Guernsey Prison suffered only ‘slight adjustments’ during covid year

Wednesday 30 June 2021

Les Nicolles Prison recorded several positive trends during 2020, despite the challenges it faced during the covid pandemic, including a decrease in ‘use of force’ incidents and a fall in the prison population.

The Guernsey Prison Annual Report has been published for 2020, highlighting the difficulties faced due to covid, and the lengths taken to manage the virus.

“Despite the obvious risks that Covid-19 represented to the closed community conditions of a custodial environment, we delivered our services with only slight adjustments to the day-to-day business,” said Guernsey Prison’s Governor, John De Carteret.

“The prison provided a purposeful regime throughout the acute period of the pandemic, and this was assisted in no small part by the positive attitude adopted by the prisoners and their families,” he said.

Pictured: Guernsey’s prison roll is trending down, averaging 86 last year.

There were 37 ‘use of force’ reports were made in 2020. A UOF has to be recorded whenever a prison officer lays there hands on an inmate, no matter what level of force is used.

This was a major decrease from 2019, when the prison recorded 66 UOF incidents.

Work in Les Nicolles has been championed by the President of the Committee for Home Affairs.

“The Committee have continued to enjoy a positive working relationship with the Prison Service, which we hope has contributed to the successful delivery of its core objectives,” said Deputy Rob Prow.

Pictured: “The staff at the prison have done an excellent job in working through the difficulties the pandemic has presented,” said Deputy Prow.

“We look forward to carrying on our support as we develop the future justice policy to meet the needs of our community,” Deputy Prow concluded.

You can read the full report ONLINE.