmates Keys To Their Cells Creating 'Respectful' Environment

HMP Berwyn inmates have also been given laptops and their cells will now be referred to as 'rooms' in the new £250m prison

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

We're under no illusion that prison is anything other than a form of punishment for criminals. A place to give you time to reform, think about your criminal past and ideally come out a better person.

But if you happen to be lucky enough sent to Wrexham's HMP Berwyn, you could wind up getting a key to your 'room' (not cell), not to mention a laptop, according to the MailOnline.

The £250 million ($327.5m) prison is attempting to adopt a more 'rehabilitative' approach which intends to 'respect' prisoners.

There will be a 'knock first' policy which aims to respect prisoners (who will not be referred to as 'men') - however prison officers will have the ability to enter the rooms for searches or emergencies.

HMP Berwyn, the biggest jail in England and Wales, holds category C offenders, i.e. those who are deemed 'unlikely to try to escape' - but can't be trusted in an open prison.

The jail has a snazzy gym with a range of different machinery and there's even what appears to be a communal area that looks similar to university halls of residence.

Social areas inside the prison.
Daily Post Wales

According to the Daily Post, the new approach is detailed in a report by the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Ministry of Justice - called Wellbeing in Prison Design.

The report says: "Being given the possibility to personalise their own environments has a wide range of benefits for the health and well-being of people in custody, helping to create a sense of place and identity.

"Allowing men in custody to control atmospheric conditions like opening windows or ventilators, controlling heating... can alleviate negative well-being impacts of poor atmospheric conditions and generate a sense of self-efficacy."

Stock image of UK prison.
PA

A Prison Service spokesperson told the Daily Post: "We have committed to building up to 10,000 safe and decent prison places, replacing old jails which are expensive to maintain with those fit for the 21st century.

"While we welcome views on how the design of new prisons could reduce reoffending by improving prisoners' mental health and rehabilitation, this document is not a blueprint for future prisons.

"Staff at HMP Berwyn can override the locks that prisoners use when they want privacy in their cells."

Featured Image Credit: Cascade News

Topics: UK News, News, UK, Prison