PEOPLE across South Wales are being urged to step “behind the prison walls” and volunteer to help monitor conditions inside some of the region’s largest jails.
The Independent Monitoring Board is recruiting new members for prisons including HMP Cardiff, HMP Swansea, HMP/YOI Parc and HMP Usk and HMP Prescoed.
Volunteers join the Independent Monitoring Board, a statutory body whose members are appointed by ministers to provide independent oversight of prisons and ensure those held in custody are treated fairly and humanely.
Board members are unpaid public appointees and are given unrestricted access inside prisons, where they can speak privately with prisoners and staff, observe day-to-day life, and raise concerns directly with governors and the Ministry of Justice.
An existing member said the role could be “the most rewarding thing you ever do”.
They added: “You can make a real difference to prison life, not just by responding to individual concerns, but by raising issues that affect the whole prison, from crumbling buildings to poor access to healthcare.
“You see the criminal justice system from the inside and work as part of a dedicated team. We have unrestricted access to the prison and can speak to any prisoner privately, helping us monitor day-to-day life across the establishment.”
Applicants must be over eighteen and live within thirty miles of one of the prisons. They are expected to give around twelve hours a month and should be comfortable using a computer, communicating clearly and working as part of a team.
The IMB says members need to be good listeners, able to observe carefully and apply common sense, while also being committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Training and mentoring are provided, and volunteers can claim expenses including travel, childcare or carer costs, and in some cases loss of earnings.
The organisation is encouraging people from all backgrounds to apply, saying prisons hold people from diverse communities and monitoring boards should reflect that mix.
Anyone interested can find out more or apply through the IMB website.
