F.08 Request access to facilities to assist in study

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Criteria for access to facilities for study

  1. Access to facilities for study may be provided so far as is reasonably practicable, and consistent with the maintenance of safety and security requirements to any prisoner who has been approved to undertake study.
  2. Access to facilities is available only up to the conclusion of the prisoners study. If access to facilities is required in relation to new study, or a continuation of the course for new paper/s, a further application must be made.

F.08.01 Application for access to facilities for study

  1. The prisoner must make a request for facilities to assist in study by seeking an interview with the unit PCO.
  2. Prisoner’s File Notes is updated, that a prisoner has requested such facilities.
  3. At the meeting with the PCO, the prisoner must complete Sections A and B of F.08.Form.01 Application for access to facilities to assist in studies.
  4. The unit PCO must sign and date the completed Section A of the application and provide a copy of this to the prisoner.

F.08.02 Considerations for access to facilities

  1. Upon receipt of F.08.Form.01 Application for access to facilities to assist in studies, and before determining the application, the prison director must consider the following:
    1. the maintenance of public safety
    2. the fair, safe, secure, orderly and humane management and care of prisoners
    3. the maintenance of security and good order within the prison
    4. the extent to which the prison is able to reasonably provide such facilities to prisoners within existing resources;
    5. the impact on other prisoners’ access to facilities and the fair use of facilities by other prisoners
    6. the impact on the good management of the prisoner, and
  2. The prison director must also consider the following if the prisoner has requested access to a computer:
    1. resources (including hardware, software, support and supervising staff) currently available within the unit and the prison
    2. the availability and cost of accessing specialist resources to monitor use of the computer
    3. whether there is a demonstrated need to access computer facilities, for example, arising from the likely volume of documentation involved, a requirement for data manipulation, or a personal characteristic of the prisoner
    4. whether the demonstrated need could be met by other means
    5. the willingness of the prisoner to accept and comply with
      1. time limitations
      2. use restrictions
      3. searches of the computer and related items for objectionable material or other misuse.
    6. any previous non-compliance of the prisoner with such conditions
    7. any history or concerns about the prisoner in respect of electronic communication equipment or other unauthorised items
    8. any security issues or other concerns relating to the prisoner
    9. any security issues or concerns relating to the use of a computer in the unit / prison
    10. the type of offences committed by the prisoner and the prisoner’s previous conduct (e.g. offences relating to fraud, or possession of objectionable material, concerns about witness intimidation etc)
    11. the prisoner’s IDU status.
  3. The prison director must also consider the following if the prisoner has requested access to study research material, such as text books, periodicals and news articles:
    1. the ability of the prisoner to access that material by other means (for example, through the course provider)
    2. whether the requested material is available within the prison and if not the likely cost of obtaining that material
    3. whether the prisoner agrees to and does meet the cost of obtaining the material
    4. the resources required in terms of staff time to access the requested material.

Note: Prison directors should refer to this section’s policy every time they are required to consider an application requesting access to facilities to assist in study.

F.08.03 Prison director declines request

  1. The prison director records on the application his or her reasons for declining the request for all or some of the facilities in relation to study.
  2. The prison director forwards the application to the unit PCO, who informs the prisoner that their application for access to facilities to assist in study has been declined.
  3. The prisoner must be informed that they can have this decision reviewed through the prisoner complaints process, or by contacting the Inspector and / or Ombudsman. A copy of the declined application is given to the prisoner.
  4. PCO ensures that the prisoner’s File Notes is updated.
  5. The prisoner must be given a copy of the completed application (F.08.Form.01 Application for access to facilities to assist in studies), and the original completed application is to be placed on the prisoner’s file.

F.08.04 Prison director approved request

  1. The prison director must complete section C of F.08.Form.01 Application for access to facilities to assist in studies, providing reason for approving the use of facilities, and setting the condition for there use, i.e. type, number, frequency, and duration of the approved facilities to be provided.
  2. If the prison director has approved the use of a computer the prisoner director must complete section D “terms and conditions for use of personal computer” of the application.
  3. Before access to facilities for study are provided, the prisoner must sign sections C, and D (if applicable), confirming that they accept and will abide by the conditions set out in these sections.
  4. PCO ensures that the prisoner’s File Notes is updated
  5. The prisoner must be given a copy of the completed application (F.08.Form.01 Application for access to facilities to assist in studies), and the original completed application is to be placed on the prisoner’s file.