20 April 2017
The Prison (Independent Prison Monitoring Board) (Jersey) Regulations 2017, which were agreed by the States Assembly on 18th January 2017, have now come into effect. The Regulations established the Independent Prison Monitoring Board, which replaces the current Prison Board of Visitors comprised of Jurats.
The new Board will be responsible for monitoring the state of the premises at HM Prison La Moye, the administration of the prison and the treatment of prisoners. Members of the Board will make frequent visits to the prison to check the conditions and treatment of prisoners to ensure that their human rights are being observed and upheld.
In accordance with the Regulations, the Minister for Home Affairs has appointed Andrew Baudains as Chair of the Board, and Lesley Toms as Deputy Chair. The Minister has also appointed the following individuals as members of the Board
- Gillian Martindale Parsons
- Laura Cardinal
- Sheila Ponomarenko
- Vivien Vibert
- Lynnette Blade
- Jessica Mulholland
- Alexandra Reid
All the appointments are for an initial period of four years. Membership of the Board is undertaken on an honorary basis.
Minister for Home Affairs, Deputy Kristina Moore, said “I wish to express my sincere appreciation to those Jurats who, as members of the Prison Board of Visitors, have provided exemplary honorary service to our Island over the past six decades. Jersey, and the States of Jersey Prison Service in particular, owes them a deep debt of gratitude.
“I am very pleased to appoint the new members of the Independent Prison Monitoring Board and I wish them well for their first term in office. In serving on the Board, the new members are maintaining Jersey’s great tradition of honorary service and I am grateful to them for undertaking these important roles.”
Deputy Governor of the States of Jersey Prison Service, Nick Watkins, commented “On behalf of the States of Jersey Prison Service, I wish to acknowledge the very important role that the Jurats have undertaken during their tenure, one that they have performed with a great sense of responsibility, understanding and commitment.
“We look forward to working closely with the members of the new Board in the years ahead.”
Chair of the Independent Prison Monitoring Board, Andrew Baudains, added "I am delighted to have been appointed as the first Chairman of the new Independent Prison Monitoring Board. There was significant interest in the advertisement for Board Members and we have been fortunate to appoint a good mix of high calibre Board Members who have a broad range of skills and experience.
“The new Board is currently receiving a comprehensive induction training programme and we are keen to build on the work that has been undertaken for many years by the Prison Board of Visitors. The Independent Prison Monitoring Board will be developing a comprehensive monitoring programme across the whole prison and we look forward to working closely with both prisoners and staff members."
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