Date: 4th June 2003
Released by: ANDREW TURNER

The Home Office and the Prison Service share responsibility for the poor performance of Parkhurst Prison, according to Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner.

Responding to a report by HM Prisons Inspectorate, Mr Turner said,
“I know that the Governors and staff of Parkhurst work extremely hard at jobs which many people wouldn’t even consider taking on. Many of the problems at Parkhurst have their origins in national, not local, policy and management. Like so many public services nowadays prisons suffer from micromanagement from London, instead of discretion at local level.

“Parkhurst suffers from overcrowding and undermanning, and the Prisons Minister responds that people are in prison who should not be. Of the 520 prisoners at Parkhurst over 150 are guilty of murder or other crimes of violence. I’d like to invite the Prisons Minister to walk round Parkhurst with me and point out the prisoners who instead of being in prison should be placed in the community – perhaps living next door to him.

“Too many targets are set nationally – for example, on getting prisoners off drugs. Too many prisoners arrive from other prisons without documentation. Too many prisoners don’t speak English, yet Parkhurst is expected to deal with all-comers regardless of the availability of translators. There are over 100 foreign nationals, costing the British taxpayer a total of £2.5 million a year. Should they not be deported?

“And the prison system nationally is breaking down – prisoners have inadequate sentencing plans, they are posted from prison to prison disrupting their rehabilitation, and many arrive at Parkhurst late at night without documentation.

“There are clearly many improvements needed at Parkhurst. But they cannot possibly be achieved without realistic support and resources from the Prison Service nationally.”