1. HM Prison Perth & Kilmarnock
Presentation to
Glasgow University
Presented by
Craig Mailer & Keith Mason
Wednesday 18th May 2016

2. HMP Perth HMP Kilmarnock Prison Overview
Built between 1840 and 1859 and is Scotland oldest prison.
Houses all categories of prisoners. Capacity of 700.
Over the years has been developed from a Napoleonic prison to one that is modern and fully supports the Scottish Governments agenda to create a safer and stronger Scotland through reducing reoffending.
Seven fully qualified Physical Education Staff delivering a varied programme of activities.
HMP Kilmarnock
Opened in March 1999 for all categories of prisoners with a capacity of 550 prisoners.
Originally run by Premier Prisons then rebranded in 2005 by Serco.
Scotland's first privately run prison and seen as a prison for innovation.
Five fully qualified Physical Education Instructors.

3. Difficulties in Facilitating Health Research in Prisons
Convincing senior management to facilitate the research.
Security implications.
Offender concerns about testing results.
Retention of the offenders.
Colleague engagement with the programme.
Senior management have a tendency to want to protect the business in a corporate sense therefore are reluctant to get involved in new unknown ventures with new partners (Glasgow University).
Security departments are reluctant to authorise new equipment into custodial environments, however with the ethics approval being attained by GU this was made I little easier. Initially it was thought that gaining approval from the ethics committee would have been more difficult, also with the professionalism and thoroughness of the GU team with regards to information sharing we were able to overcome these difficulties.
Offenders concerned about field testing results, if they show signs of drug abuse would they be reported!!.
In occasions offenders will progress or be transferred for specific reasons. We attempt to have a selection criteria that the prisoner will be with us for at least the six month checks.
Colleagues at the beginning, can be very apprehensive about facilitating a new programme especially when they have delivered similar programmes.

4. Successes Level of offender engagement with the programme.
Level of offenders achieving their goals.
Additional outcomes achieved.
Offenders retaining health information.
Introducing offenders to new activities.
Developing new working partnerships.
Inclusion of Psychological Assistant as a facilitator.
Offender engagement for phase one at Kilmarnock was assisted by the fact there was a nation wide promotion of the programme in the media, this captured the offenders interest and with Kilmarnock football club on board we were able to fill the programme with minimal effort. After Ph1 with word spread from the offenders who attended Ph1, offenders have been putting themselves forward for the programmes that followed.
Most offenders that complete the programme achieve there desired goals. These are varied from weight loss, increased fitness levels, reduced sedentary time, improved self esteem and mental health and improved eating habits.
At the start of the programme (Ph1) focus was on weight management, however additional goals, mentioned above were also achieved.
The design of the instructors guide as a teaching aid and the workbooks as reading and reference material for the offenders made it extremely effective in delivering health messages. In return these messages have been further promoted by peer groups (Health Champions at Kilmarnock and Sports Leaders at Perth) assisting in the wider health improvement agenda.
Throughout the programmes there have been opportunities to introduce sedentary offenders to new sports, walking football, indoor bowls, touch rugby badminton, short tennis and cricket.
As mentioned above with introducing new activities, we have developed new or improved existing partnerships.
Sport/health initiatives can also be utilised as a means to break down barriers and promote engagement with wider service providers within who aim to address offending behaviour needs, which demonstrates a collective approach to purposeful activity and prisoner well-being, which we achieved successfully in PH1.

5. Benefits to our Role Improved personal skill set and self esteem.
Developed partnerships that can be used as a resource for advise and guidance.
Increased exposer to professional associates.
Improved PE regime/added value.
Ongoing opportunities to develop further health improvement initiatives.
Provides a Source of evidence based information highlighting success which provides support for the continuation and further outreach of the programme.
Opportunities to promote peer mentoring.
Reinforced and improved knowledge with the use of the instructors guides and knowledge of GU associates.
The partnership that has been developed allows up to contact our partners at GU for advise and guidance on most issues related to public health.
As above and others that have been introduced through the programme e.g NHS, coaches and other Professors and Dr connected with GU programmes.
Inclusion of a very well organised and researched programme that is evaluated, something with, although prison are good at delivering programmes they are notorious for being poor at evaluating.
Through the continued partnership there are opportunities to develop and facilitate further health improvement programmes.
As mentioned above the programme is evaluated which provides evidence of the programmes success enabling us to justify the continuation and expansion of the programme. We now plan to role the programme out nationally with the evidence provided by GU.
The familiarity and structure of the programme allows us to promote the use of peer mentors to assist in the delivery of some of the sessions (health Champions & Sports Leaders).

6. Benefits to the prison Improved Health of offenders.
Increased purposeful activity.
Recognition through HMIP as best practice.
Multidisciplinary partnerships.
Cost effective asset based approach.
Developed relationship with Glasgow University and local senior management along with their involvement at national level in health strategies enables us to have an easier process for introducing future programmes.
Success of the programme is proven with the results collated from each programme, prisoners are eating better, feeling better, losing weight and being more active. We also fine that the programme introduces a high percentage of non gym uses to the facilities who then continue to do so.
Contractually we need to deliver a robust programme of purposeful activity (time spent out of the cell, education, work, physical activity, recovery programmes) being able to offer a programme which is seen as world leading enables us to real substance and quality learning to our regime.
Prison Inspectors recognise the programme, partnership working and results achieved which then get reported back to corporate level directors.
High impact low cost programme, budgets are ever tightening therefore the asses based approach promote and sustainability.
GU associates are now in a position where they have influence in our sector therefore this will assist in introducing future programmes. Filtered from director level down to facilitators rather that the opposite which was the case for FFL/FFIT.

7. Conclusion
The partnership that has been developed is of mutual respect, enthusiasm, professionalism and motivation to make a difference in the lives of offenders through health promotion and health research. Which we all hope will have positive effect in reducing reoffending.
Through FFL/FFIT the prison service has found itself to be engaged with a partner of extremely high academic ability who are seen as world leading in there field. This benefits everyone involved in the Scottish custodial system and realistically, Scottish prisons would not be able to invest in research at this level without the backing of Glasgow University.