Having spent the last three years in the Close Supervision Centre (CSC) I have witnessed around 20 prisoners being selected for placement within what are the most oppressive conditions in UK prisons. I have also witnessed how few prisoners are progressing off of the CSC, around 10 with only one receiving real progress in being sent to a category B therapeutic prison, HMP Grendon, and that was only after a Judicial Review. Of the others who have left the CSC, one moved to HMP Whitemoors Dangerous Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) unit, and all the others suffered extreme mental illness from the conditions resulting in transfers to maximum security psychiatric hospitals Broadmoor, Rampton and Ashworth.
As CSC prisoners, we earn the governors around £300,000 a year each for their budgets, but hardly any money is spent on us. As the money is allocated into the same pot as all other prisoners within the establishment, rather than be spent in facilities to ensure as fast a return to mainstream prison population as possible for CSC prisoners, the governors use it to top up on other things. We have therefore been allowed to be used as a commodity by a public sector who are making profit off of us.
Stated aims of the CSC include; “To encourage prisoners to address disruptive and anti-social behaviour. To stabilise factors relevant to risk, evidence a reduction in risk, and prepare for a return to ordinary location where the provision of Close Supervision is no longer required”. How can any of these aims be met when funding is only being allocated to offer a maximum of one hour of a one to one session with a psychologist every two weeks, and we as CSC prisoners who are allegedly the “most significantly disruptive, challenging and dangerous prisoners”, are not permitted access to any offending behaviour courses?
The CSC is being operated as a warehouse to allow governors to balance budget regardless of the consequences.
How can this be rehabilitation when statistics show CSC prisoners have a higher chance of mutilating their own bodies by severing body parts off, such as ears, than progressing back to mainstream prison?
I would be very interested to read a response from someone at NOMS as this has gone on for far too many years to not be prescribed by policy, are the attempting to send us CSC prisoners all insane?
