A Short History of Prison Visiting
Histories of Different Prisons
General Sir David Ramsbotham (now Lord Ramsbotham of Kensington), HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 1995-2001, in his book "PRISONGATE" published by The Free Press 2003.
" Prison visiting is to do with friendship. It creates an informal friendly relationship which is concerned primarily with neither prisoners nor problems but with persons. Not only do Prison Visitors want to extend to those imprisoned something of the emotional and intellectual enrichment experienced through friends. They particularly try to encourage the development of a constructive use of a prison sentence whereby (inmates) gain both a sense of belonging to the community and the realisation that they themselves have the ability to contribute to society's wellbeing. The contact between the 'outside' and the 'inside' enables both to understand each other better."
(A Study of Prison Visiting. S.R. Lochhead, 1993)
PRISON VISITING - A PRACTICAL AND INFORMAL VIEW OF OUR WORK.
Official Prison Visitors (OPVs) don't have a definite agenda; we not work "to a purpose". We don't write anything down, we don't have "boxes to tick" and we don't have to reach targets. We are ordinary members of the public who offer friendship and commitment to the prisoner whilst he/she is in prison. We conceal our identities for obvious reasons, and go on first names only. We have no official powers within the prison - in fact we are very limited in what we are allowed to do. For instance, we can't make 'phone calls for the prisoners, contact their families, or buy them a new pair of trainers, or write official letters for them to Solicitors, Social Services, etc. We cannot take anything into prison and we cannot bring anything out: this could result not only in dismissal but, in extreme circumstances, prosecution. Official Prison Visitors are the only members of the public (apart from the Samaritans) who are allowed to visit prisoners on the wings of some prisons; it is important to sress that Wing Visiting is at the discretion of the Govrenor and, of course, it also depends on the type of the prison. There are, understandably, restrictions in High Security Prisons and in prisons which are not purpose built, e.g. former military camps, where it would be difficult from a Security and practical point of view. When OPVs are not allowed access to the prison itself, they will visit their prisoners in the Visits Hall, along with outside visitors, that is, the prisoners' families and friends. However, OPVs do not need a Visiting Order for their visits (as family and friends do) and their anonymity is, of course, upheld; provision for this is usually made by the prison security staff, but OPVs do need to adhere to the prison visiting times. There are some advantages to visiting prisoners on the Wings - we can visit more prisoners per visit and we can share any concerns we may have after a visit with Wing officers, though it expected that we tell the prisoner that we intend to do this, otherwise it may come across as a betrayal of trust; on the lighter side, somtimes, friendly and social repartee with the officers and prisoners on the Wings is a pleasant diversion, which is good for everyone concerned. Those who visit in the Visits Hall, however, often have the advantage of visiting prisoners for a longer period of time; they can also share a coffee in an atmosphere of general hospitality and the visit is assured, except in very rare circumstances. OPVs who visit on the Wings must be prepared to adapt to any situations, including incidents, emergencies or staff shortages, which may prohibit them from visiting their prisoners. The OPV will often not be aware of this until he/she actually arrives at the prison and we have to accept that we do not make the prison rules nor can we alter the day to day circumstances. Patience is an important attribute for an OPV! Wherever OPVs visit, however, they must realise that it is a serious responsibility and they must abide by the rules of the prison and the guidelines for OPVs from the Ministry of Justice.
OPVs are appointed by the Governor of the prison, approved and supported by the Ministry of Justice. As well as being responsible for our appointment, the Governor can also request our resignation - so we have to take it seriously. It only takes one OPV to break the rules and this reflects on all of us. We are trusted as individuals and we have to earn that trust. It must be clearly understood that this trust encompasses all our dealings with the prisoners we visit; OPVs must not use any information they glean in the course of their visits to support any of their studies, course work, etc. nor must they publish or broadcast material about individual prisoners, the prison or the Prison Service. This is a rule - not a guideline - and is clearly stated in the HM Prison Service Handbook which all successful applicants receive on appointment. It is also against the ethos of our work and would be seen as a betrayal of trust.
OPVs are volunteers and our role is non-professional, insofar as we do not visit in a professional capacity. We are not the Police, Solicitors, Lawyers, Psychiatrists, Doctors, etc. and if any OPV has professional knowledge in any of these areas, they must be wary as to how they use it, as it would not be acceptable to allow their own opinions to influence the prisoner, should the OPV disagree with the advice or treatment the prisoner has been given from any of the attendant services within HM Prison Service. OPVs have total commitment to the prisoners they visit and this gives our organisation abiding strength. OPVs must also be impartial. They may empathise, or try to lighten up a situation, but not take sides. Prisoners are much inclined to off-load and to grumble, often about prison staff and the conditions in which they are held. Prison staff are there to do their job; the nature of a Prison Officer's work is necessarily authoratitive; they are there to do a job and to make sure that prisoners tow the line within the restricted behavioural structure of the prison, but they are also responsible for the safety of the prisoners and those who are within the prison building at any time. The security of the prison is of paramount importance.
Almost anything a prisoner says to an OPV is confidential - except if he/she makes a statement of intent to self-harm or harm another prisoner or member of staff, etc. We are there, primarily, as listeners, although some prisoners encourage us to talk. Although we cannot reveal anything which would jeopardise our anonymity, prisoners do like to hear about our families and our daily lives. They like to share our troubles, too. It's this kind of sharing in normality which means such a lot to them, and they often take on board our personal ups and downs, enquiring about problems and worries we may have mentioned - both the serious and the trivial. This sharing of experiences builds up trust and trust is the foundation of our work in the prisons. Through our conversations with prisoners, we learn very much about the chain of events which has led them into prison. Life is never the same after prison and we cannot promise them that all will go well when the door slams behind them and they face the outside world again. We can only be there for them on the 'inside', proving that each prisoner is not forgotten and that someone, somewhere, has time enough to share their time with them and to care about what's going on in their lives. This alone can increase a prisoner's self-esteem and self-worth.
The company a prisoner keeps is restrictive. His/her cell-mates are prisoners; the staff have their duties to perform; family and friends visit 'by appointment', and some of those visits are far from pleasant and successful. An OPV comes for no financial gain; we are not a threat; we have not come to probe, question or censure; we can be trusted with a confidence. A prisoner comes to us with a 'clean slate' and this helps to put both sides at ease. We are advised not to ask a prisoner about his/her crime - if they want to tell us, they will, in their own time, when confidence and trust have been established. We aim to bring a little of the 'outside' into the restrictive regime of the prison, and the fact that we make a commitment to do this means a great deal to most prisoners.
OPVs come from all walks of life. Before we are accepted, we are subject to CRB and other security checks; there is a formal interview, with references required and if successful, we must attend and update various prison courses. Finally we are given prison ID. All this can take several months. When an OPV begins to visit prisoners on his/her own, the relationship between them is an individual thing. It's inevitable that we bond with some prisoners more than others, just as we do with those we meet in everyday life. It is important, therefore, that we do not become too involved with a particular prisoner. Many are not used to commitment and will pick up on our emotions and maybe expect more from us that we are allowed to give. This can lead to disappointment, mistrust and a sense of failure on both sides.
Prison visiting must be a regular commitment. Weekly visits are the norm, though, in some circumstances, fortnightly visits may be preferred. We visit our prisoners until he/she is release or transferred to another prison. Some prisoners like to write to say 'Thankyou' to their OPVs and likewise, the OPVs sometimes like to send 'Best Wishes after their prisoner has been released or transferred and most prisons will facilitate letters to OPVs through their Chaplaincy but it is not in our remit to become a pen-friend. For us, it's just a means of gently letting go. The NAOPV advise OPVs not to keep in touch with a prisoner after transfer/release, apart from the letters previously mentioned. It would be very easy for an OPV to a mentor to the prisoner and this would bring us deeper into his/her life. This could not only raise security issues whilst we were continuing to visit within a prison in our OPV capacity but could also cause problems for the OPV if things were to go wrong.
OPVs are not part of the Chaplaincy; they are an independent, non-evangelistic organisation. They have no connection with the Independent Monitoring Board (formerly the Board of Visitors) nor are they connected to any other prison voluntary organisation.
The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF OFFICIAL PRISON VISITORS is the voice of prison visiting. If appointed as an OPV, it is not mandatory to join the NAOPV but membership is beneficial and helpful to our cause. The NAOPV is a registered charity which works at government level and staff at Prison Service HQ, supporting and maintaining prison visiting in as many prisons as possible in England & Wales. It is run by active OPVs.
From the GENERAL SECRETARY
Updated March 2010.