Duchess of Cambridge Meets Prisoners At HMP Send – A ‘Well Run Prison’

Published on: 4 Oct, 2015
Updated on: 7 Oct, 2015

The Duchess of Cambridge meets prisoners at Send Prison.

The Duchess of Cambridge has visited Send Prison to see a dedicated addiction treatment centre in action.

The duchess had joined addiction charity RAPt (Rehabilitation of Addicted Prisoners Trust) for her first ever visit to a prison.

Earlier this year the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) had found HMP Send to be an establishment that: “treats its prisoners justly and humanely.” In its report the board said: “It is a good and well-run prison where the great majority of staff are professional and committed in their management of prisoners.”

During the visit, that took place on September 25, the duchess heard from some of the women prisoners about how they had become addicts and prisoners. They told her how the RAPt programme was helping them to overcome their addiction and become drug, alcohol and crime free.

The duchess said: “I was reminded today how addictions lie at the heart of so many social issues and how substance misuse can play such destructive role in vulnerable people’s lives.

“I saw again today that a failure to intervene early in life to tackle mental health problems and other challenges can have profound consequences for people throughout their lives.

“I am grateful to the women I met for sharing their difficult personal stories with me. It is encouraging to learn how organisations like RAPt are offering specialist support to help people break the cycle of addiction and look forward to a positive and crime free life.”

The duchess met Kirsty Lacey (known as Lacey), 36, who took part in the RAPt programme in 2008. She moved to an open prison in 2012 and was released in 2014.

Lacey told the duchess about her journey to recovery and the part that RAPt played in helping her overcome her addiction.

She is now a programme manager for User Voice, a charity that works with ex-offenders and service providers to bring about positive change within the criminal justice system.

Lacey has returned to HMP Send for work a couple of times, got married last year and recently found out that she is expecting a baby.

The charity RAPt is the largest provider of intensive, abstinence based addiction services in prisons in the UK and Send is one of 26 prisons across the country where RAPt works. Independent research shows that RAPt’s intensive treatment programme leads to a 65% reduction in re-offending.

The RAPt addiction treatment programme at HMP Send is the only intensive, 12-step, prison based drug and alcohol programme for women in the country. The 16- to 21-week programme is based in a stand-alone unit where the women live.

It is tailored to support the needs of women with addiction who have often experienced deep trauma and mental health problems and need a specialised type of support to turn their lives around.

The programme also focuses on building healthy relationships with partners, children and other family members. To date, 450 women have graduated from the programme.