UK prison looks more like glamping resort as 'calming' garden and 'cosy' pods unveiled

Prisons in the UK are opening 'calming' gardens and 'cosy' pods for stressed out prisoners with the 'radical' change for stressed out lags leading some to describe it as 'outside the box' thinking

At first glance, it looks like a glamping resort for upmarket British holidaymakers.

But our snaps actually show the latest addition to a prison - so-called privacy pods to help inmates de-stress. There is a 'calming' garden, aviary and a sensory chill-out room too. Staff and prisoners can meet up for what insiders call ‘cosy’ chats in the two pods.

They are kitted out with designer-style grey sofas and have won praise for helping reduce tension. And the success of the scheme means similar pods could be installed at other jails. A source said: “This is pretty radical - about as far from a typical old-fashioned prison that you can get.

"But the pods are already generating results. The prison system has been in a mess for years so governors are increasingly willing to think outside the box for ideas to improve things." They have been installed at HMP Drake Hall, home to 340 women in Staffordshire.

They were praised as part of the site’s ‘extremely impressive and innovative’ range of ways to help support the inmates in a report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor. Mr Taylor added: "The jail was safe, respectful and defined by its rehabilitative ethos.

"In each of these three healthy prison tests we judged outcomes to be good, our highest assessment." Prison inspector Jonathan Tickner added the ‘grassy campus’, aviary and glass pods were great for inmates. He wrote: "The attractive grounds contributed hugely to the rehabilitative ethos of the jail and were very different from the usual institutional features of a prison.

"The houses where women lived were scattered across a grassy campus and had the feel of an open prison, which supported much of the good work we were seeing. The aviary provided a calming space for women to meet and spend time with the birds, and the immediate access to greenery supported the lower levels of self-harm than we see at other women’s prisons.

"Outdoor interview pods, where counselling sessions took place, were one of the best features, and were set in the grounds with views of nature." A Prison Service spokesman said: “These pods ensure women can talk privately in counselling sessions. Support like this helps reduce their likelihood of reoffending."

It is a wildly different story to HMP Belmarsh, which The Mirror dubbed Britain's toughest prison earlier this year. HMP Belmarsh is a Category A prison and therefore houses the most dangerous, violent and notorious criminals, from terrorists to drug dealers and sex offenders. Present and past infamous inmates include rapist and former Met officer David Carrick, armed robber Charles Bronson, Soham murderer Ian Huntley and extreme Muslim preacher Abu Hamza.

The jail itself, located next to the River Thames in southeast London, is known as Britain's toughest thanks to the threat those inside its walls pose and there have been a catalogue of gruesome attacks against inmates and prison officers over the years. A recent report reveals almost 300 violent incidents took place in the previous year.

A Prison Service spokesman said: “These pods ensure women can talk privately in counselling sessions. Support like this helps reduce their likelihood of reoffending.”