An Overnight Stay Centre
| DOI | 10.1177/026455057101700307 |
| Date | 01 September 1971 |
| Published date | 01 September 1971 |
| Author | Claire Keeble |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
88
AN
OVERNIGHT
STAY
CENTRE
Mrs.
Claire
Keeble
THE
Overnight
Stay
Centre
is
for
the
use
of
visitors
to
prisoners
where
the
journey
cannot
be
made
in
one
day.
It
is
situated
in
the
Probation
Office
at
Newport,
Isle
of
Wight,
and
consists
of
a
large
room
containing
five
single
beds
and
two
cots.
The
beds
are
partitioned
off
by
curtains.
Each
~bed
space
includes
a
locker
for
clothes,
and
a
bedside
lamp.
The
room
is
heated
with
electric
storage
heaters
which
have
to
be
supplemented
during
the
very
cold
weather.
Because
some
children
ran
around
rather
heavily
a
carpet
was
pro-
vided,
which
has
helped
to
make
the
room
comfortable
and
gives
a
very
good
impression
when
somebody
arrives.
There
is
only
one
washbasin
situated
in
the
toilet
to
serve
the
Centre.
It
is
about
adequate.
There
is
a
large
kitchen
downsta,irs
where
the
residents
can
-have
breakfast.
As
the
probation
building
has,
in
its
time,
been
an
orphanage
and
a
school,
it
will
be
appreciated
that
the
kitchen
is
roomy
and
with
suflicient
space
to
make
eating
there
quite
pleasant.
A
welfare
officer
at
Parkhurst
Prison
is
responsible
for
co-ordinating
the
bookings
made
by
other
welfare
officers
at
Parkhurst,
Camp
Hill
and
Albany
Prisons.
A
system
has
been
devised
for
notifying
all
concerned,
including
the
probation
officer
in
touch
with
the
family.
The
Centre
opened
in
June
1968.
There
was
considerable
opposition
from
probation
oflicers
in
prisons
who
felt
that
this
accommodation
was
not
necessary;
from
local
outside
probation
oflicers
who
thought
that
their
office
routine
would
be
disturbed;
and
from
members
of
the
public
who
thought
their
rates
were
being
used
for
the
wrong
purpose.
In
fact
it
got
off
to
a
slow
start.
Two
voluntary
organisations
were
involved
for
a
time,
one
in
making
beds
and
preparing
breakfasts,
and
the
other
in
meeting
families
from
the
~ferry
and
driving
them
by
car
into
Newport.
The
breakfast-makers
and
the
bed-makers
felt
that
they
were
becoming
redundant
because
most
families
preferred
cooking
their
own
breakfast
instead
of
being
regimented
to
appear
fully
dressed,
and
washed,
at
8.30
a.m.
The
lady
deputed
to
make
the
beds
felt
that
she
wanted
to
do
work
where
she
would
meet
more
people.
This
chore
has
now
been
undertaken
by
the
cleaning
lady
who
does
the
probation
offices,
an
arrangement
which
has
worked
well.
As
regards
meeting
families
from
the
ferry,
this
soon
proved
impract~ical
because
a
lot
of
frustration
was
caused
when
families
arrived
late,
or
did
not
arrive
at
all.
A
compromise
has
now
been
reached
whereby
families
are
encouraged
to
take
the
bus
unless
for
reasons
such
as
old
age,
ill-health
or
young
babies,
they
make
a
special
request
to
be
met,
giving
their
time
of
arrival.
The
practical
questions
of
running
the
Overnight
Stay
Centre
were
gradually
left
to
me
(it
should
be
explained
that
I,
my
husband
and
two
children
live
in
a
flat
at
the
top
of
the
probation
office
so
there
ifs
somebody
living-in
the
whole
time).
I
enjoy
the
work
very
much,
welcoming
the
prisoners’
wives,
showing
them
the
accommodation,
leaving
tea,
coffee,
Ovaltine
and
milk
to
have
whenever
they
feel
like
it
and
encouraging
them
to
eat
uninhibitedly.
My
aim
is
to
~make
them
feel
at
home
as
much
as
possible,
making
sure
above
all
that
when
they
have
children
and
babies,
they
do
not
feel
they
are
being
a
noisy
nuisance.
I
lay
their
breakfast
and
clean
the
cooking
utensils
when
they
have
gone.
No
problems
have
arisen
from
two
visitors
sharing
the
accom-
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