Do you care about the fair and humane treatment of prisoners and the state of our prisons?

Whatever your background, if you’re enthusiastic and open minded, have good people skills and sound judgement then you could be exactly what we are looking for!

Inside every prison, there is an Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) made up of members of the public from all walks of life doing an extraordinary job – and we’re currently recruiting at HMP Young Offenders Institution Werrington, near Stoke on Trent.

The Chair of Werrington IMB, Sally Osborne-Town says “This is a really interesting and rewarding volunteer opportunity to work as part of a team which helps make sure that young people in prison are being treated humanely and given the chance to change their lives, for their benefit and ours.

Our role is to ensure that proper standards of care and decency are maintained, by monitoring the day-to-day life in a prison. You could be talking to the young people, checking they are being given access to healthcare and education, or observing how well those at risk of self harm are treated. You will also play an important role in dealing with problems faced by the young people, which could range from lost property to serious bullying allegations.

This is an unpaid role but expenses are covered.  You do not need any special qualifications or experience, as we provide mentoring, alongside training and support. It helps to be a ‘people person’. You will usually need to make 2-3 visits a month but we can be flexible.

“We would like to hear from anybody who is 18 + and lives within about 25 miles of YOI Werrington. We are keen to hear from people from minority ethnic backgrounds, and those with disabilities, since these groups are under-represented on the existing Board,” says Sally.

Successful candidates will undergo vetting that can take a number of months, before being formally appointed by a minister in line with the Government’s public appointments process.
If you are interested then complete an online application form from www.imb.org.uk. Please quote campaign reference 1260/Werrington/2022.

If you require further information, please contact:

Rachel Gyford, Communications Lead at IMB Secretariat on [email protected] or Sally Osborne-Town, Chair Werrington on  [email protected]