Military Corrective Training Centre – an establishment prioritising education and care
Inspectors found a strong rehabilitative culture at the Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) in Colchester, a facility holding service personnel who have been detained under Armed Forces law. At the time of the visit by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in January, the centre held 33 men.
The establishment had maintained the high standards witnessed in our last inspection in 2017, receiving three ‘good’ and one ‘reasonably good’ scores against the four healthy prison tests.
A strong supportive and rehabilitative culture permeated the centre where a well-led and well-trained staff team knew the detainees well and offered very good levels of support and care. A new leader had rejuvenated the education provision which was designed to fill gaps in skills and help those detainees who would return to civilian life.
Ofsted judged the education provision as ‘good’, praising an ambitious leadership and a strong emphasis on developing detainees’ literacy, numeracy, and employability skills. Education centres were closed for just three weeks during COVID-19 restrictions which minimised the disruption to learning.
The focus on providing support and care despite pandemic restrictions was replicated elsewhere. Detainees continued to enjoy long periods of time out of their cells and were able to continue with their usual range of activities. A popular video-calling system had been set up and detainees were given 30 minutes’ free telephone credit each week.
However, inspectors were concerned over considerable gaps in public protection arrangements. Although the centre had improved the oversight of detainees who were discharged into the community after a court martial conviction for a more serious sexual offence, some detainees who had been convicted of violent offences, and who could continue to pose a risk to the public, were released without any community supervision. For the small number of detainees who had committed a sexual or violent offence, there was no systematic assessment of their risk of harm to others, or routine monitoring of their telephone calls or mail, this undermined public protection measures. Victims were also not notified routinely of detainees returning to their workplace.
Nevertheless, Mr Taylor said:
“The MCTC had continued to maintain the high standards we have seen in past inspections and there had been an impressive response to our previous recommendations. Whether they were returning to their units or being discharged, the centre took its responsibilities to detainees seriously with the belief and aim that they could leave their offence behind and be successful.”
Notes to editors
- Read the Military Corrective Training Centre report, published on 5 May 2022.
- HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate, inspecting places of detention to report on conditions and treatment and promote positive outcomes for those detained and the public.
- The Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) is the Ministry of Defence’s single central custodial facility. Staff and detainees are service personnel, although civilians subject to service discipline can also be held. Many of those detained will resume their careers in the Armed Forces when they are released, the rest are discharged from the services and return to civilian life on discharge. Although under Army command, it is a tri-service establishment, with staff and detainees from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, the majority of staff and detainees are from the Army.
- The MCTC can hold up to 323 men, women and children, although the population has rarely exceeded 50 in recent years. The centre can only hold detainees sentenced to a maximum of two years. Those with longer sentences are held only briefly, on their way to prison. The centre may also hold remanded detainees under investigation.
- The inspection took place from 17–18 and 24–29 January 2022.
- Please email media@hmiprisons.gov.uk if you would like more information.