HMP The Verne will see multi-million pound investment as it changes into an Immigration Removal Centre.

The Portland prison is currently undergoing work to make it ready for contractors to come in and refurbish the site for its new role as an IRC.

The Verne will be able to house up to 580 men aged over 18 in their own single rooms.

All the former prisoners have now been moved to other prisons with the some going to Guys Marsh and the YOI and others going to prisons inside the M25. The foreign national prisoners were moved to HMP Maidstone.

Old furniture from the rooms has been removed and each room will be fitted with new windows, beds and light fittings and smoke alarms.

The site will also see refurbishment with new fences inside and security measures.

Last week a closing ceremony marked the last day of The Verne being a prison and the first of it being an IRC.

The refurbishment is now taking place before the facility reopens as one of the biggest IRC’s in the UK early next year.

While refurbishment takes place some staff have been temporarily moved to other prisons to cover their shortfall. They will also be doing training for their new roles.

Governor James Lucas will become the new centre manager.

He said they were excited about the future of The Verne and would continue to work in the public sector providing a contracted service for the Home Office.

He added that it represented a significant capital investment and would give a new ‘lease of life’ to Verne, securing its future.

Mr Lucas said he was delighted that staff who wanted to relocate from the closing Dorchester Prison would have jobs at the new IRC.

He said: “We are keen to have them working here. We are keen to welcome them as part of the family.”

As well as the additional Dorchester staff Mr Lucas said there would be no job losses at The Verne and there would be future employment for local people.

He said: “There are absolutely no redundancies for directly employed prison staff.

“And I’m not aware of any contractors making people redundant.”

As part of the change The Verne will be looking to hire around 20 new staff and TASCOR, a company that transports detainees around the country, is looking to recruit around 50. The Home Office will also be looking to recruit 14 immigration enforcement staff.

The contract with the Home Office will be until 2018, securing the future of the former isle citadel.

Mr Lucas said: “We are very excited to be working with the Home Office. We feel it’s giving The Verne a new lease of life.”

He added: “It’s important the detainees are treated with decency and respect while in the country. We plan to support the Home Office and make the removal process as safe and secure as possible.”

Learning and training will be a key focus and there are plans to create a community cafe inside the walls run by detainees, for detainees.

Mr Lucas said the staff at The Verne had done great work in making the facility ready for the refurbishment.

He said: “I am very proud of the commitment the staff have shown. I think its shows how committed we are to the new centre.”

Union welcomes change

THE PRISON Officers Association welcomed the new IRC at Verne but said there would be a definite change.

Assistant secretary from the POA Glyn Travis said they welcomed not only the retention of jobs at Verne but the creation of new ones.

But he said the union was concerned about a high level of vacancies across the whole prison estate and were concerned that staff going away on temporary ‘detached’ duties to cover the shortfall in other prisons could be away from their families for a week or two weeks.

Mr Travis said that staffing across the prison estate was a real concern which had been expressed to senior staff and passed on to ministerial level.

Staff would be receiving special training for their changing roles, Mr Travis said.
He said: “We welcome the change to an IRC because it has protected jobs, it’s given the Verne a long-term future.”

He added that it was important the public realised there would be a culture change.
But he said: “As long as everyone’s on board and the local community understand that, it will be a success and the community will benefit.”

Work ‘secures future of jail’

SHAUN Curd from the Home Office said that the work represented a ‘significant investment’ in the Verne.
Tim Roberts, from the Prison Officers Association, said: “It gives us certainty. We would have closed if we didn’t get this.
“It gives us a level of security.”
He added that colleagues who had lost their establishments would be able to work at Verne and so remain living locally as well.

  • In the last 12 months HMP Verne has received millions of pounds of investment including stabilisation work on its tunnel and contracts for construction work as the Prison is re-rolled into an IRC.

Total costs in the last 12 months for HMP Verne:

July 22, 2013: HMP Verne stabilisation of embankment and tunnel – £1,877,976 – finished July 22, 2013

May 30, 2013: Waste collection services annual contract £31,800

May 16, 2012: Replacement of cables to supply citadel switch room at the Verne £55,907

Cost of contracts to re-role HMP Verne to immigration centre awarded in August:

Aug 7, 2013: Construction work £7,063

Aug 7, 2013: Construction consultancy company £54,897

Aug 7, 2013: Architecture firm £96,353

Aug 7, 2013: Construction work £31,604