Winchester and Chandler's Ford MP Steve Brine responded to the annual report from the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at HMP Winchester, which was issued on 8th October 2012.
The IMB at Winchester Prison published its Annual Report for the year ending 31st May 2012, and identified areas in which the treatment of prisoners is working effectively, as well as those over which the Board has significant concerns.
While the Board congratulated the prison on Security and Safer Custody, there are concerns on how re-offending is tackled, 'significant failings' with Health Care provision, the Personal Officer scheme, lack of an Anglican Chaplain after two years, an 'overall lack of consistent Purposeful Activity' in the workshops and the fact that the number of formal complaints by prisoners continues to be very high.
Mr Brine said: "This report does not make happy reading and paints a picture of an organisation that is really struggling in some key areas. A busy local prison will always suffer from the constant churn of prisoners but I have been concerned for some time that constant changes in the post of Governor were having a detrimental effect on the prison and this report speaks clearly of change fatigue.
"HMP Winchester's reducing ability to meet its fundamental objective of reducing re-offending should worry us all and it is especially disappointing to hear of serious problems with its health care provision. I plan to meet the new Prisons Minister as soon as possible when Parliament returns next week to discuss this report and its findings."
Steve Brine is a member of the powerful House of Commons Justice Select Committee.