The Minister of State for Prisons and Probation, Victoria Atkins, gave a statement to the House of Commons as the Government unveiled their new prison strategy to rehabilitate offenders and cut crime.
Steve Brine, a former member of the Justice Select Committee who served from 2010 -2015, was present in the House to listen carefully.
Mr Brine had recently visited HMP Winchester as part of a celebration event for the 10th anniversary of ‘Invisible Walls’. The MP paid tribute to this in the House saying; “HMP Winchester recently marking ten successful years of Spurgeons, helping prisoners keep contact with their families, the Minister knows how important that is to break the cycle.”
Winchester’s Member of Parliament went on to acknowledge the importance of family support for prisoners and direct contact with loved ones on the ‘secure estate’. Steve raised an issue with this saying; “The only problem I have to tell the Minister is that they haven't had any family days in the facility now for a very long time because of, you guessed it, the pandemic.
So, would the Minister agree that 'learn to live with covid' must also extend to the secure estate?”
The MP closed his remarks by asking the Minister how the Government was going to increase vaccine uptake in prisons.
Victoria Atkins thanked Steve for his remarks, agreeing with his sentiment on family support and learning to live with covid.
In regards to vaccinations Ms Atkins went on to say; “We are working with the NHS local services to rollout the vaccine in custody. We clearly would encourage everyone to be vaccinated, not just inside prison, but outside as well and that will be key in our consideration of the removal of the national framework, but of course we must be led by the evidence and data on this.”
More information
