Member Article

Private firm in bid to run prisons

Construction and support services group Interserve has joined forces with Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust in a bid to run three prisons.

In the first national agreement between a private provider and probation trust, the new alliance will see both parties sharing skills and expertise, with an initial proposal to run three prisons including HMP Durham, HMP Onley in Northamptonshire and HMP Wolds in Humberside.

Interserve has been approved by the Ministry of Justice to bid in the latest round of prison competitions, and if successful, Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust will join the company’s prison management team to lead and shape rehabilitation and resettlement services.

Interserve’s justice team is led by Yvonne Thomas, who said: “This groundbreaking alliance will bring together two unique sets of organisational expertise, which will enable us to develop and sustain new ways of working to reduce reoffending and protect the public.

“We are particularly pleased to have Durham Tees Valley as our partner because of the excellence of their professional practice, their innovative approach to effective service delivery and their very strong performance as a Public Sector provider.

“They have also gained praise for their strong strategic leadership in a recent inspection report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.”

Adds Sebert Cox OBE, Chairman of the Durham Tees Probation Trust “Like every other public sector organisation we must constantly explore new ways of doing business and that includes looking to develop partnerships to share expertise, resources and investment.

“In our discussions with Interserve we have been impressed by their understanding of the role of the probation service and the fact that their justice team is led by someone such as Yvonne Thomas, who brings to the role an in-depth knowledge and appreciation of what probation does and what we can bring to the partnership.

“Our core purpose is to protect the public by managing and rehabilitating offenders effectively, and that will be the heart of this agreement.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .