LEYHILL Prison has received praise for its organisation in a recent review by independent monitors.

In the annual report by the Independent Monitoring Board for Leyhill Prison, it was described as “well-organised” and providing a “safe, decent environment to prepare the men it holds for release back into the community.”

The report looked into the performance of the prison from February last year and January this year.

Praise was given to improvements in learning and skills programmes linked to sentence plans, with greater emphasis on vocational courses leading to prisoners obtaining nationally recognised qualifications.

However, the minimal presence of the creative arts continues to be a missed opportunity.

The board noted that much effort was being expended in seeking to provide meaningful employment, both in the prison and in the community, for prisoners of working age, medically fit and not in education, with the number able to work having increased.

The report suggested that pastoral care was generally good, as was healthcare, which in general was equally as good as in the community.

Given the pressures of a continually changing population, with 70 per cent of the population over 50, with 60 per cent being sex offenders and roughly 75 per cent being lifers or with indeterminate sentences for public protection, the report said the prison was “well-served in the maintenance of community safety.

This was down to “the inclusive approach of the proactive security department and the creative energy and commitment of those working within the equality and diversity area.”

Whilst generally well maintained, the maintenance of several key areas such as the kitchens and some of the washing and toilet facilities, continues to present a significant challenge.

Many of the shortcomings however, were outside of the control of Leyhill authorities, with the report suggested the prison looks towards the government to address such matters.

The board summed up these avenues for improvement by suggesting they could enable Leyhill “to move from being a very good prison into an excellent one.”