Brunstrom backs new prison in North Wales

Oct 16 2008 by Judith Phillips, North Wales Weekly News

THE lack of a prison in North Wales is a breach of basic human rights and makes it more difficult to reintegrate offenders into local communities when they have served their sentence.

That is the view of chief constable Richard Brunstrom who says offenders from the force area are currently scattered around 25 prisons throughout the UK.

He is backing the campaign being mounted by the North Wales Criminal Justice Board to secure a multi-purpose prison.

“First and foremost a prison is needed for the reintegration of offenders back into society,” he said.

“Evidence shows very clearly that if you disconnect offenders from their home environment, their culture and family, it’s much more difficult to reintegrate them back into society.

“We’re shooting ourselves in the foot. We’re taking our offenders and alienating them even further than they already are. That’s not sensible.

“Secondly, we are not complying with the European Convention on Human Rights. The way in which we are handling some of the most vulnerable people in our society because we haven’t got custodial facilities is disgraceful.

“We have had Welsh-speaking youngsters in custody as far afield as Newcastle and Dover. Although they are offenders often they are fragile young people and this is inhumane.

“If you’re trying to visit your son and daughter in custody in Newcastle and you live in somewhere like Blaenau Ffestiniog you’re talking about a two or three-day trip if you haven’t got a car.”

Llanfairfechan’s Bryn-y-Neuadd Hospital site was mooted as suitable for a prison, but the favoured options are now Wrexham and Caernarfon.Š

“Most adult males going into custody in North Wales go to Altcourse Prison which is very good prison,” said Mr Brunstrom.

“Having said that, Altcourse is in Liverpool and if you are a social worker from Barmouth you have a full day’s trip to visit somebody.

“In addition to the impact on families, the whole criminal justice process to support the prison is taken two or three hours’ drive away. It is not good for justice.

“We need and deserve a prison in North Wales. There is no doubt the criminal justice process would run better if we had a prison in North Wales.”

judith.phillips