Prison criticised over ‘survival packs’

♦ A prison has been criticised for giving departing inmates “survival kits”, including tents and sleeping bags.

Prisoners released from HMP Norwich with no home to go are handed the packs, which also include warm clothing, when they come to the end of their sentence.

Inspectors from the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) have criticised the jail, saying it was “totally unacceptable in the 21st century” for prisoners to be released with no accommodation. The report also criticised the prison for serving green chicken and mouldy bread to inmates at the 770-capacity jail.

Inspectors stated: “Throughout the reporting year, prisoners were released into the community with no recorded fixed abode or only temporary accommodation. The prison can provide a survival pack including a tent and clothing upon application, but the fact that prisoners are being released without any accommodation or shelter is totally unacceptable in the 21st century.”