Higher category plan for Ford Prison

An eight-page 'briefing', circulated to staff, reveals that category C prisoners '“ those who cannot be trusted in open conditions and can include prisoners sentenced to up to seven years for a violent or sexual offence '“ may be moved to Ford to try to address national prison overcrowding.

In the leaked memo, Ford's governor, Fiona Radford, talks of problems facing the Category D prison: "I have already raised my concerns . . . that we are likely to get more short-termers, some of whom should really be in Cat C conditions, and this will mean almost inevitably that the abscond rate will go up in Cat D prisons."

She adds: "Ministers have apparently been briefed to this effect and are taking this risk."

The briefing, sent out to staff at the prison on August 3, reveals the governor actually suggested using Ford to take more prisoners. In the memo she states: "I was in touch with NOMS (National Offender Management Ser-vice) recently and perhaps a little flippantly suggested that we'd got plenty of room here."

As a result she was immediately contacted and told that if the prison could give some options for extra prison places at Ford, they would be considered.

The memo then outlines the advantages and disadvantages of four different options for taking an influx of up to 720 Category C prisoners.

For the full story, see this week's West Sussex Gazette

For your chance to sign a petition coupon against higher-risk prisoners being accommodated at Ford, see the Gazette on October 18