Volunteer Profiles
Profiles of some of our current members
IMB members come from a wide range of backgrounds and walks of life. See below for profiles of some of our current members and learn about what inspired them to join an IMB, what the work is like and what they feel they get out of it.
Mohammed Aslam Ijaz
IMB Member at IRC Tinsley House
I am a recently retired estate agent and property consultant and have always been involved in community work. I was introduced to the IMB by a friend a year ago and decided to join, being a great believer in the saying, ‘service above self’.
As part of my induction I was given the opportunity to attend an introductory course, and I also attended the annual conference for IMBs in immigration removal centres, held up in Glasgow in March 2005.
Every visit to the centre involves listening to the detainees and every person is different, each with their own problems or complaints. I may not be able to solve their immigration problems, but issues regarding food, living conditions, access to a solicitor or any complaints about staff behaviour are all my concern. Such issues are immediately taken up with the monitoring authorities and, in most cases, remedial action is taken. The majority of detainees are under immense pressure and tension – by letting them air their views freely they feel relieved of some of the pressure they are under and hence they are better prepared to cope with their problems.
There are plenty of examples of times when the Board has made a real difference to a person or situation within the centre. For example, over the last few months we have successfully campaigned for prayer rooms for major faith groups and some much-needed maintenance work, as well as the introduction of a mail logging system within the centre. We have recently recommended the display of clearer signs and instruction sheets in different languages.
During a typical monitoring visit I begin at the detainee reception, checking the information displayed there. This includes the total number of detainees in the centre, including families. I also monitor staff behaviour with incoming detainees. Next I might move to the kitchen, checking the quality and quantity of the food there by tasting it along with the detainees. I again observe staff behaviour at this point, as well as looking at the general cleanliness of both the kitchen and dining areas.
I then check the various common areas of the centre, for example the showers, toilets, gym, library, IT room, outside areas, children and family facilities, prayer rooms and health clinic. I check the IMB requests and complaints box and follow up any issues that detainees have raised, making contact with the necessary people if required. Finally I write a report on my visit and leave it in the IMB file so that any further actions can be followed up.
Angela Clay
IMB Member at HMP & YOI East Sutton Park
I am a freelance journalist and came across the IMB by chance eight years ago when I interviewed the Chair of my local Board for a gardening feature. We got talking and I was interested so I decided to find out more.
The best part of being an IMB member, for me, is the opportunity to work with such a diverse range of interesting people and situations. The training has opened up other avenues, and I value the opportunity to speak up if there is an issue of unfairness.
I also enjoy having the chance to experience some of the more heartening aspects of prison life. I remember one long-term prisoner who had encountered many problems throughout her life and had never learned to read or write. She learned these skills whilst at East Sutton Park and went on to gain a professional catering qualification. Just before she was released she told the Board, ‘Prison is the best thing that ever happened to me.’
In a typical month I attend our Board meeting, which is held on the first Wednesday of the month and lasts around two and a half to three hours. I also carry out my allocated ‘rota visit’ every eight to ten weeks, which involves visiting all the different areas of the prison, noting any areas of concern and listening to any requests or complaints made by prisoners. Members of the Board take it in turns to carry out rota visits, which usually take four or five hours.
In addition, all the members of the IMB at East Sutton Park have areas of special interest. My areas of special interest are suicide awareness and anti-bullying measures so I may attend a couple of meetings throughout the month as an observer. These meetings usually last a couple of hours.
Clare Hudson
IMB Member at HMP & YOI East Sutton Park
Some years ago I was looking for some volunteer work and spoke to a lady who was a member of the IMB at East Sutton Park. She told me about her role and, as I was interested, she arranged to show me round the prison. The commitment required was such that I felt I could manage, and the ‘job’ seemed interesting and different. My job as a senior Practice Nurse requires me to be able to listen non-judgementally, and as I had also previously worked as a volunteer in a women’s refuge I felt that some of the skills I had learnt could be used at the prison.
I had never been in a prison before joining the IMB and I had a stereotypical view of prison life, gained from television and the press. Being independent of both prison staff and prisoners has developed my listening in an objective way and I have gained insight into a completely different way of seeing things. I have also gained a great compassion for the women, some of whom have had very difficult and sad lives.
One of the most memorable moments for me occurred shortly after I joined the Board, when a young woman died in the prison from natural causes. I was amazed at the response of the prisoners and how supportive the women were to the Governor, who had to break the news to the dead woman’s family. When I visited that evening the women were watching ‘Bad Girls’ on the TV and at the same time asking the Governor if he was alright and getting tea for him. I thought the contrast between reality and TV was hugely ironic.
There are eleven Board members at our prison and each one of us undertakes to cover the prison for a week in rotation. This involves visiting the prison during our duty week, at a time that is convenient to us. During the visit we must make contact with any prisoner who requests to see us, as well as visiting the different areas of the prison. This might include a trip to look at the kitchens or talk to the health care staff, or the farm and garden workers. The aim is to make ourselves available for prisoners and staff to talk should they want to, as well as observe that the prison works as it should do.
These rota visits take between two and four hours during our allocated week, which rotates so that we are only on ‘rota’ every eleventh week. We also aim to attend the Board’s monthly meeting, when common issues are discussed and any concerns are raised.
Steve Reeves
IMB Member at HMP & YOI Brinsford
I work for a large national youth organisation, spending time working with volunteers on a variety of projects and initiatives. I vaguely remember hearing about the IMB on a TV drama about a prison, but later a colleague of mine from work told me that he had been on an IMB many years before, so that got me thinking.
Being a member of the IMB gives me a unique opportunity to take part in some pretty amazing work. Every day is different and everyone you meet makes you think about things a little differently. Some of the things you can get involved in are really good for developing your interpersonal and management skills – being on the IMB has certainly enhanced my CV!
Prisons are such mysterious places to most people, but being on an IMB gives you a chance to take a close up look at life ‘inside’ and make a real difference to the lives of some pretty damaged young people.
As ever, the things that mean the most are the little things. I recall once trying to help a young person make contact with his mother when he first arrived at the establishment. The staff had simply overlooked him – which doesn’t happen often – but I was able to ensure that he got to make a phone call home. I remember him stopping me in the corridor the next day to say thank you… even though he was in front of all his mates! I recall thinking how he hadn’t wanted to talk to the officers about being ‘homesick’ but he felt comfortable talking to me, just because I was on the IMB. It makes you feel really proud to have been able to help someone, even with something that might seem petty or silly out in the community.
With regard to an average month – well, nothing in the IMB seems average when you’re doing it! I guess I would be on ‘rota’ for a week every other month, which would mean that I visit the prison maybe two or three times. On one of those visits I would spend time almost exclusively in the Intervention and Assessment Unit (the ‘segregation’ block) talking to staff and prisoners. The IMB monitors the regular review of segregation so it’s important to spend some time asking the right questions.
The other visit or visits would probably be spent chasing up concerns that young people have raised with us – anything from why the barber hasn’t been in that week to how to appeal against at adjudication result.
Obviously, some people on our Board have more time to spare so can visit more often – others have less understanding employers so do less. It’s all about teamwork and getting the job done together.
As I am the Chair of our Board, I spend a fair amount of time on the telephone to other Board members or attending meetings in the prison. Being the Chair is great – it allows you to carry on as a Board member, but also makes life a little easier for your colleagues too!
