Prison culture: governance, leadership and staffing inquiry launched by Lords committee

The House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee has today launched a call for evidence to inform its inquiry into prison culture, with a specific focus on governance, leadership, and staffing. This inquiry aims to understand the impact of governors on prison culture, the effectiveness of leadership training, and the recruitment, training, and retention of prison staff.  

The Committee's primary focus is on prisons in England and Wales. However, the Committee is interested to hear about best practice in Scotland and Northern Ireland. International comparisons and best practices may also provide valuable insights. 

More information about topics the inquiry is seeking evidence on and how individuals and organisations can submit contributions is available on the committee’s website.

The first evidence session for this inquiry will take place tomorrow, Tuesday 19 November 2024 at 10:30am and can be followed live on Parliament TV. 
The session will focus on the role of prison governor. 

Giving evidence will be:  

• Tom Wheatley, President, Prison Governors’ Association 
• Carl Davies, Vice President, Prison Governors’ Association 
• Vanessa Frake-Harris MBE, Author and former prison governor 

Questions the committee is likely to ask include:

• What is the role of a prison governor and how has it changed in recent years?  
• How does the role of the governor differ between public prisons and their equivalent in private sector prisons? 
• What are the qualities of a good prison governor? 
• Do prison governors have enough autonomy? 
• How does prison culture differ between prisons and what role do governors play in setting and maintaining prison culture?   
• What changes have you noticed in the Prison Service in recent years following the creation of HMPPS? 

The Rt Hon. the Lord Foster of Bath, Chair of the Justice Committee, said:

"The state of the prison system in England and Wales is matter of national concern. The Government has announced short-term measures to deal with the ongoing capacity crisis. The independent sentencing review may lead to a wider discussion about reform of the criminal justice system. 

Nevertheless, it is clear that reform of prisons will have to take place without large amounts of extra funding. In this context, strong governance and accountability, effective leadership and a motivated and well-trained staff are the key ingredients for success.  

There are already examples of good leadership within the prison system, despite many pressures facing staff and governors. Our new inquiry will seek to identify best practice and to identify ways to promote a positive culture within prisons. We want to know what motivates prison staff and how a career in the Service can be made more attractive. We will also seek to understand the impact of ‘bad’ leadership and the impact it has on staff and prisoners. 

“We encourage individuals and organisations with expertise or experience or the prisons to share their insights. A wide range of perspectives will enable the Committee to conduct a thorough investigation and provide effective recommendations to the Government.