HMP Wakefield offers a range of regime activities that encourages offenders to make the necessary changes which can help them to lead law abiding lives in custody and after release. These activities include charity work, where offenders make commissioned pieces of art, garden furniture, stained glass and model work.
Offending behaviour programmes include courses for those with substance abuse problems, sexual offending histories and a general need to enhance their thinking processes. An additional course called ‘Foundation’ helps to give offenders the necessary insights they require before accessing further programmes. There is a dedicated team of staff who assess the needs of our offenders with disabilities, those who are over 60 and Foreign National offenders.
The prison offers numerous intervention programmes. These include
- Thinking Skills Programme (TSP) including a new adapted programme
- Core, Extended, Adapted Sex Offender Treatment Programmes (SOTP)
- Healthy Sexual Functioning Programme (HSFP)
- Focus (drug and alcohol treatment programme)
- CARATs (inc relapse prevention, one to one sessions, detox referrals)
- Auricular Acupuncture
- Pre Release & Offender Development
- Voluntary Drug Testing scheme
Psychological services and support are provided to those prisoners who require help.
Canteen
Canteen is provided by DHL to all offenders who can order items from a shopping list, including fresh produce, for collection throughout the week on a wing rota basis.
Gymnasium & Sports
The gymnasium facility at the prison offers an extensive selection of activities that operate on rotation to ensure all offenders have access to a range of physical activity. Specialised classes are also offered including an over 60s afternoon sessions.
Kitchens and Meals
The kitchens ares run by a mix of civilian, uniformed discipline staff and approximately 30 offenders, providing meals for the whole establishment. The food offered caters for the majority of religious, cultural and medical diets. A new initiative of NVQ certificated training qualifications is at present being developed in a specially designed training kitchen as well as in the main prison kitchen. This enables offenders who are keen to work in this area to be involved in the process and be motivated in the process of large scale catering.
Chaplaincy
The Chaplaincy Team is multi-faith. It provides pastoral care for offenders and staff and endeavours to enable all offenders to practise the religion of their choice, privately and corporately. The faiths covered include Catholic, Church of England, Islam, Paganism, Jehovah Witnesses, Rastafarianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism.
Healthcare
The linked PCT is West Yorkshire who undertook full commissioning responsibility in April 2006. The unit has four cells with camera observation for those offenders at particular risk of medical difficulties. The unit also houses a crisis suite for offenders at exceptional risk from self-harm or suicide. In addition to these facilities the unit offers an inpatient ward and several clinics.