£36k therapy igloos... for young offenders
PRISON bosses have spent £36,000 of taxpayers’ money on two therapy igloos to give violent young criminals a ‘special space’ to have sensitive conversations.
The white egg-shaped igloos, known as Seed Pods, have been introduced at Feltham Young Offenders Institute in West London.
They have ambient lighting that changes colour, mood music and touch screens.
The sound-proof pods, which are eight-feet in diameter and 10ft tall, also have a table and can be used for one- on- one discussions or group meetings of up to four people.
They allow inmates, many of whom are locked up for serious violence or sex attacks, to talk to staff privately and quietly.
The igloos, designed by Leeds-based firm Safe Innovations, are entered through a door in one side and can be exited through an emer- gency panel at the back. They will raise eyebrows among critics who believe jails in England and Wales are becoming too cushy.
Tory MP Andrew Rosindell said: ‘Prisons should be for punishment. Law-abiding people don’t have access to this type of facility on the outside.’
Some prison workers say the money would be better spent on extra staff.
‘Budgets are tight but it seems governors are happy to splurge so a handful of violent thugs have a “special space” but not on the basics that make the staff’s job easier,’ one told The Sun.
An unnamed source said: ‘Prisons by their very nature are loud and stressful environments. The pods allow us to have a quiet place where we can have sensitive conversations in quiet surroundings.’
In May, the prisons watchdog found that violence at Feltham had dropped after teenagers were rewarded for good behaviour.
Assaults on staff fell 80 per cent in a year after the introduction of a scheme where points for good behaviour could be exchanged by the 140 inmates for confectionery.
A Prison Service spokesman said: ‘ Many young people in custody have suffered abuse or trauma and need mental health support.
‘Feltham is following an approach police and mental health services have found successful to help young offenders change their behaviour and to prevent further victims.’