Standing up for farmers and inmates, by George!
George Jessel, the county’s recently-appointed High Sheriff, is a man with a varied and colourful life. Here Pat Crawford digs deeper and finds out how he intends to put prisons and rural matters high on his agenda during his 12-month stint in office…
Not called the ‘Garden of England’ for nothing, 85% of Kent is officially designated ‘rural’. How fitting that George Jessel, our recently appointed High Sheriff, has taken rural affairs as the main theme for his year in office.
With a life-long association with
farming and agriculture, he is well- placed to make the case for this most rural of areas.
But as the Queen’s appointed judicial
representative (albeit in a ceremonial capacity), he is also taking a keen interest in prisons, the staff, inmates, their treatment and the preparation for the real world on release.
One senses a strength of purpose in this aspect of his work.
When we spoke, he was dashing off to
Maidstone Prison as part of his pledge to visit all eight jails in the county during his time in office.
The previous day, he had been to the category D open prison, Stanford Hill, on
the Isle of Sheppey, where he witnessed the programme for releasing prisoners at the end of long sentences.
“I was hugely impressed with what I
saw there. There is a dress down policy, a certain amount of informality, but respect too. Everyone says good morning to one another, no matter who they are,” says Mr Jessel with genuine
enthusiasm.
“There is also a huge amount of trust. These are prisoners who might have spent 20 years in other prisons around the country and they’re coming to
the end of their time inside. “All the prison officers I met were
dedicated to the cause of getting these guys a second chance in life. I was hugely impressed with their professionalism.”
Mr Jessel grew up in Kent and it is
a county that he knows and loves. His education was at Milton Abbey in Dorset. He chuckles as he recounts how he messed up the Latin paper for the Eton common entrance exam.
After school, he
went to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
Commissioned into the 15th/19th King’s Royal Hussars, he was first stationed in Germany “but the job took me to Cyprus, Australia, Hong Kong and Norway”.
The office of the High Sheriff dates from Saxon times and, after the Crown, is the oldest secular office in the UK. The High Sheriff is H.M. the Queen’s representative in the county for matters relating to the judiciary; this traditionally includes looking after High Court judges.
High Sheriffs assist the Lord Lieutenant of the County on the occasion of royal visits. He – or she – is the Official Returning Officer for parliamentary elections and also has responsibility for proclaiming accession of a new Sovereign
The office is independent and non-political; High Sheriffs do not receive a remuneration nor any reimbursement for the expenses that result from their programme of engagements
6 Mid Kent Living
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
