Rutland MP visits Stocken Prison in Stretton to recognise newly trained prison officers

Newly trained prison officers have been awarded their certificates by the MP for Rutland.

The ceremony for newly trained and graduating prison officers at Stocken Prison, near Stretton, was attended by Rutland MP Alicia Kearns (Con).

During the visit on Friday (June 23), Mrs Kearns received a tour of the teaching facilities by open awareness trainer, Josh Pearce, who is part of the team running this training programme designed for new prison officers from across the country.

After hearing more about the course, Mrs Kearns presented Section A with their certificates and also gave out the special recognition certificates for the best graduate at ‘control and testraint’ as well as the ‘student of the course’ certificate.

The graduates then gave a demonstration of the skills learned at Stocken Prison, including firefighting and the unlocking and locking process.

Mrs Kearns said: “It was a pleasure to meet the Section A graduates and witness such an impressive display of the range of skills taught at Stocken Prison. The team here work immensely hard to provide such an outstanding training programme for the recruits helping to shape their lives on return to the outside world and reduce reoffending rates.

“Prison officers are some of the unsung heroes of our communities – the work they do, and the risks they face, are often hidden behind the wire. It was great to see this hard work pay off and meet so many successful graduates who are thriving under this well-run prison.”

Stocken Prison is a category C training prison, accommodating up to 1,056 male prisoners. The prison provides a variety of education and training opportunities for prisoners, designed to increase their chances of employment when they return to their communities. Men also have the option of studying part-time or full-time for a range of vocational courses, which include recycling, catering, plumbing, and motorcycle maintenance.

In October 2020, Mrs Kearns welcomed substantial Government investment to establish a new housing block containing 206 spaces at Stocken Prison, which also created 50 jobs.