Community prison plan for HMP Haverigg
Last updated at 11:53, Tuesday, 21 April 2009
PRISON bosses will meet to discuss the possibility of turning HMP Haverigg into a community prison.
Prison bosses and the Cumbria Criminal Justice Board will make a decision on the future of the prison on May 1.
The meeting follows the “Twin Peaks” feasibility study which looked into the idea.
As a result of the study, an ambitious plan to open the prison to women and young offenders was rejected on the back of financial restraints.
But the justice board has admitted the prison could still be converted to host male, category C prisoners from Cumbria and the North West.
The prison currently houses category C prisoners from all over the country.
A spokesman for the justice board said: “Introducing women and youth prisoners would mean quite a substantial development. In the current economic climate that is not viable.
“What is more viable is looking into a project where it houses prisoners with a release address in Cumbria, who are male and Category C. That is what Twin Peaks has evolved into from its original, open sky concept of a community prison.”
Twin Peaks was started 18 months ago by the prison’s former governor Clive Chatterton. The study is due to be completed in six months.
The concept of a community prison was mooted in an attempt to reduce reoffending in ex-prisoners.
Figures show prisoners kept close to their families are six times less likely to reoffend than those who are not.
Such a prison would be the first of its kind in the country.
A separate sub committee has also been set up to spear head the project.
The Twin Peaks project states: “The Twin Peaks project commenced in October 2007 from ideas generated through the Cumbria Criminal Justice Board and the Governor of HMP Haverigg (the prison’s previous governor Clive Chatterton).
“The vision is to present proposals to develop HMP Haverigg as a community prison.”
Haverigg prisoner governor Martin Farquhar said there are no solid plans for a community prison but he will be attending the meeting at the beginning of next month.
He said: “The prison will continue to house Category C male prisoners. The prison service has no plans for a community prison (which houses women and young offenders) at Haverigg.”
First published at 11:38, Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
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