La Moye prison wings renamed in modernisation programme

Residential wings have been renamed as part of prison modernisation programme

The residential wings at Jersey's La Moye prison are being renamed as part of a multimillion-pound modernisation.

The units are being named after military personnel from Jersey who gave distinguished service in World War One and World War Two.

Former Chief Inspector of Prisons, Dame Anne Owers, will be at the naming ceremony on Tuesday.

The Government said using names instead of numbers helped deinstitutionalise the 1970s built prison.

A member of staff worked with a local historian and decided to name the wings after Jersey war veterans, Wilfred Journeaux, Charles Laugeard, Percy Kendall and sisters, Annie and Genevieve Hocquard.

Prisoners will make a presentation on the history of the veterans at the ceremony.

Dame Anne, National Chair of the Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs), will look around the prison and share her observations with its senior management team.

IMBs provide statutory, independent oversight, monitoring the treatment and care of prisoners and check their welfare and human rights are being upheld.

'State-of-the-art'

The States of Jersey Prison Service says after the renaming ceremony for the residential wings, the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey will officially unveil the new administrative building.

At the request of the prison staff it will be called the Len Norman building, after the former Minister for Home Affairs.

Mr Norman's family will be present for the unveiling.

Prison Governor, Susie Richardson, said: "We're committed to improve the living conditions of prisoners to reduce the risk of institutionalisation, which improves their outcomes on release."

Ms Richardson said there are two final phases of the modernisation project left and once completed Jersey will have a "state-of-the-art prison".