Inmates to wear own clothes at new South Staffordshire prison

Friday 14th October 2011, 11:30AM BST.

Inmates to wear own clothes at new South Staffordshire prison

Inmates at the new £150 million prison being built in South Staffordshire will be allowed to wear their own clothing instead of jail uniforms to boost their self-esteem, it was revealed today.

The controversial move is part of regulations from G4S – the private firm that will run the prison when it opens in Featherstone.

The company allows all its prisoners to wear their own clothes, instead of traditional jail issue neutral trousers and sweatshirt.

But South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson said he had “serious reservations” about the policy.

“Instinctively, I don’t think it’s the kind of move I would want to see,” he said.

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  1. 1
    antony j

    why not???
    they are already pampered enough eh???

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  2. 2
    Bobwolf

    What a load of tosh!!! they should wear prison uniforms…there really is no excuse for some of this PC rubbish that comes out.

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  3. 3
    Holiday Camp!

    Is this some kind of joke, allowed to wear own clothes!?
    How much more like a holiday camp do they want to make it! Make sure there are enough plasma’s & Xboxs!!

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  4. 4
    colin

    Why stop there, make sure they have Sky, a nice flat screen TV IPhone 4 and why not latest Ipad?? should cheer them up.

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  5. 5
    Beaker

    It’s no wonder there is so much crime around these prisons are like holiday camps and the prisoners are so pampered. What do the victims of their crimes get to boost their self esteem? It’s about time prisoners were treated as such, work them hard and make them stand out in a crowd so everyone knows what scumbags they are. Perhaps if they felt embarassed about being labelled a criminal they would think about their actions when they decide to do their next crime.

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  6. 6
    smelly

    what idiots have come up with this

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  7. 7
    Mark

    What????????? They are in prison for a reason, not to bolster their self esteem like some new age hippie retreat. Good grief, why not put their victims in gaol and let the cons have their victims houses for a few years, that makes just as much sense. Self esteem my big fat rear end!!!!!

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  8. 8
    Ian Bisbey

    Although I dont agree with prisoners being allowed to wear their own clothes, as they are already a huge burden to the taxpayer, perhaps this is one way of saving a bit of money.

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  9. 9
    Andrew Wood

    i think it is fair to let them wear there own clothes

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  10. 10
    old lag

    be putting on tak aways and pub outtings soon

    joke ?

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  11. 11
    Thehoffsleftsock

    Sounds like shrewd move for private company to save money but prob charge us the taxpayer for uniforms for the prisoners, prisoners, let’s explore that word, they are in jail because they have been convicted of a crime in a court of law, how about we boost the self esteem of the victims of crime, by getting the convicted criminal to pay back all compensation and court costs for the crime THEY committed, rememeber nowadays jail is the final option, all this will end up is a fashion parade for designer clothes and items stitched into the lining (drugs, mobile phones, weapons you get the drift), make them wear pink like sheriff Joe Apollo in America, the majority do not go back to jail after proper hard labour, enough said I’m had enough of our soft society, I’m off to hug a hoody

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  12. 12
    tipton wolf

    why not it would save taxpayers having to pay for govt issue clothing

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  13. 13
    hmp willenhall

    why not ? lets get em beer and pizzas on weekend nights too and perhaps new cars ready for when they come out . note goverment tut tut tut get a brain

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  14. 14
    R.C.

    Who are the idiots who make these decisions?

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  15. 15
    Jeff

    This is not at all unusual, most prisons allow prisoners to wear thier own clothes.

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  16. 16
    blackcountrytruth

    Having been to prison this is a wrong move as it will cause more bullying to certain inmates when others can see they have not-so good clothing it make’s them target’s as clothing is as much of a statement inside as it is outside and being in jail you cannot hide from the bullying,only an opinion based on what i have witnessed before.

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