Cons can vote for resident
Lags choose what they’re called
A PRISON for sex offenders has given its inmates a vote on what the guards should call them.
The poll – the first of its kind in Britain – will allow a choice between prisoners, inmates or residents. But it’s been blasted as “political correctness gone mad”.
It’s the idea of Olivia Phelps, who took over as governor at Category C Littlehey in January.
A source said: “It’s unusual and the scriptwriters at Porridge might have thought twice about this one, but it’s a serious attempt to address an issue which has been around for some time.”
There is no official policy on what to call convicts with the decision left up to the governors of Britain’s 135 jails.
Now the 1,220 men at Littlehey near
Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire will be asked to choose one of the options.
Their governor told prison magazine Inside Time: “Following this consultation, we will then make a decision which term we will use based on the feedback as it is right that we listen to and respect people’s views.”
Justice Secretary Robert Buckland is believed to dislike the use of “residents”.
Steve Gillan, general secretary of the Prison Officers Association, has said: “Robert Buckland told me recently he didn’t like the language calling prisoners residents or service users. It isn’t the biggest issue in the world with all the problems we face but another example of PC gone mad.”
Yesterday a Prison Service spokesman confirmed there was no national policy on what to call jail inhabitants.