People, not houseplants, make ‘Scandi wing’ work       

In March, Inside Time exclusively revealed plans for ‘Scandinavian-style’ wings at two London prisons, Pentonville and Wandsworth. They are up and running – and Raymond Smith is the first journalist to visit one.

Earlier this year I asked Pentonville’s Governing Governor, Simon Drysdale, if I could visit his prison’s newly-announced ‘Scandi-style’ wing. He agreed, but said I should wait until the unit was fully up and running. So, six months later, I met with Governor Aron Fill, Pentonville’s Head of Residence, who is in charge of the unit – now called Unity – and he showed me around.

Unlocked Graduates, the charity which trains prison staff, devised the concept based on the Scandinavian system, to see what happens when you recruit prison officers according to values, train and develop them effectively, and give them autonomy to make decisions. Zones within Wandsworth and Pentonville were set up. There would be a settled staff team, but no additional resources from the Ministry of Justice for capital work.

Unity is on floors four and five of F-wing, landings which previously held people who needed separating from the main prison population because of offences or prison debt. When I was a prisoner at Pentonville, I would see men from there insulted as they passed through to elsewhere in the building. An unhappy reputation. Pentonville’s Vulnerable Prisoners wing was relocated in 2024, and now these cells are in use for this important experimental initiative. 

As we passed out of E-wing, Mr Fill opened the connecting door. To my surprise, we entered a large sports hall. This is part of F-wing, and two of the wing officers are qualified to run games between prisoners. 

The history was fascinating. Mr Fill told me that prior to World War Two, this was a cellblock. But after Pentonville was bombed in 1941, with the loss of 17 lives, the then-governor had the zone rebuilt as classrooms and a high-ceilinged games area.

We entered Unity. The floor was being washed. I stepped on to the newly scrubbed surface, watched by the cleaner. He gave me a resigned look as I trampled on the area he had just finished, told me to be careful not to slip, and started to redo it. I hope he could sense I felt guilty. 

As Mr Fill took me to meet officers, I met Unity resident Greg. He told me that he is a ‘Two-Striker’, serving a life sentence passed under a now-defunct law. Two-Strike life sentences were replaced in 2005 by IPP (Imprisonment for Public Protection). Two-Strikers, Greg feels, are forgotten, even by IPP campaigners. We talked again later.

Then I met members of the staff team. I already knew two of the officers, Mr Wales and Ms McCraken, from their work on other initiatives at Pentonville. I also met two Custodial Managers, Mr Odejimi and Ms Mattison-Weekes. Unity officers are encouraged to innovate, and Mr Fill seeks to ensure their ideas are pursued. For instance, Officers McCraken and Wales had trained as sports co-ordinators. Mr Wales introduced a debating course, and Ms Mattison-Weekes a scheme to give out birthday cards. The staff went to Sweden to see the concept working, and some visited a ‘Little Scandinavia’ wing in the US state of Pennsylvania. 

The unit holds 70 men. On the day I visited, there were 61, as some had transferred away. Prisoners are selected for the unit at random, not based on their behaviour (apart from one man who was unsettled on the wings; it was felt that a move to Unity might help him). People have the choice to refuse if selected, in which case they are replaced by another random pick. They can also transfer back.

Staff sickness levels in Unity are half what they are in the rest of Pentonville, as officers feel motivated and safer. Whilst on paper the ratio of staff to men is the same as in the rest of the prison, fewer absences mean that in practice there are always more officers present. A research programme across Pentonville and Wandsworth will report in December, but early analysis shows assaults falling by 45 per cent, self-harm by 57 per cent and general disorder by 62 per cent. Men in Unity want jobs and work hard. “Genuine purposeful activity,” said Mr Fill.

The little extras – kitchens, flowers, birthday cards – might attract attention, but really this is about a culture of mutual respect.

CM Mattison-Weekes gave me a tour. The walls were painted and clean, but nothing elaborate. I saw potted houseplants in cells, comfortable chairs and tables on the wing for board games and relaxation, and a kitchen equipped with grills and microwaves. She said some men offer to take turns to cook for the others. People can eat together if they want. Prisoners are given alarm clocks for their cells, to help them get to work or education on time. But apart from these little luxuries, the wing looks similar to any other. Staffing and attitudes make the difference. Mutual respect. 

I learned that the regime allows men on Unity extra time out of cell, but otherwise discipline is the same as in the rest of the prison, including Mandatory Drug Testing and adjudications. Anyone causing difficulties can be moved off the unit.

I will highlight two of the men I spoke with. One was Greg, the Two-Striker. He showed me his cell, which he decorated himself. He said he recycled the materials. It has striking walls, a painted brick red floor, artwork everywhere. Pentonville Prison is Grade II listed, but I think Greg’s cell deserves a listing of its own. 

Greg describes Unity as “officers and prisoners working side-by-side to reshape the culture within the jail, men co-existing with no turf wars.” He adds: “Officers give up their time to research best practice.” 

A man I will identify as “J” introduced himself to me as “the project”, the man selected specifically. He had been in Unity for a month but told me he was not settled. While he felt he had improved, it was not as much as he hoped. He had not got a job; when he was offered one he took time to think about it, and by the time he decided to accept it, he found it had been reallocated. He could not decide whether to ask to move or keep trying.

J, like everyone else there, is on remand. He has been convicted and is awaiting his sentence. He misses his child. It is difficult for those on remand to settle into routines, as they are likely to get shipped out at any time. I will be keeping in touch with J and Greg.

To me, Greg is right. The little extras – kitchens, flowers, birthday cards – might attract attention, but really this is about a culture of mutual respect. There are excellent prison officers in every prison, and I know others within Pentonville across different wings. I hope that Unity’s approach spreads. It is a credit to Mr Fill and his team, to Governor Drysdale who agreed to host it, and to Unlocked Graduates. This shows how prison can help people turn their lives around.