HMP Forest Bank awarded Registered Restorative Organisation status
We are pleased to announce that HMP Forest Bank has been awarded Registered Restorative Organisation status.
Opened in 2000, HMP Forest Bank serves the courts of Greater Manchester for men both on remand or sentenced and young prisoners between the ages of 18-21 years old. The prison prides itself on its strong links with the local community and its focus on resettlement.
The Organisation is committed to reviewing the quality of practice and quality assuring the work that is done inclusively and consistently. Leaders are committed to ensuring that staff and volunteers have quality resources to manage their work with and to enable them to deliver safe, consistent and inclusive practice.
RJC Registration Decision Report (Sept 23)
Over the past year, HMP Forest Bank has worked towards embedding a whole prison approach to its restorative work. Restorative lead, Lauren Robinson, said “We believe that the use of restorative practice needs to be a whole prison approach with buy-in from staff at all levels of the organisation. Within HMP Forest Bank, this meant that we had the driving support from our senior managers which empowered our front-line workers.” This approach to implementation fits well within Sodexo’s core organisational values.
When asked how the Registration process has benefited the organisation, Lauren said “It helped us to review all our current processes and to further develop our prisoner induction process. We now ensure that our RA Champions assess these to identify any potential conflicts and assess whether a restorative intervention would be beneficial.” She went on to say that “the Registration process also supported us in developing our restorative work on our young adult wing. We have now employed a Young Adult RA Champion who mentors and supports the prisoners residing on that house block, ensuring that conflict is dealt with at the earliest opportunity.”
Upon hearing HMP Forest Bank had been awarded Registered Restorative Organisation status, Trevor Shortt, Director at HMP Forest Bank, said “We are delighted to have been recognised and awarded Restorative Organisation Registration by the Restorative Justice Council. This award is a testament to the Forest Bank RA Coordinator and the RA Champions who have worked tirelessly to embed a restorative culture at HMP Forest Bank. Restorative processes have positively impacted many aspects of prison life and are a fundamental
element of day-to-day operations at the prison, with the principles being applied in a wide variety of situations to successfully address conflict and differences of opinion.
Jim Simon, the RJC’s Chief Executive said “It's great to hear that HMP Forest Bank has taken the initiative to implement restorative principles in the prison. Leaders have worked hard to establish a restorative culture, which has had a positive impact on many aspects of prison life. This has been possible due to the close collaboration between the leaders, staff, and the wider prison population. Thanks to their hard work, the prison has been awarded Registered status by the RJC. Congratulations to HMP Forest Bank leaders, staff, and residents on this well-deserved achievement.”