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Issue No. 89 Press Release 2023
Paul Laxton
PGA CONFERENCE - PRESS RELEASE
9 OCTOBER 2023
PRISON GOVERNORS’ ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2023
PRESIDENT’S OPENING ADDRESS
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Over the years, my conference speech has waxed lyrical about the issues facing the Service. I gave an address to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Penal Affairs (which I shared with the membership) in the Houses of Parliament back in June of this year, cataloguing the disastrous impact Government Policy has had on the prison system since 2010. With the exception of one or two of the MPs in attendance and those in the public seats, it was not warmly received, in fact it was received with a bit of a stunned silence. I would have hoped that this group who allegedly have a keen interest in the penal system, would have shown more interest and emotion. I won’t bore you with the suggestions put forward by them to make it better – they were so embarrassingly low level and nondescript that I gave up the will to live – there was no idea of the reality of our situation. Sadly, I am of the firm belief, that our political masters do not have a hunger and verve to make our beleaguered Service better. The PGA is an apolitical organisation, as am I in the role of President - I listen to the rhetoric of other parties and unfortunately, the tough on crime mantra follows the same pattern. We are on our own to make a difference in what is the most challenging of times regardless of who governs the country.
As President and National Officers of the PGA, we often get bogged down in the more depressing side of the Service; it is rare that members contact us to tell us of all wonderful work which is being achieved in an organisation which is constantly running hot. It is important that I acknowledge there are many prisons out there doing great things, changing lives, and protecting the public against all the odds, and I am in awe of you.
Unfortunately, for far too long, we have been working in a two-tier system, those who have and those who have not. It feels like the system is paralysed to make a difference for prisons who are completely unable to pull themselves out of the mire. Not even urgent notifications from HMIP can deliver sustained improvement. You just need to look at HMP Exeter & Bristol with their double UN’s and inability to make sufficient and sustained progress, which impacts on the wellbeing of their hardworking and dedicated leadership teams.
The last year has been particularly challenging. We have a government intent on locking up more people for longer and making it more difficult for them to be released. It feels like monthly a minister is telling the media that some crime will now face a prison sentence, or another will see an increase in sentence, or more people will receive a whole life tariff. Under David Gawke and Rory Stewart there was a will to change our sentencing policies. They were making the brave decision to change legislation on the use of short-term sentences, but unfortunately, we know what happened to them when there was a change of party leader! The right-wing lurch by Government has resulted in a populist rhetoric on prisons and we are now bust on prison places.
I was utterly astonished to hear the current Secretary of State for Justice at his party conference last week, state that Government is looking at renting prison cells abroad – if this doesn’t demonstrate a system which is completely broken, I don’t know what does. To publicly state we’re unable to look after our convicted citizens in their own country is an admission of abject failure. MoJ states that the facilities, regime, and rehabilitation must meet British standards. This is rather ironic considering a German court in early September refused to extradite a man accused of drug trafficking because of concerns about prison conditions in Britain. The statement is so ridiculous and beyond the pale. It seems to me it was a headline grabbing piece of nonsense which requires legislative changes, so not a short-term fix for our capacity crisis. I hope it will disappear into the annals of history, rather like the Rwanda policy and the empty barge in Portland harbour.
The prison population has risen by approximately 6500 in a year, currently sitting at around 88,000 at a cost of £46,000 per prisoner per year! This is the highest prison population we have ever had; what a record to break. MoJ projections are that the population will be over 100,000 this decade. These are mind boggling numbers to take in, especially as in March 2021, it stood at 78,068. We have a capacity build programme which is unable to keep up with demand, and we have planning permission for these large new behemoth prisons rejected for some sites. At best this means there will be a delay in building, whilst appeals are lodged, at worst, they will never be built and what does that mean for prison places? Once again, the latest Justice Secretary at his party conference, peddled the well-used statement of increasing capacity and building 20,000 extra modern prison places, but failed to mention that none of our 150-year-old (and in some cases younger), outdated, not fit for purpose prisons will continue to be filled to capacity, offering little benefit for those living in them.
We are unable to recruit, develop and retain the staff we need to care for the current prisoner population, how on earth are we going to find the staff to open these new establishments when they get built, many of which are in rural, expensive areas of the country? We are fishing in the same pond as the Police and Border Force, who offer a better and safer working environment with an improved pay and reward package.
These double whammy crises have been the only show in town. We stumble through each week in the hope that accommodation from new prisons, opening of refurbished wings and rapid deployment units will save us for another couple of weeks. We sit with our fingers crossed, hoping we will have seasonal dips in population to survive another spike. We have a buffer zone of approximately 1400 spaces to allow for unexpected accommodation issues which is now used as business as usual; at the time of writing this speech, we have but a few hundred male adult spaces left and this figure includes Cat D places, not easily accessed.
Prisons under the cosh, where once we would have reduced the population to help stabilise them are now being asked to reopen that accommodation to meet the demand. The health and safety of those living and working in these prisons is secondary to the need for spaces. Violence and self-harm are on an upward trajectory, as is the presence of drugs and their associated risks, it seems a forlorn hope to expect this pattern to change in the medium term, because, as we all know, prisons which are underfunded and full every day are not calm, safe or decent places, let alone rehabilitative; it could be argued that the current operational capacity of some prisons is already too high. This is not how to run a vital public service.
Added to our population pressures, we now have the issue of RAAC concrete. Who would have thought we would all become an authority on such a thing. Unfortunately, many buildings, both accommodation and ancillary were built in an era when RAAC was readily used. We know, because we are all experts now, that RAAC needs to be maintained and we know, because we have lived it, that our prisons are not maintained, and we know, because we see it every day, that we have very poor FM contracts that often fail to deliver planned preventative maintenance. The survey work is underway, and I personally live with a very real fear that critical RAAC will be found. If found and we need to decant, we have literally nowhere to put prisoners because all our prisons are full to bursting every day. Although this may be a blessing in disguise by bringing the population crisis to a head.
Recently, Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of Prisons publicly stated that one in ten of our prisons should be closed, particularly old crumbling Victorian Prisons. If only that were a possibility, but it is not and probably will not be for many years. These unmaintained prisons, with decades of disinvestment will remain in use and will only crumble further, due to the demand for every single cell in England and Wales to be in use.
Despite all this drama, HMPPS is expected to deliver £37 million in savings during the spending review period through the One HMPPS change programme. There is absolutely no hope of any of this being re-invested in the frontline, which will have to continue delivering on a wing and a prayer.
In recent weeks, the Prison Service has remained at the top of the hour across all media outlets for reasons I won’t touch on here, but I know every one of our membership is totally supportive of our colleagues caught up in this incredibly difficult situation. The one positive from this, is that during the media frenzy, we were able to get onto the airwaves and highlight the wider issues facing us for these few days. Now the dust has settled we are once again the forgotten Service full of truly Hidden Heroes. We know that those working in prisons deliver a vital role which requires a multitude of skills, carried out with a sense of pride and commitment, but it is tough. Prison staff and our members do not get the recognition they deserve.
I get very irritated when I read social media commentary from individuals who have little concept of governing today. The very words they write or say criticising our Service ooze complete lack of understanding of governing in the modern era with not very modern tools.
As is always the case, life moves on, people move on, and change comes with a new energy and commitment to make things better. Now is the time for change!
This is my valedictory address to Conference. I am retiring from the Service at the end of March and look forward to a new future of adventure in the next phase of my life. I am excited, but also leave with a degree of sadness, missing the friendships I have forged and the madness which is the Service we live, sleep, and breathe every day; 34 years is a long time to be part of something quite unique.
As I reflect on the past decades, I struggle to find a time when we weren’t in a state of reform, flux, change or spend thrift! It seems to me the lunacy that is our Service is the very thing that keeps us motivated, enthused and determined to keep going, no matter how tough the race is; in recent years, we know that the odds have been stacked against us in almost everything we are trying to achieve. What is it about a prison governor that means we never give up? I will leave you to contemplate that question. However, I do genuinely believe we come from a very special mould and only a small number of incredible people fit into it.
The special part of being an elected official is the opportunity to support members at their lowest ebb, or during traumatic events within the workplace. Of all the years of working for the Association, this has given me the most joy, upset, laughter and many other emotions, but it is what we are here for. We are your confidante, your critical friend, your crutch to lean on and anything else you may wish us to be to ease you through your difficult times. It has been an absolute privilege to serve you and a period in my career which brings both a tear and a smile to my face.
As a strong woman and a feminist, I hope I have played some part in the Service acknowledging there is a cultural problem for women. Remember women, you are amazing even when going through the menopause!
Finally, it’s time to say goodbye, but to the vocal doubters and criticisers of my magnificent members, I give you the following quote, (slightly changed to make it gender neutral), from Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States.
“It is not the critic who counts, nor the person who points out how the strong person stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends themself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Thank you and good luck in all you do and most of all enjoy Conference!
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