HMP Forest Bank Correctional Facility Reviews, Features, Pros & Cons

HMP Forest Bank Correctional Facility

Have you been looking for a correctional and rehabilitation center with top-notch safety and security? HMP Forest Bank is one of the best in this area; even in prison, one can work and earn money. Interesting right? Read everything you need to know about them below.

Overview of HMP Forest Bank

The HMP Forest bank is not a monetary bank but specially established for convicts and staffs.  Six residential units served as accommodations when HMP Forest Bank opened its doors in 2000. As a Category B Local prison for adult males, the facility began as part of a 25-year public financial project with a commitment to supply 800 spaces.

In November 2009, two more residential units were installed, gradually raising the prison’s capacity to 1,160. The operational capacity is currently 1,460, thanks to the increased prisoner spaces.

In addition to the 16 residential units, the property has a healthcare facility, a gym, a library, an industrial complex, a visiting hall, a chaplain’s office, and a kitchen. With a focus on resettlement, the prison supports the Greater Manchester courts and upholds close ties to the neighborhood.

Both adult men who are on remand or have been convicted, as well as young inmates between the ages of 18 and 21, are housed at HMP Forest Bank. By running a safe, decent, and secure prison and creating a respected environment to live and work in, HMP Forest Bank aims to “change lives for the better” and is committed to enhancing the quality of life for all its inmates.

HMP Forest Bank creates valuable and positive connections between staff and convicts to deliver on their critical tasks of properly integrating new inmates into the prison system.

The jail is a modern, forward-thinking men’s prison that houses a diverse and complex population. It offers ground-breaking collaborations that provide purposeful activity, employment, education, rehabilitation services, and resettlement support.

Their goal is to build a top-notch reception prison that will serve Greater Manchester’s courts and residents, and we see it as their responsibility to make the city safer.

Even though most convicts are in Category C, HMP Forest Bank is a local Category B jail. The phrase “local” refers to condemned inmates and those being held on trial in the local courts—the courts in Wigan, Bolton, Bury, and Leigh sentence adult convicts at Forest Bank. Courts in High Peak, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford receive young offenders.

The prison comprises eight wings (A–H), a medical unit, and a care and separating unit. Most of the prison’s accommodations are single cells, while some are double. Due to the modularization of the construction, every cell is made to be safer, with nearly no ligature points.

A 20-bed inpatient hospital with round-the-clock nurse care is available at Forest Bank’s healthcare center. At the prison, there are also a Senior Medical Officer and a Locum Medical Officer who work full-time.

The prison offers vocational training programs in welding, industrial cleaning, catering, auto mechanics, and manufacturing and training workshops. A Visits Hall at Forest Bank has amenities like a canteen managed by WRVS and a play area for kids between the ages of 2 and 12.

Visiting a Detainee at HMP Forest Bank

You need to take note of the information below before you pay a visit to any Detainee at HMP Forest Bank:

  • Inmates are allowed two (one-hour) visits each month. The prisoner will make reservations for each visitation session for the sake of their visitors.
  • Inmates won’t be able to stop booking sessions. Monthly reservations will be made for each visit.
  • A prisoner may have a maximum of three visits, who must all come from the same household and can be two adults and one child or one adult and two children.
  • Visitors are requested to come up to 20 minutes before their scheduled visit.
  • All guests entering the facility have access to hand sanitizer.
  • All family groups and guests will have their bags inspected as they enter the facility.
  • Shortly, the children’s creche will be closed. HMP Forest Bank advises parents to bring one small, wipeable toy to keep young kids occupied during the visit.
  • To sanitize the visited locations in time for the next booked visitors, there will be a 45-minute pause between visits.

HMP Forest Bank Identity Verification

Visitors can choose one piece of photographic I.D. from List A to present for a Social Visit:

  • Identity documents issued by a nation that is a member of the E.U. or EEA
  • UK photocard licenses to drive
  • Driving permits issued by the E.U. or EEA
  • NI ID cards for the elections
  • U.S. passport card
  • PASS-recognized identification that serves as proof of age and has a distinct reference number, such as the Citizen ID card
  • Identity card for the military
  • (BRP) U.K. biometric residency permit

If one I.D. document from List A is not available, one I.D. document may be submitted from List B, backed by o Travel one document from List C.

List B

  • Documents issued by the Home Office include certificates of travel, one-way documents, and documents for stateless people.
  • Bus pass for senior citizens issued by Freedom Pass that is accepted under the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) but does not have a unique reference number (please see List A where a unique reference number is present)

List C

  • An adoption or birth certificate
  • Education diploma from an accredited institution of higher learning (such as an NVQ, SQA, GCSE, A level, or degree diploma)
  • Residential property rental or purchase contract (signed and dated)
  • Certificate of civil union or marriage
  • Current account card from a bank, building society, or credit union, showing the claimed identification

Career Opportunities at HMP Forest Bank

HMP Forest Bank, a subsidiary of Sodexo, offers more than 100 distinct professions in 80 different nations worldwide, providing a wide range of opportunities for everyone and an excellent opportunity for personal growth.

HMP Forest Bank offers many fulfilling job options, including working on the landings as a Prison Custody Officer, running a department, and handling the primary administrative duties related to the custodial environment.

By lowering reoffending and enhancing the quality of life for individuals who are under their watch and care, they hope to improve lives. People that share their goals are required for this to be accomplished.

A supportive and rehabilitative culture that inspires and enables people to make significant changes is based on the safe, decent environment at HMP Forest Bank.

Measures To Decrease Offence at HMP Forest Bank

The bank provide superior offender management services using their vast knowledge and evidence-based solutions. 

The government’s Social Exclusion Unit, which investigated the causes of reoffending following release from prison, devised the seven pathways for minimizing reoffending that HMP Forest Bank uses and has been in use for more than ten years.

  • Accommodation
  • Attitudes, way of thinking, and actions
  • Youngsters and family
  • Narcotics and alcohol
  • Training, education, and employment
  • Debt, benefits, and finances
  • Health

HMP Forest Bank has used this experience to create a culture of rehabilitation and resettlement across the whole jail, encouraging all criminals to improve their behavior and decrease future crime from the first day of imprisonment.

This allows inmates to take charge of their rehabilitation and motivates them to interact with accessible resettlement programs to enhance their well-being and abstain from future crime.

HMP Forest Bank Contact Information

Telephone: +44 161 925 7000

The lines are active on Mondays to Fridays from 1 to 7 pm, Saturday12:30 to 4:30 pm, and Sunday12:30 to 4 pm.

Email Address: [email protected] 

Address: Agecrof Rd, Pendlebury, Manchester M27 8FB, United Kingdom

Frequently Asked Questions

How do prisoners receive money?

www.gov.uk/send-prisoner-money  is a website where families can send money to a resident. Note that to give money to a prisoner, the sender must be on their contacts list (through visits or pin phone); otherwise, the funds will be returned. This is done for anti-corruption and safeguarding purposes.

Prisoners’ accounts are limited to £900; any payments that exceed that limit will be declined.

In extreme circumstances where a family cannot use the internet, they may submit a direct mail application for an “exemption” form, which the jail director must accept.

Can a convict make money while serving time?

Yes, all convicts are encouraged to work to receive compensation for their time. The specific employment position makes out weekly paychecks. If prisoners regularly participate in schooling, they may also receive payment.

After their introduction, prisoners will be given a chance to apply for both possibilities using the wing kiosk. Note that while they are in their early days in the detention wing, they cannot work.

Is it possible for a prisoner to be transferred out of mercy for a very ill family member?

Application for a transfer may take into account compassionate circumstances. Each application will also be assessed on its own merits, but a human transfer would be deemed to be a close relative with a significant medical condition. To move them to a facility nearer the relative, HMP Forest Bank will make all reasonable efforts. But for them to move, the other establishment must accept the resident, and the transport provider must be able to offer a vehicle.

What happens if someone’s family or cellmates have grave concerns about them?

We advise you call Safer Custody at 0161 925 7000 extensions 2183 if family members are afraid that a person may hurt himself or others. From 7:30 in the morning until 4:00 the afternoon, a team member is always available to help. Call 0161 925 7000 and ask for communications, saying that there is an urgent resident safety concern if they require assistance beyond this time. They will need access to the resident’s name and prison I.D.

All cells are equipped with emergency buzzers, which allow inmates to alert staff members about significant incidences of injury by pushing the emergency call button.

What exactly is HMP Category A?

These are jails with a high level of security. They imprison male inmates who, if they escaped, would pose the greatest danger to the general population, the police, or national security.

Conclusion

Many things about HMP Forest Bank have been discussed in the above article, ranging from an overview of HMP Forest Bank to activities concerning detainees.

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