Article by Keith Standing, Family Services Coordinator at HMYOI Lancaster Farms
Feedback recently received from HMYOI Lancaster Farms Prison confirms the excellent progress POPS are making in improving the experience for family and friends visiting Lancaster Farms.
‘Visitor feedback forms…are full of praise for the visits process, specifically the way visitors are treated by staff in the Visitor Centre’
The age demographics of the prisoners within HMYOI Lancaster Farms (18 to 21 ½) present POPS staff with a particular recurring challenge. Roughly 100 visitors pass through the Visitor Centre per visiting afternoon. Records show that approximately 35 to 40 are first time visitors to Lancaster Farms and about half of these are visiting a prison establishment for the first time. Of the remaining visitors many arrive having very negative opinions of other establishments.
Members of the POPS team make it a specific priority to identify first time visitors and to talk them through the entire visiting process putting them at ease with common concerns such as body searches (a very common worry, especially with regard to children).
‘All you need to know is explained well by a very friendly team’
Understandably, some visitors are still very apprehensive about the whole process with visions of Victorian prisons and austere conditions. POPS staff make a point of describing the modern facilities available at HMYOI Lancaster Farms prior to a visit and ensure visitors have someone to speak to after their visit to check how they are feeling.
The work of the POPS team, including paid staff and a dedicated group of volunteers, has produced some very positive and pleasing comments from both visitors and the prison establishment.
‘The POPS’ staff have been absolutely fantastic and friendly, putting me and my Mum at ease at what has been a very difficult time’
The response from HMYOI Lancaster Farms to this overwhelmingly positive feedback recognises the importance of committed partnership working ‘This is clearly a combination of individual professionalism and an excellent working relationship between POPS’ and prison staff.’
‘Can’t think of anything you could do to improve. It doesn’t feel anything like ‘prison’ when you come into the visitor centre’.
