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Graham Smith
Jan Thompson
Graham Mumby-Croft


Reminiscences of (mostly) good times in Prisons

As a member of the RPGA, I have cause to remember what were mostly good times with Prisons, in and out over the past 30 plus years. I finally retired after the onset of bowel cancer and major surgery some four years back. I hope you will put up with my recollections of mostly good times over these years.

Following a decade through the seventies (and my twenties) working in the Music Business, I re-trained as a ‘Home Office Sponsored Student’ in the Probation Service, commencing work in SW London Probation, followed by Middlesex and Inner London PS. It was there I experienced my first Prisons placement at HMP Wandsworth, as a seconded Probation Officer. Having led some pretty wild teenage years in and out of trouble, and between a series of trips out to India and Afghanistan, I needed approval from the then Governor, who agreed my earlier adventures were in the past and could be ‘laid to rest’. I subsequently went on to spend four years (85-89) on the renowned G, H, and K VPU, holding the largest sex-offender population (450) in Western Europe. With a couple of prison colleagues and a supportive SPO, we devised the initial sex-offender treatment programmes – working alongside other specialists at Albany and Maidstone (I recall Ray Wyre and Dave Coupland). Groundbreaking stuff, long before the Home Office heard about Canada leading the world in Programmes! We ran Groups for offenders against boys, against girls, incestuous fathers and Rape Programmes…learning as much from the Men, as they learned from us.

My next Prisons secondment (1995-99) was as Senior Probation Officer at HMP Thorpe Arch/Rudgate (joining the day of amalgamation to HMP Wealstun) and later incorporating Wetherby YOI. Again I was interviewed by departing Governor Granville Barnard about my youthful transgressions, and again my sins were forgiven…(a little like my last Confession at age 12…bless me father, for I have sinned etc…)

I had a wonderful Governor for my Wealstun years, the fabulous Stacey Tasker (I had known Ron at Wandsworth, and later followed Stacey to HMP Leeds in my first Governor post…more later). I think I probably had a ‘crush’ on her, but you wouldn’t mess with Ron! I had a large and difficult Probation Team at Wealstun, who I think regarded me as having ‘crossed sides’ to the Prison Service…and I suspect I probably had found my new niche. I worked to David Pike, and I think even David will agree I halved his workload…he subsequently rewarded me with a successful Nomination for a Butler Trust gong…and I took him to Finland through a massive Euro Social Fund Grant funding
our work-out scheme… After a year’s secondment to Area Manager Peter Earnshaw and Jim Lewis (AMs were still London based in the late 90s) I finally ‘jumped ship’, applying for Direct Entry as an Operational Prisons Manager.

Eight weeks study at Newbold, and eight weeks in Uniform at HMP Everthorpe, and I achieved my dream, landing near home at HMP Leeds (2000-2005)…with the wonderful Stacey!  Five years avoiding anything to do with Probation or Resettlement…Security Governor and a period acting up as Head of Res…and stories to tell that could keep me in After Dinner speaking for years to come. Security Governors in Local Prisons do see another side of life! Great boss in Phil Buck, a man of massive integrity, from whom I learned so much… A wonderful team, spawning key managers Amy Rice, Paul Whitfield, the list goes on…we were a bright and perky crew and a great team. If I introduced anything at Leeds, it was probably through manager/staff supervision systems, and a huge push on Decency and Diversity.

New challenges working with Women at HMP/YOI New Hall (2005-2008), with my now good friend Sarah Snell. Huge self-harm issues, the like of which I’d never experienced in the Male sector… but also a new experience of prisoners prepared to talk to me, as a Governor…I loved sitting down in Association with my ‘gals’, learning about their lives, hearing their stories, and talking to me in a way the men didn’t know how…or were too frightened to be seen talking to a ‘suit’.

At the time I led on Equality Impact Assessments and became called upon as the only Manager in the Area who could achieve ‘green’ scores. (Probation always knew how to do these things).

My last seven years in the Prison Service were based at Yorkshire and Humberside Area Office/NOMS, leading on MAPPA and Public Protection for the Northern Region. My new NOMS boss was my old boss from Probation, the wonderful Howard Mills, and these days, another dear friend…to whom I owe so much. He gave me a long rein, and I loved my job up to the time of my Health crisis when Partial and Full Retirement became attractive.

I have loved my time with the Prison Service, nearly every day of it; no two days were the same. I always hated routine…and this was the job for me. If this brief summary meets your approval, I may introduce some interesting characters from the journey in Part 2…staff of course.

Peter Mate