Volunteers sought to join independent monitoring board of Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institution

AN independent watchdog, which ensures Deerbolt Prison is treating prisoners fairly, is calling for more people to get involved.
The Independent Monitoring Board for Deerbolt (IMB) Young Offenders Institution, in Startforth, is looking for more volunteers to join the group and help to observe conditions in the prison.
Having been on the board for six years, Peter Fisher has just stepped into the role of his predecessor, John Stoney, as the new chairman for the IMB at Deerbolt.
Mr Fisher said: “Prisoners should not be locked up and forgotten. If we in the wider community want to reduce crime, we need to give any help we can to offenders and those who keep them in custody. That’s what the IMB is there to do.
“Here, at the heart of Teesdale, is an opportunity to make a difference to the lives of 450 young men. Deerbolt is one of just a few young offenders’ prisons in the country dealing with men aged 18 to 21. The governor and staff are tasked with keeping these young men in safe confinement but also with enabling them to aspire to a better life.”
The monitoring board is a group of local volunteers appointed through the Ministry of Justice. The IMB for Deerbolt has 11 members who have access to every part of the prison so they are able to monitor the day-to-day treatment of the prisoners and ensure they are treated fairly and humanely.
Prisoners can also approach the board and ask for help with individual problems. Mr Fisher said: “Membership of the IMB entails good observation – using your eyes and ears and your intelligence. It entails co-operation, working with a collaborative team of a dozen volunteers and co-operating with prison staff and prisoners. It entails encountering a slice of life pretty different from the streets where most of us live – not just to gawp but to play a vital role.”
Anyone who lives within 20 miles of the prison can volunteer as long as they are not related to a prisoner or a member of staff. Volunteers are required to commit around four half days per month on a flexible rota.
Contact Mr Stoney on 01325 722590.