This section of the website is for students who are about to undertake a placement in a prison

It has been designed to help you understand what to expect from the prison environment, and to give hints and tips on how to get the most from your experience

Our information and guidance is below.

Prison is a unique environment and it is usual to feel a little apprehensive before your visit

When you arrive for your placement you will need to report to the prison gate.  Here officers will ask to see photo ID and will check the log to confirm that you are on the visitor list for the day

You will also be asked whether you have any Prohibited Articles in your posession.  Please check the full list of prohibited items on this website prior to your visit, because if found to be in possession of any of these articles it is a criminal offence

Common items that you need to double check, include mobile phones, memory keys, laptops, tin foil and cling film (check your lunch is not wrapped in these items) and medication (other than for personal use) as these must not be taken into the prison

Once booked in, you will be asked to wait for a member of the healthcare team to collect you from the gate.  This may take some time as healthcare facilities are usually located some distance from the gate so please be patient for the person to come and collect you

Once collected from reception you will be guided to the healthcare department.  This process includes lots of doors opening and closing doors behind which is perfectly normal, but if you are concerned at any point speak to the healthcare manager or your mentor

The list of Prohibited Articles to follow must not be taken into a prison under any circumstances.

To do so is a criminal offence, so please check before you begin your placement that you do not have any of these articles in your posession.  Many prisons operate a Zero Tolerance policy.

Please also note that this is not an exhaustive list, which can vary from time to time and does not reflect prohibited items for category A prisons as these are high secure estates (in the West Midlands Long Lartin is the only cat A prison)

• Mobile phones, bluetooth headsets, SIM cards, chargers and batteries
• Computer memory devices
• Metal cutlery
• Tin foil (please do not wrap lunch in tin foil)
• Cling film (please do not wrap lunch in cling film)
• Glass
• Food (other than for personal use)
• Vinegar
• Medication (other than for personal use)
• Explosives
• Firearms
• Ammunition
• Laptop computers
• Computer software
• CD's
• Rope
• Cameras
• Sound recording device
• Wax
• Weapons
• Magnets
• Aerosols
• Wire
• Drugs
• Toy weapons
• Alcohol
• Game stations with built in modems
• Tools
• Ladders
• Yeast
• Syringes
• Skips
• Videos
• DVD's
• Bleach
• Dustbins
• Solvents
• Alarm clocks
• Glue
• Chewing gum
• Creatine
• Matches
• More than £100 in cash
• Personal audio equipment

During your placement you will come into contact with a range of terms that are prison specific

To help you in your placement, here are 10 common terms you may hear during your placement with an explanation of what they mean;

• Assessment Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) - a document that any member of staff in the prison can open to identify and support a patient who is at risk of suicide or self harm
• Governors- there are different grades of governor within the prison, the Number 1 Governor is the highest ranking but there are also Deputy Governors and Governors with certain remits e.g. head of young people
• Inpatients Unit- some prisons have inpatient departments to support patients with a high intensity healthcare need
• Normal Location- this refers to the residential block or house block where the patient's cell is located
• Outpatients- patients that attend clinics or have their medication dispensed on normal location fall within the outpatients service
• Patrol State- certain times during the day where prisoners are locked behind their doors so are not accessing healthcare services
• System 1- the healthcare computer system used to store medical records
• The Gate- the reception area where staff enter the prison and where all visitors must be booked in
• The Role- the running total of prisoners on a unit at any one time
• Wing- a floor on a residential block

If you have any queries or concerns whilst on your placement you should contact your tutor, clinical placement facilitator or lecturer

This taster day tookit has been designed for University Deans and their School of Nursing colleagues

It is has been written as a guide to introduce prison taster days for students and to view it just click on the link below

If you want any further information on this guide or its implementation please contact Katie Kidd, Workforce Lead, Prisons

katie.kidd@southstaffspct.nhs.uk