Group set up to fight plans for sex offenders prison
A GROUP has been set up to oppose plans to convert Ashfield Young Offenders Institute into an adult sex offenders prison.
Pucklechurch residents and councillors have formed the action group to lobby against the controversial changes.
The group was set up following a public meeting last week, organised by the chairman of Pucklechurch Parish Council, with officials from the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and prison service operators Serco. South Gloucestershire Conservative councillors for the Boyd Valley ward Steve Reade and Ben Stokes also showed their support.
Mr Stokes said: "The next step is to encourage residents to write individual letters based on a suggested template as this is felt to be the most persuasive form of lobbying."
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NOMS is still in negotiations with Serco about the change of use.
2 Comments
by themeercat
Monday, March 11 2013, 9:12PM
“I am unsure as too why local residents wish to lobby. Who are they going to lobby, Serco or NOMS? But more importantly what will it achieve?
The population change of the prison is linked to the closure of prisons nationally so Mr Steve Webb MP would have been aware of the intention of change long before the public disclosure.
For years locals have complained about car parking outside their homes. Complain no more! because the number of staff cars will reduce considerably giving you the parking spaces you craved for. Not to mention that less staff coming to Pucklechurch will impact on the revenue for local businesses.
Pucklechurch has been a site for a remand centre / prison for many years holding and releasing murderers, burgulars and sex offenders and more recently children. But i would image that the peception is that children do not commit the aforementioned crimes hence the reason for wanting to keep Ashfield as a YOI.
Sex Offenders in Ashfield will present no more risk to the public than that that already exists with holding 'children' in Ashfield. Infact very few if any will be released directly from Ashfield as it is not a 'local' prison. Nor will there be any inmates on show at the Revel.
The concerns in the village should be for the local people whose job may be at risk and the businesses that may suffer from fewer people spending in the village.
Ex Prison Officer HMP & YOI Ashfield”
by themeercat
Monday, March 11 2013, 9:08PM
“I am unsure as too why local residents wish to lobby. Who are they going to lobby, Serco or NOMS? But more importantly what will it achieve?
The population change of the prison is linked to the closure of prisons nationally so Mr Steve Webb MP would have been aware of the intention of change long before the public disclosure.
For years locals have complained about car parking outside their homes. Complain no more! because the number of staff cars will reduce considerably giving you the parking spaces you craved for. Not to mention that less staff coming to Pucklechurch will impact on the revenue for local businesses.
Pucklechurch has been a site for a remand centre / prison for many years holding and releasing murderers, burgulars and sex offenders and more recently children. But i would image that the peception is that children do not commit the aforementioned crimes hence the reason for wanting to keep Ashfield as a YOI.
Sex Offenders in Ashfield will present no more risk to the public than that that already exists with holding 'children' in Ashfield. Infact very few if any will be released directly from Ashfield as it is not a 'local' prison. Nor will there be any inmates on show at the Revel.
The concerns in the village should be for the local people whose job may be at risk and the businesses that may suffer from fewer people spending in the village.
Ex Prison Officer HMP & YOI Ashfield”