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Issue 67 Autumn 2012
Michael Selby
Keith Gibson – A Tribute – 

by Michael Selby 

Keith Gibson was born on 25th September 1927. He died on 23rd July 2012. 

I first met Keith when I was on a month’s course at the Staff College in February 1957, sent from Huntercombe Borstal to learn how to be an assistant Governor. I joined in June 1956 and was without relevant experience and knowledge, so was sent for a day to Hull prison - which at that time was a closed borstal for those who, throughout the system, were not only thoroughly badly behaved but deemed “untrainable”. Clearly this was a disastrous idea because it was deemed by its inhabitants to be a badge of honour to have reached this shabby and bomb damaged destination. 

Keith was an Assistant Governor Class 11 and he seemed then, as ever, to manage the reading out home leave conditions to two excited “trainees” in a calm reassuring manner. He was friendly and helpful but did not encourage me to ask for a posting to replace him. 

He had been a career soldier, commissioned in the Royal Artillery in 1944, serving in Berlin just after Germany surrendered. He left the army in 1948 and took up a post in Custom & Excise but for less than 12 months. I never asked him about his motivation for joining the Prison Service but it could well have been the same as many others at that time - for a quarter in the limited housing available in post war England. So, newly married, he was posted to Camp Hill and soon followed the birth of his daughter and transfer to Rochester Borstal. 

I sensed he was uncomfortable at Rochester borstal. At that time the governor was markedly eccentric - and his Assistant Governor colleagues older and more experienced - many had fought in the war – one a major in the Gurkhas - extroverted and highly competitive. He moved to Hull - not a popular posting - in 1955 and his daughter, Susan, told me of a family tale of Keith’s involvement in the arrest of John Prescott who was protesting outside the prison. 

He was soon promoted to A.G.1 and posted to Leeds prison where life was more agreeable –his stories were fascinating. One described where the Chief Officer, required to attend a hanging, was found scoffing the delicious last breakfast which the about to be executed prisoner had not had the appetite to consume. Keith’s anecdotes were always taut, slightly sardonic, lightly told - with a fine regard to significant detail. 

But now, when promoted Governor 111, in 1962, he was posted to Wakefield prison as deputy Governor where Allan Bainton was in charge. This was the lead prison in the penal field and Bainton the coming man, soon to be promoted to Prison HQ. Keith was strongly influenced by “Uncle Al” and gained greatly in confidence. 

In 1965 Keith was transferred to Bedford prison–a small local prison. Keith enjoyed this first time in charge and clearly did well, as his next job was to be promoted to be governor of Coldingley Industrial Prison This was a plum appointment. Here was a security prison designed to provide a full day’s work in factory conditions, attracting meaningful commercial contracts. He, with his team, designed this regime and the staffing structure to answer this requirement. He made a considerable success of this and the Home Office was delighted. It was here that we met again as I was the staff training development Officer (G111) required to supervise the installation of electronic unlocking. This was a brave attempt utilising electronic surveillance at decency, to enable prisoners to use the lavatories during the night time lock up, so dispensing with pots and lavatories in cells. It was ingenious and the particular design of the wing made it possible. My task required the cooperation of the management and flexibility in responding and Keith enabled both to succeed with quiet efficiency. I also reported back to him a remark by a prisoner to me “They’re security mad here, they count us into breakfast and they count us out of breakfast - who do they think we are - cannibals?” Keith produced a small smile and a raised eyebrow - “possibly”. 

The Home Office next promoted Keith to be in charge of staff training at HQ in 1971, to succeed the flamboyant Colonel Jim Hayward, thereby depriving him of the experience of Governing a Class 1 Prison. So for a short time we worked together until I was promoted to be Governor of Chelmsford prison in 1972. 

In 1974, he was further promoted to be Regional Director of the South East Region. This was an arduous task, in many respects impossible. His territory covered all kinds of penal establishments ranging from Suffolk and all East Anglia, the London prisons, the Kent gulag, the Isle of Wight. Absurdly, when Grendon was taken away from being managed by the medical department - that too, was added to the South East responsibility. 

At Chelmsford we found him supportive and calm. In 1977 I came nearer, to be Governor of Brixton. My predecessor, Barry Wiggington, had died suddenly of a heart attack. Keith’s message to me was unambiguous. ”Barry reorganised Brixton from chaos and straightened it up; I want you now to humanise it.” He supported me even when things went skew-whiff. What I did find was that Keith required every proposal to be set down on paper, well prepared and costed. It would be subjected to searching and shrewd questioning. An example was the proposal for greater involvement of prison officers on the remand wing in the detailed and immediate contact with a prisoner’s home. A man might go to court and find himself - much to his shock – not granted bail and the consequential domestic crises needed instant solutions. Keith examined, prodded, queried and supported the plan. As a consequence one probation officer was needed where three had worked before. 

Keith never reproached me for the disastrous escape of 3 Cat A prisoners from Brixton prison security wing in1981 and found, to his discomfort that I was wished onto his organisation as a spare supernumerary Governor 1. This was not a good idea for a punishment period. I heard later that Mrs Thatcher had shouted “Sack him!” while Willie Whitelaw – the Home Secretary - considered demotion to Governor 11 and appointment to Rochester Borstal with an opportunity to appear on a promotion board in 3 years’ time. But the civil servants torpedoed that excellent idea. So Keith had me for that period and treated me with discretion and tact and I am grateful. He not only found work for me but gave me opportunities which I was happy to accept. 

I also observed the way that he ran the overcrowded, seething, politically sensitive South East region and the strain this caused him - particularly Prison Board meetings for which I helped him prepare. For under that calm exterior was a passionate caring man.One more sensitive recollection. In August 1979, a Disturbance at Wormwood Scrubs was followed by an inquiry conducted by a competent prison official under Keith’s supervision. The conclusions of this “Gibson Report” were crisp, forthright and honest but, as far as the Home Office was concerned, provided the wrong answers. He was told so. It was early Friday afternoon, the Deputy Regional Director came in to my office –would I go and see Keith, she was unable to help. We spent over 2 hours together, he was furiously angry at his treatment and the dishonesty of the political/civil service process. By 5, he felt able to travel home; we never referred to that time again and I never told anybody what we discussed. The Inquiry Report was finally published on 23rd February 1982 together with a substantial Home Office Statement. 

He was an honest man and when the offer of early retirement came – he had completed 13 years in an extraordinarily stressful post - I think it was this event that made him happy to accept. 

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To Michael’s recollections, let me add something about his trade union work. When at Bedford, he was Secretary of the former Prison and Borstal Governors Branch and I recall his contribution as I joined the committee as a very junior assistant Governor. He was exactly as Michael describes – passionate and caring about issues, but with a very calm exterior. 

When we set up the PGA there was an urgent need to develop a magazine to serve our new organisation. Keith Gibson was approached to be Editor as the committee were extremely busy trying to deal with the many issues confronting us. Keith produced the first PGA Magazine in May 1989 and developed the Magazine as Editor over the next 10 years and some 50 Editions. The Magazine played a valuable part in helping the PGA mature and survive the strains and pressures we all had to face. We owe Keith a considerable debt of gratitude for the ten or so years he gave to the PGA in retirement. 

Brendan O’Friel