Ex-governor doubts prison building scheme success

A former prison governor has said he is not convinced a scheme where prisoners build new council housing would actually reduce levels of reoffending.

Epping Forest District Council said the Princesfield Road initiative in Waltham Abbey would see about 10 garages replaced with modular pre-fabricated homes constructed by low-risk prisoners or those on probation.

"The type of prisoners involved in this project would perhaps be at the point in their journey where they're ready to rehabilitate themselves anyway," said former HMP Chelmsford governor Lindsay Whitehouse.

"In terms of reducing reoffending, I don't think it will have a huge impact on the numbers because the project is relatively small."

The Prisoners Building Homes (PBH) scheme began in 2021 and launched nationally last year - its leaders said those involved had a reoffending rate of less than 5% against the national average of 35%.

They also said 92% of prisoners who had worked in the initiative elsewhere in the country had secured employment post release in construction.

Ruth Dugdall, a former probation officer turned author, said the benefits for the site in Waltham Abbey and elsewhere would be "huge... not just for the public and society, but for the inmates themselves".

"Yes we are talking about a small, carefully-selected group - but the risks are going to be minimal to the public. It's a win-win all round," she added.

The site could accommodate either three houses or two bungalows, Epping Forest District Council has said.

PBH said prisoners were employed in appropriate prison workshops where provisions were available or in modular construction factories on day release.

Angus Fraser, chief executive of MMC Housebuilding Limited based in Gloucester, said his firm had been employing prisoners under the scheme.

"We're doing what's known as modern methods of construction - we build them up as 'kit sets', sections of walls, floor, roof that come to site and are assembled," he told BBC Essex's Sonia Watson.

"It's all very controlled, it's not ad hoc. These are very good quality. That's achieved with prisoners on day release and ex-prisoners."

Epping Forest District Council said all participants in the scheme would be extensively vetted and would then be recruited through a competitive application and interview process.

The final decision to proceed with the scheme will be taken by cabinet at a later date.

Additional reporting by Piers Meyler, Local Democracy Reporting Service

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