Decision Report 201600776

Summary

Mr C complained that, as a protection prisoner, he was not being given reasonable opportunities to apply for a work party with enhanced wages. He specifically noted that a new enhanced work party had been created and two protection prisoners had joined this, without the opportunity being opened up to all protection prisoners.

The prison explained that the new work party was previously being run as an education class and a decision was taken to convert it to a work party on account of the work that was being produced. As such, it was considered appropriate to offer the roles to existing members of the education class who were already carrying out the work.

We were satisfied that this was a discretionary decision that the prison were entitled to take. The prison assured us that any future vacancies on the work party would be advertised. We concluded that the prison acted reasonably in the circumstances and did not uphold the complaint.