Charity slams jail’s ‘very poor’ library access
BUCKLEY Hall prison has been criticised for providing “very poor” access to the library for its prisoners, by a leading penal reform charity.
The Howard League for Penal Reform said HMP Buckley Hall, like many others in the UK, left inmates unable to receive books and visit their library.
It comes just a few weeks after the same charity accused the Rochdale prison of overcrowding, which it said can lead to an increase in violence.
Following an inspection in 2016, the Howard League said: “Access to the library in Buckley Hall prison was very poor and most prisoners could not get there at all.
Data collected indicated that only 10 to 15 prisoners used it each day.”
As of the end of June 2019, the charity said there were 449 prisoners at the facility. If the same level of library use was maintained, only 2-3 per cent of prisoners would be using the library on a daily basis.
The Howard League ran a successful campaign after the government introduced a ban on sending books into prisons in 2014.
The campaign drew international support but five years later they reported many of the same problems remain with inspectors encountering underused libraries and frustrated prisoners around the country.
Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Books can be a lifeline for prisoners, who often have to spend months or even years locked almost all day in a small cell. The alternative is daytime TV.
“We should be moving heaven and earth to get people in prison to read. Prisons must give this priority.”
Prisoners, their families and education charities have contacted the Howard League to report that books have been either returned to sender or held up by red tape. One prisoner said that even prayer books and Bibles had been held in storage.
The Ministry of Justice said they recently launched new education contracts which provide prison library services.
Prisons could opt to continue with existing local authority provided library services or opt into new provision through the Prison Education Framework (PEF).
A Prison Service spokesman added: “Education is key to aiding prisoner rehabilitation and a vital part of this is giving prisoners access to books and learning materials.
“In April, we reviewed education contracts across the entire estate, giving each prison more flexibility in how libraries are run and accessed.”
In August 2019, the Observer reported on figures shared by the Howard League which revealed 79 prisoners were being kept in cells holding too many people at Buckley Hall on a typical day. At the time, the Ministry of Justice said all of their prisons are within their operational capacity.