A PRISON in South Gloucestershire has been given high praise from an independent monitoring group in a recent report, being described as “well run” and “led dynamically”.

The assessment of HMP Ashfield, which has been released today by the Independent Monitoring Board, following a 12-month period of regular visits to the prison by the board’s volunteers to talk to prisoners and staff, inspect facilities, study data and investigate complaints.

In the report it says HMP Ashfield "is a very well run prison, which is led dynamically and uses its greater autonomy afforded by its contracted-out status to develop creative and imaginative solutions to issues.

“It takes its responsibilities very seriously both to the general public and to the prisoners in its care."

With members sometimes making visits twice weekly, they said they were impressed by the overall quality of accommodation, the prison's equality agenda, the range of vocational training and employment opportunities afforded and the successful implementation of a non-smoking regime.

The prison’s delivery of sex offender treatment programmes, prior to the Government’s announcement that they would withdraw them national earlier this year.

The board, however, had some concerns about shower and laundry arrangements, the lack of specialist training for staff in a prison with a high percentage of elderly prisoners and about the operation of the incentives and earned privileges scheme which is used to reward good behaviour and also penalise men for disciplinary infringements.

It was also highlighted that there was often difficulty experienced by prisoners re-categorised as suitable for open conditions in finding places in establishments of an appropriate category in the south of England.

Despite this, the report offered praise to Ashfield, with the board’s chairman Caroline Thompson saying: "Ashfield is to be congratulated. It is very unusual, especially at the moment when so much of the prison estate is in crisis, for a prison to receive such a complimentary report as this.

Board members remain impressed with the professionalism and dedication of all the staff who work at Ashfield.

“Prisoners here are often serving long sentences for very serious offences, but they are treated humanely and with respect and given help to rehabilitate."