Feltham

Response
I appreciate the Board’s concerns about the environment at the site. During the 2020-21 reporting period there has been extensive investment in the refurbishment of residential units on both Feltham A and B, with up to half of the units being completed or in progress. This included refurbishments to rooms, all room windows and showers. Feltham A is also having in-room showers installed and this programme is currently 30% complete. The installation of the new windows has vastly improved ventilation in the units and will help prevent any further issues of mould. An interim roof repair programme also took place during 2020-21 which dealt with the rainwater ingress across both the accommodation and workshop spaces. The site-wide scheduled Roofing and Fire Safety Upgrade Project, separate to the aforementioned roof repair programme, was due to start in 2021 but due to a change in scope and cost is now scheduled for commencement later this Spring. I can confirm that no funding will be lost due to the delay in the works.

Response
Whilst in custody, it is important to ensure that young adults are encouraged to engage in activities that prepare them for release back into the community. Feltham B is committed to developing and expanding training, education and employment opportunities for all young men accommodated there. This will enhance opportunities on release and contribute to reducing reoffending. Although education delivery has been restricted due to the pandemic, this is not related to funding. Additionally, HMYOI Feltham has plans to increase employment and resettlement opportunities through additional workshop places such as a Life Skills course for those approaching release, industry places through an ‘Up-cycling’ partnership with London Waste, National Prison Radio, a training kitchen pathway, and construction skills workshops.

Response
Following release, the important issue of adult prison leaver education, training and employment continues. As you may be aware, we published the Prisons Strategy White Paper on 7 December 2021 setting out our plans to spend £200 million a year by 2024-25 to improve prison leavers’ access to accommodation, employment support and substance misuse treatment among other things. The Ministry of Justice will be running a consultation process which I hope enables you and your members to respond formally. The plans set out in our strategy include expanding the temporary accommodation service. Prison leavers over the age of 18 and subject to probation supervision will be eligible for the temporary accommodation if they are at risk of homelessness on release. We are also consulting on the development of a resettlement passport for adult prisoners/prison leavers, which will bring together key information and practical services that an individual requires for successful resettlement into society. Developing the resettlement passport offers an opportunity to address these challenges and to bring together current and planned resettlement activity with our proposals for accommodation, employment and health. The resettlement needs of children under 18 years of age are slightly different. The YCS is planning a Reducing Reoffending programme of work in order to deliver better outcomes for children as they leave custody. Alongside accommodation, education and training, there will be a need for children to have the right support to promote their physical, emotional and mental well-being. A new YCS Resettlement Practitioner Guidance and Resource document clarifies roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders involved in planning and preparing children for a smooth and safe transition back into the community.

Response
I can confirm that no funding will be lost due to the delay in the works. During 2020-21, 90% of the building projects were delivered with the remaining projects again funded and incorporated into the project pipeline for 2021/22. As mentioned in the Minister’s letter, no funding will be lost due to the delay in the works.

Response
On 26 June 2021 the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) unified to become the Probation Service. As part of this unification responsibility for the delivery of immediate resettlement needs and pre-release services previously carried out in prisons by the CRCs moved to the Regional Probation Directors (RPDs) and to Commissioned Rehabilitative Service (CRS) providers (commissioned by RPDs). The Resettlement Lead within London Probation region is responsible for overseeing Resettlement provision, including those services being delivered in HMYOI Feltham, where they will be working with the Head of Reducing Reoffending. Pre-release, CRS providers will deliver resettlement interventions to people in HMYOI Feltham to support obtaining accommodation and the transition from prison to community including a mentoring service continuing post release. These support sentence management activities completed by the Probation Practitioner and will be available to all sentenced individuals released from the prison. CRS providers are based in the community where people in prison are due to be released to, providing local knowledge and partnership opportunities. Other CRS providers include Education, Training and Employment and Personal Wellbeing including Family and Significant others and Lifestyles and Associates. As part of significant long-term investment in the Probation Service, additional resources are being provided to enable Probation Practitioners to deliver pre-release activities to all people leaving prison. Community Probation Practitioners will have dedicated time for three pre-release contacts in order to build relationships and start preparation for release. These will start once there are sufficient Probation Practitioners in post.