Year 13 law students recently visited Dartmoor Prison to find out more about this aspect of the criminal justice system. Having previously visited magistrates and Crown Court, they discovered what happens to convicted defendants once the judge says ‘Take them down’. Life for the newly convicted was graphically described for students by prison staff, who gave a clear picture of the difficulties and opportunities available to prisoners. Staff from the health care unit explained that many of the inmates arrive with mental health problems: and there are serious anger management issues to be addressed. The fact that the prison population is aging leads to further challenges for staff, with some prisoners suffering from dementia and some long term inmates so institutionalised they would find life outside almost impossible. Students came away with a much clearer picture of life inside Dartmoor, and were very grateful to all the staff who gave up their time to speak to us.
