Comfort for inmates

UK Prison chiefs are to spend almost half a million pounds quizzing prisoners about their quality of life.
Inmates at almost half of the country’s jails will be asked if they feel looked after and how well they get on with prison officers.
They will be questioned on their washing facilities, whether they are allowed enough time on the telephone and if they sleep well.
The Ministry of Justice is to press ahead with the survey, an annual exercise since 2002, despite massive cuts to the departmental budget.
It is expected to cost taxpayers an astonishing £449 000 – a 6 percent rise on the 2010 cost. The news comes as Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke faces the wrath of Tory right-wingers outraged at his plans to save cash by slashing the number of prison places by 3 000.
He wants greater use of community punishments in place of jail sentences.
His opponents said this will allow more offenders out on the streets and lead to more crime.
Details of the Measuring the Quality of Prison Life survey were released under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
Academics will question around 6 000 inmates at nearly half of the 138 jails in England and Wales.
The survey is in addition to regular checks carried out under the £3,6 million prisons inspection regime.
Each jail also has an independent monitoring board comprising members of the public who can enter sites without permission to check prisoners are not being mistreated.
Inmates will answer 128 questions, indicating how much they agree or disagree with a series of statements.
These include: “Personally, I get on well with the officers on my wing”, “I am treated as a person of value in this prison”, and “This prison is good at placing trust in prisoners”.
Other questions will cover if inmates have opportunities to relax and “be themselves”.
Prisoners are even asked if their stay “feels like a punishment”. – Daily Mail.