Serco : Independent Monitoring Board says HMP Ashfield is ‘a well-run prison’

Date: 21 Oct 2016

HMP Ashfield, managed and operated by Serco on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, is described today by the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) as 'a well-run prison which houses prisoners safely and securely but also with dignity, humanity and respect'.

The IMB, which has today published its Annual Report for July 2015 to July 2016, goes on to say that 'this is a prison with a calm and positive atmosphere in which prisoners generally report feeling safe' and where incidents of physical violence are rare. The Board says it 'is impressed by the overall standards of dedication and professionalism shown by both Serco and the contracted staff at all levels. It is a caring and compassionate environment in which staff are non-judgemental and treat prisoners as human beings'.

Commenting on the Report, Vicky Pails, who was recently appointed as the new Contract Director at HMP Ashfield, said: 'This prison has seen a huge amount of change since it altered its role three years ago and this excellent report is a reflection of the hard work and professionalism of our team at Ashfield, who are fantastic. There are of course areas where we can improve and we are studying this report to see what lessons can be learnt.'

HMP Ashfield is a category C adult male establishment at Pucklechurch near Bristol in Gloucestershire that holds up to 400 convicted prisoners serving sentences for sexual offences.

The IMB Report can be found at http://www.imb.org.uk/imb-gives-hmp-ashfield-seal-approval

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For more information, please contact:
Charles Carr, Head of Media Relations
Tel: +44 (0)7718 194 381 and Email: Charles.carr@serco.com