Prisons and their contracts
Company
Work
Prison
Virgin Atlantic
In-flight headphone recycling
Unknown
through third-party company
Company made no comment when asked for a statement
Company
Work
Prison
Monarch Airlines
In-flight headphone recycling
through third-party company
Cardiff
A statement said: “Our contract for this work is with a third party company and not with HMP Cardiff. As Monarch do not
directly contract with the Prison Service, we would not be in a position to comment on the terms and conditions of
prisoner's paid work.”
Company
Work
Prison
Macmillan
Sorting returned books
Altcourse
A statement said: “Macmillan Distribution refutes any accusation that prison labour is being exploited for the processing
of its book returns. The prison workshop at HMP Altcourse runs to commercial standards and requirements, and allows
prisoners many hours per day away from their cells. A personal training programme is devised for each inmate, with the
opportunity to achieve computer, warehousing and logistics skills, which could ultimately lead to enhanced employment
prospects.
“Macmillan Distribution has no input into the wages being paid (which is a matter between the prison and government
requirements) but pays a commercially acceptable rate per book processed.The programme at HMP Altcourse provides
prisoners with meaningful, quantifiable and practical work experience in line with government policy.
Company
Work
Prison
Speedy Hire
Hire equipment testing and repair
Pentonville and Garth
A statement said: “We are proud to be actively involved with both HMP Garth and HMP Pentonville. Our training scheme
at HMP Garth has been in place since 2005 and since 2006 at HMP Pentonville. Their purpose is to supply specific skills
training to NVQ level 2 in electrical testing and repair.
“We believe this is important in the rehabilitation of prisoners as it provides them with a nationally recognised
qualification, thereby helping them find employment on release. Statistics show this helps reduce rates of reoffending.
Electrical testing is completed by 12 prisoners who have all passed Speedy’s internal training course. Testing and quality
control is overseen by a Speedy-employed workshop manager. Naturally, we observe the same rigorous health and
safety standards and test procedures as in any other Speedy workshop.”
Company
Work
Prison
Travis Perkins
Hire equipment testing and repair
Stocken
A statement said: “It's only in HMP Stocken and there's a relatively small number of people in the shop. We see it as a
contribution to the community. The pay rates are governmend by the Prison Service and it's not being done as an
economic contribution to Travis Perkins' bottom line. We have been doing this for 18 months and have employed one ex-
prisoner who was part of the scheme. The prisoners are repairing equipment for the hire division. It is not unskilled
labour.
“Travis Perkins got involved because they were aware that other companies were using prison workshops. We have
trained over 100 people and have around 30 a day in the workshop.”
Company
Work
Prison
MnH Recycling
Recycling earphones,
contract worth £25,000
Send
No comment
Company
Work
Prison
Crofton Ltd
Assembly of patient records for NHS
Belmarsh
A statement said: “Some years ago the previous owner of the company was approached by the National Health Service
who are responsible for the purchase of at least 90% of our production. They asked if we would consider using HM
Prisons for our assembly of patient casenote folders. They felt that as the production was not the usual menial work done
by prison inmates and would be of social benefit to the inmates it might prove beneficial. They also suggested that there
might be a financial benefit to the NHS Trusts as if we could lower our prices the tax payer might benefit.
“We agreed to trial it and over the years, because it is a popular product for the inmates to handle we have expanded to
five prisons and indeed we have had many approaches from other prisons with requests for work. Over the years we
found there was no financial benefit as we pay HM Prisons exactly the same rates as we pay our outworkers. We do not
employ the prisoners, we treat HM Prisons as a supplier. We have no more control over their health and safety as your
newspaper has over any of your suppliers employees.
“There is actually no benefit in using the prisons rather than our outworkers as there is a lot more inconvenience i.e.
delivering, picking up and also the difficulties with lock downs, despite this however we have continued with operation. It
is also worth pointing out that we purchased very expensive new machinery last year which enables us to supply the
prisons with some of the work already completed, which previously the prisoners would have to do. We estimate we have
actually halved the work they have to do and as they get paid per piece for the job it probably means they can actually
earn more. I am not aware of how much the prisoners earn. Most of the NHS Trusts we supply are fully aware that we
use HM Prisons, indeed we are proud of the fact that we are able to give work to inmates, the majority of whom actually
enjoy doing the work.
“The incentive for using the prisons now appears non-existent and we need to consider our options given the possibility
of adverse publicity which frankly we feel we don’t deserve.”
Company
Work
Prison
Britannia Wiper Company
Cutting material
Belmarsh
No comment
Company
Work
Prison
Lewden Industries
Assembly of cabling and components
Belmarsh
(Contract now ended)
A statement said: “Before 2006, we did have some regular activity with HMP Belmarsh to carry out some light assembly
work for products which have now become obsolete for Lewden Electrical Industries, mainly caused by low cost
manufacturing from the Far East, taking us out of the market. Lewden Electrical Industries no longer uses this type of
outsourcing, nor do we intend to use in the future.”
Company
Work
Prison
English Chain Company
Assembly of chain lengths
Nottingham, Belmarsh
No comment
Company
Work
Prison
Amipak
Assembly of carboard boxes
Belmarsh
(Contract now ended)
A statement said: “We were approached at the early part of this decade by a Government Agency, Prison Enterprises,
whose remit was to procure commercial contracts for prisons. At the time we had some light hand finishing contracts
which Prison Enterprises identified as the type of jobs which would be suitable to be carried out in prison workshops.
“A commercial rate was negotiated with Belmarsh Prison and after we had visited the workshop and satisfied ourselves
that the conditions of work and level of supervision were suitable, we commenced a contract with them. We ceased
producing the goods in 2005 and have not dealt with Belmarsh since.”
Company
Work
Prison
Isle of Wight Lavender
Printing
Albany
(Contract now ended)
Company
Work
Prison
World Cruising Club
Printing
Albany
A statement said: “For a number of years, World Cruising Club has been a customer of Albany Print - the print training
facility at HMP Albany. The facility is run to teach inmates new and valuable skills relating to printing and design, including
use of desktop publishing suites. This is certainly not "menial" work. To cover the costs of the facility, and to give realistic
and valuable training, they operate on a commercial basis, selling their products to local businesses such as ourselves.
“The transactions are fully commercial, and there is a paper trail of purchase orders and invoices. All orders are placed
through the print shop officer, and we have no direct contact with the inmates. In terms of our overall print spend,around
15% is with Albany, the remainder is with other commercial printers outside of the prison sector.
“We place contracts on a commercial basis where we will receive best quality service and price, so from this split it is
clear that Albany are not unfairly under-cutting commercial competitors.”
Company
Work
Prison
Dextra Lighting Systems
Assembly work
Long Lartin
(Contract now ended)
A statement said: “We are proud to be associated with HMPS for some of our assembly work who we find work with us in
a very professional manner. Our relationship with HMP Long Lartin ceased to exist late 2006 due to the loss of business
to a competitor who imported the product from China.”
Company
Work
Prison
Bourne Leisure Group
Laundry
Ford
The company says contract has now been discontinued
Company
Work
Prison
Blue Chip Products
Unknown
Dartmoor
(Contract now ended)
A statement said: “We have not utilised any prison labour since 2005”
Company
Work
Prison
Martech
Assembly work
Full Sutton
A statement said: “We have contractual agreements with HMP Full Sutton and are very pleased and proud to be involved
with and supportive of the prison’s pro-active rehabilitation culture. We were originally approached by Full Sutton to be
part of this pioneering programme to help and assist inmates in a rehabilitation process.
“It should be clearly noted that from the results of our own internal audit process undertaken by our Operations Director
and Production Manager, this clearly identifies it is a more expensive process than it would be if we exclusively
assembled the products within our own factory. These costings consider shipping products to and from the Full Sutton
prison, testing products after return by our own engineering and quality control staff. The company is also exposed to the
problems and difficulties associated with the prison security, where all components and sub-assemblies are potentially
frozen for an indefinite period of time, which can dramatically interfere with our assembly and production process at the
factory.
“We believe as a British company it is essential to maintain and support local product assembly here in the UK other than
undertake this assembly in Eastern Block or Far East countries, which would have a dramatic effect on the livelihood of
our own local employees.
“Martech has an open commercial relationship with Full Sutton Prison.”
