News


Praise for prison but its future is still in doubt


EAST Sutton Park has again been praised for its work to rehabilitate offenders, but the threat of closure still remains.


The Independent Monitoring Board’s latest report concludes in- mates at the open prison “are treated fairly and with respect and that, as far as is possible, are given the best opportunity to prepare for life after release”. However, the board says the an- nouncement a year ago by the Min- istry of Justice to close the women’s open prison – the only one in the south of England – is having an im- pact on inmates, staff and the prison’s ability to recruit tutors. Its chairman Clare Hudson wrote:


“The board observed that the pro- posed closure of ESP is causing some stress, particularly to lifers. Civilian and prison staff have, since the orig- inal announcement, been anxious about their futures andwere already under huge pressures of extra work- loads due to budget cuts.” The report says the prison closure


was expected to take 12 months, but no further information has been re- ceived regarding the decision or the fate of its 100 inmates. The report adds that the impend-


ing closure of ESP and the resultant decrease in staffing levels has meant that there are concerns, shared by the prison, that with the increasing number of women arriving with very short sentences still to serve it is


A SPEED Watch scheme has been set up in Coxheath, thanks to a KCC grant approved by Cllr Paulina Stockell, During a practice session six


drivers were recorded going at ex- cessive speeds in the 30mph zone within the space of an hour. One was recorded at more than 50mph. Coxheath Speedwatch is a volun-


teer group and is not connected with the parish council.


settlement of the individual prisoner has been instrumental in helping many women to turn their lives around and this in turn will have in- fluenced the future of their children. “The closure of East Sutton Park


proving difficult to run courses, in- cluding those relating to the preven- tion of reoffending. The report notes the therapeutic benefits of the prison’s farm, its good relationship with the local commu- nity, and the success of its farm shop, and adds its concern about the delay in reaching a decision and the pro- posal to relocate inmates. The report continued: “It has been proposed that resettlement units will be attached to closed establishments, with the objective of housing women nearer their homes but this is not necessarily going to be the case. The closure of ESP and Askham Grange would mean there will be no UK female open estab- lishments. “The board is concerned that the


new units will not be as effective as the present female open estate in preparing women for release. ESP’s commitment to the welfare and re-


would mean the loss of a prison that can be seen to be successful in re- ducing re-offending.” East Sutton Park governor Robin Eldridge welcomed the report’s ac- knowledgement of the positive im- pact prison staff have on the women, regardless of the length of sentence being served, and the influence they have in reducing re-offending. But according to the Ministry of Justice, adecision on the prison’s clo- surewas no closer to being reached. A Prison Service spokesperson


said: “HMP East Sutton Park oper- ates effectively, safely and plays an important role in the female estate. “As this independent report recog-


nises, the prison’s commitment to welfare and resettlement has been instrumental in helping many women turn their lives around. “We will make a decision regard-


ing our intention to close East Sutton Park in due course,whensuitable al- ternatives are available.” The prison comprises a Grade II


listed Jacobean mansion, set in 34 hectares of grounds.


SpeedWatch plan New faces elected to parish team


YALDING has four new faces on its nine-strong parish council after an election. Chairman Geraldine Brown received 13% of the vote, followed by former school secretary and churchwarden TrishOyler – a new mem- ber, and local farmer and Medway Valley rail supporter Andy Sanders, who each received 11%. Ken Gough, Nick Thompson and Michael Stewartwere also returned,


along with new members Bill Bird (71), often seen around the village maintaining the river,mumof two Patricia Robbins (43) and childminder Sophie Cooper (38), who also helps out at the village tea rooms. Vivienne Robinson and Symon Wilson did not stand for re-election,


along with Angela Seckleman, who joined the council two years ago.The parish council serves Yalding and Laddingford.


downsmail.co.uk Town shelters


more homeless A TOTAL of 77 homeless people were supported by Maidstone Churches Winter Shelter, 25 more than in the previous year when the projectwas launched. This included 55 overnight


guests compared with 32 in 2013/14. The annual report shows the seven churches in the scheme shared the responsibility of provid- ing beds, sleeping bags, food, hos- pitality and comfort. The churches were: Salvation


Army, United Reformed, Baptist, St Michael and All Angels, Methodist, Quaker and St Luke’s. This year the shelter offered 15


beds for a 12-week period (includ- ing Christmas) compared with 10 beds for eight weeks when the schemewas piloted. Twenty of the shelter guestswere


aged from 25 to 34, 12were from 35 to 44, 12 were aged from 45 to 54, seven were 18 to 24 and two were 55 to 64. Mental health problems were a


key cause of homelessness, with al- cohol, drugs, physical health prob- lems and relationship breakdown also figuring strongly.


Inquest hears


of crash death A FORMER pupil at Cornwallis Academy died after her car hit a wall in Hunton, a Maidstone in- quest heard. Carer Nicole Parnell (22) was driving home from work when her Peugeot 307 crashed into thewall at the junction of Hunton Hill and Lughorse Lane. She suffered severe head injuries


and her life support machine was switched off at King’s College Hos- pital, London 11 days later. Accident investigator PC An-


drew Sutherland told the inquest one of the car’s rear tyres had a screw in it, leaving it under-in- flated. Road conditionswere damp and the surface covered in leaves. Coroner IanWadeQCconcluded


the accident occurred as a result of a combination of events.


Mother urges Mall to patrol parents’ parking spaces


AMAIDSTONEmumsays she avoids shopping at The Mall because of the difficulty finding a parking space. Ruth Young (29) has three children


under eight and now avoids the town because of the problem she faces finding a mother and toddler space at the centre’s multi-storey car park. The Mall has a designated area for


27 cars for parents with children on the fourth floor next to the shops, but Mrs Young says she is often forced to use floors further from the


34 Maidstone South June 2015


shops. Mrs Young, fromWillington Street, says the problem is made worse by


“shoppers without children using the designated parking area”. Mrs Young believes The Mall’s


parking staff should patrol the zone. The Mall’s marketing manager


Suzie Brindle said: “As there is no na- tional framework for family parking, and operating a badge systemis not compulsory, we rely on customers to use these spaces appropriately. “We are constantly reviewing the management of our car parks and are open to introducing a badge sys- temif that is what customers want.” Send your views on parking at the


centre to amp.maidstone@the- mall.co.uk.


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