At 36 Gareth Sands is the new Governor at New Hall Women’s Prison and Young Offenders Institution at Flockton. Here, after just three weeks in the job, he speaks to ANDREW HIRST of his hopes and aspirations for his new role

We are giving the prisoners an environment which is decent to live in and staff who are good role models for them ... Gareth Sands

A PRISON close to Huddersfield has a new governor – and he is one of the service’s high flyers.

Gareth Sands is just 36 and has been in the Prison Service for 10 years before getting his first Governor role at New Hall Women’s Prison and Young Offenders Institution at Flockton.

He has shot through the ranks under a fast-track system and has already been deputy governor at one of the UK’s toughest men’s prisons.

Gareth was in the role at Full Sutton near York, a Category A prison which holds some of the country’s most notorious criminals.

Around half of the 600 held there are lifers – some have been told they will never be released – and they include terrorists, murderers, armed robbers and sex offenders.

Gareth said: “It was a top security prison and dealing with the offenders held there was quite challenging.’’

He became the new governor at New Hall just three weeks ago and is immediately stamping his own leadership style on the place.

He is holding meetings with groups of staff to sound out exactly what they think of the prison as a place to work.

And he has set up a Prisoner’s Forum so offenders can channel their thoughts through their own representatives direct to the Governor and senior managers.

The main focus is to enhance the relationship between staff and prisoners so the offenders come to see them as role models.

He said: “My philosophy is that anyone can fulfil their potential if they are determined to do so. We are into turning lives around at New Hall and giving the prisoners an environment which is decent to live in and staff who are good role models for them.’’

But he knows the job of turning women away from drugs – and the crime they can often fuel – is a tough one.

A specialist detoxification unit is now set up. Specialist drug workers see prisoners on the inside and then meet them at the prison gates when they are released in a bid to stop them going straight back to highly addictive drugs.

They make sure the women get support from Drug Intervention Programme workers.

Gareth said: “The majority of women continue to suffer from drug and alcohol addiction, posing a constant challenge to therapy. Our detoxification unit offers care of a high standard.’’

The prison also has a system where new arrivals who have never been in jail before are met by selected prisoners to talk to them and hopefully help them through those first difficult hours, days and weeks.

The risk of suicide and self-harm is at the top of the agenda.

Gareth said: “Many women held at New Hall have experienced sexual, physical and emotional abuse in early life and this is sometimes disclosed for the first time while in prison. Such women are characteristically chronic self-harmers.’’

He said a specialist Safer Custody Team is operating well to care for these vulnerable offenders.

New Hall began as a satellite jail for Wakefield Prison, but in 1961 it became a male young offenders institution.

In 1987 it became a women’s prison, but now also has separate cell blocks for teenage girls aged 15 to 17 and for young offenders aged from 18 to 20.

Its adult prisoners include women from their 21st birthdays to the over 60s.

Its capacity is 443, but the number normally hovers around the 400 mark, including many women on remand awaiting court trials or sentencing.

Gareth graduated from Durham University with a degree in social policy and sociology and then worked for two years at the Shaftsbury Society, a Christian-based charity to help adults with learning difficulties and challenging behaviour.

He did other jobs and travelled worldwide before joining the prison service in 1997.

He began at Grendon Prison in Oxfordshire – a category B prison which has a specialist therapeutic role for prisoners to talk about their crimes and confront the wrong they have done.

He also worked at Springhill Open Prison next door to Grendon and had short spells at Wormwood Scrubs in South London and Bullingdon in Oxfordshire before becoming principal officer at Huntercombe Young Offenders Institution in Oxfordshire.

He also studied for a masters degree in criminology at Cambridge University.

Gareth worked at Prison Service headquarters in London where he was staff officer to the Director of High Security Prisons.

After then he became Deputy Governor at Full Sutton.

Now at New Hall he is in charge of 400 staff.

“The staff have a difficult job to do, but carry it out professionally,’’ he said. “We aim to run New Hall as a safe, decent and humane environment and work with prisoners to reduce their risk of re-offending while protecting the public by holding prisoners securely.’’

He said the prison also has support from the community.

“Around 50 voluntary organisations ranging from church groups and charities to specialist counsellors are involved within the prison,’’ he said.

“And that support is incredibly encouraging for the prisoners here.’’