Prison
Service
Order
Public Relations
ORDER
NUMBER
0050
Date of Initial Issue
Click on Number for link to reference
04/07/03
PSI Amendments should be read before and in conjunction with PSO
Date of Further
Amendments
Amendments can be tracked in the Numerical Index.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
Purpose
CHAPTER 2 KEY ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY
The Prison Service Public Message
CHAPTER 3 INFLUENCING OTHER AGENCIES
CHAPTER 4 DEALING WITH THE MEDIA
National Media
Local Media
CHAPTER 5 OVERIDING PRINCIPLES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The purpose of this Prison Service Order is to set the Service’s, public relations
policy at national and local level, and to introduce the key elements to delivering the
Prison Service public message successfully.
DESIRED OUTCOME
An understanding of the Prison Service’s work by the public and balanced and fair
press coverage has a beneficial effect on staff morale. It also provides reassurance
to the wider public, including the friends and relations of prisoners, that the Prison
Service is dealing with properly with its prisoners.
MANDATORY ACTIONS
There are a number of mandatory actions included in this Prison Service Order.
RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS
There are no immediate resource implications with this PSO.
IMPLEMENTATION DATE:
Immediate.
Director
Phil Wheatley
Area/Operational Manager
N/A
Further advice or information on this PSO or the systems contained within it
can be sought from:
Secretary to PSMB – 020 7217 6591
Press Office 020 3334 3517
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
Purpose
1.1
At a national and local level there is intense public interest in crime, criminals
and prisons. The media tend to reflect that interest and have a particular
interest in stories, which can be presented as “scandals”. This can include
misrepresenting events that we would describe as normal, and through that
looking to discredit the Government of the day.
1.2
Media and public relations strategies must take account of a number of
factors that surround the work of the Prison Service. The work done within
the Service is difficult, often involves balancing competing priorities and has
at its core careful risk assessment and risk management designed to protect
the public, by holding prisoners securely, and reducing the risk of
re-offending. The Prison Service works with many other agencies on a
regular and close basis and is politically accountable through the Prisons
Minister and the Home Secretary to Parliament.
1.3
Any media and public relations strategy must take account of these factors.
The operation of the Prison Service will never be risk-free and therefore we
need to prepare for handling some perceived “failures”. Much of the good
work that is done will not be readily visible simply because it consists of
stopping the occurrence of events which would, if they happened, be
newsworthy. Whatever we do by way of communication with the public or
other agencies must be compatible with our political accountability.
1.4
An understanding of our work and balanced and fair press coverage has a
beneficial effect on the morale of staff. It also provides reassurance to the
wider public, including the friends and relatives of prisoners, that the Prison
Service is dealing properly with its prisoners.
1.5
A successful public communications strategy must not simply rely on the
media but must include direct communication with key stakeholders and key
influencers of public opinion.
1.6
Local and regional media are likely to have a special interest in their own
areas establishments. Because they need a good supply of local stories, they
will usually be prepared to work co-operatively with those who regularly
supply them.
The national media are much less likely to develop
relationships with either individual prisons or with the Service’s leadership and
they will probably wish to cover only high profile events and stories and link
them you wider criminal justice issues. The national media are also more
likely to look for political capital.
1.7 There are a range of specialist publications covering activities from dog
ownership and training to computing which may have an interest in stories with a
Prison Service angle and who will be more likely to be interested in in-depth
articles rather than high profile “stories”.
CHAPTER 2 KEY ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY
The Prison Service Public Message
2.1
It is important that the Service has a public message that is entirely consistent
with reality. We need to be clear about the complexity of our work and the
degree of risk we manage and the conflicting priorities that must be
accommodated. Some of the key points of this message:

Staff have a difficult job but carry it out professionally.

We run prisons which are safe, decent and humane.

We do work with prisoners to reduce the risk of them re-offending in order to
prevent the next victim. This work is evidence based and done well but does
not provide a certainty that re-offending will not occur.

We treat prisoners fairly and we must ensure decisions are taken lawfully with
due account to prisoners’ rights under the Human Rights Act.

A wide range of staff work in prisons and prisons themselves work in
partnership with other criminal justice agencies and many other voluntary
sector partners.

Running prisons costs money. The money is used as efficiently as possible
and much of the money spent on prisons is recycled in the area around the
prison.

There is independent inspection of prisons, regular monitoring by the
Independent Monitoring Board and prisoners can make complaints by their
legal representatives, direct to MPs to the Prisons Ombudsman and to the
European Court of Human Rights. We welcome this degree of monitoring
which ensures that what we do is always visible and always checked on by
those who are independent of the prison.

Prisons are improving year on year in many areas

The overriding motivation of all our work is to protect the public.
CHAPTER 3 INFLUENCING OTHER AGENCIES
3.1
At Headquarters all Directors must ensure that, within their Directorate, there
is a planned strategy for communicating the Prison Service public message in
the context of their Directorate to the other agencies and to those we work
with that help form public opinion. This includes Prison Service contact with
pressure groups, speeches done by Directors to other organisations or where
other organisations are represented.
3.2
At establishment level, Governors must replicate the same approach,
ensuring that they use any occasion where they are able to speak in public to
the same effect and that, in their dealings with other agencies, they try to
ensure the same consistent set of messages (adjusted to take account of the
individual circumstances of their establishments) are consistently
communicated. Governors must identify key local opinion formers, including
local MPs and, by providing access to the prison and information wherever
possible, help them to know about and understand our work.
CHAPTER 4 DEALING WITH THE MEDIA
National Media
4.1
Press Office policy is to secure serious broadcast media and press interest in
doing both hard news and in-depth pieces which help to explain the
complexity of the Prison Service’s task.
4.2
Press Office will endeavour to place the stories in the national media which
are consistent with the national message and will use the range of specialist
publications so that use is made of this part of the media.
4.3
Whenever there is a critical story or we might reasonably expect a story which
is critical, it is vital that the facts are established quickly and accurately. If it is
reasonably likely that the media will run such a story it may often be better
that it is announced by the Service than discovered by the press forcing the
Prison Service into reacting after the event.
4.5
Establishments, Area Managers and other parts of Headquarters have a duty
to identify such events and must ensure Press Office is informed promptly
with accurate information.
Local Media
4.6
Governors may deal direct with their local media and only need refer for
advice to Press Office if they believe particularly difficult issues are raised or if
they think there is a reasonable prospect that the interview or access they are
about to give will be taken up by the national media.
4.7
Governors are encouraged to get to know and deal co-operatively with their
local media and to help them to identify and print or broadcast stores which
are compatible with the Prison Service’s overall messages.
CHAPTER 5 OVERIDING PRINCIPLES
5.1
All national press handling, whether done by Headquarters or by
establishments, must be cleared with Press Office and should be consistent
with the overall Service message.
5.2
All establishments must recognise the need for media handling to be part of
their responsibilities.
5.3
Staff must all be alert to the potential of both positive and negative stories
deal with Press Office accordingly.
5.4
There must be no communication with the media which is critical of, or
inconsistent with, Government policies.
5.5
All dealings with the public and media must be done on the basis of accurate
information.
5.6
Whenever a spokesperson is required as a result of a local initiative that
requires an input at a local level it is a matter for the Governor to decide who
represents the Prison Service. At Headquarters, or where a contribution is
required at a national level, the Director General will decide who represents
the Prison Service in consultation with Press Office. In many cases, the
press will expect to deal direct with the Governor or, at national level, with the
Director General or another member of the Board. There is no objection to
more junior staff dealing with the media providing their behaviour is consistent
with this policy and they have the necessary skills to do the work required.