HM Prison Pentonville

• THE Butler Trust are a charitable organisation that celebrate the outstanding work carried out by staff in prisons, probation and youth justice.

On September 29 the trust launched a “Hidden Heroes Day” to acknowledge the often unseen work carried out by those who are in these settings.

As governor of HM Prison Pentonville I wanted to publicly acknowledge the role played by the staff here particularly during the global pandemic.

We have all rightly celebrated the outstanding work carried out by National Health Service staff during this crisis.

However prison staff have continued to put their health at risk and go the extra mile to help those in our care throughout this.

Being contained communities, the risk of infection in a prison setting is elevated. Like other key professions staff have had to face worries of taking the virus home.

However they have also had the added pressure of dealing with the anxieties and concerns of prisoners, many of whom were worried about their own health and of loved ones.

Despite the risks the staff of Pentonville have risen to the challenge. Many staff and prisoners became ill and two much-loved colleagues died from Covid-19.

The response of Pentonville staff has been nothing short of heroic and I have been proud to lead them during this.

Pentonville is a prison which is often in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. However this crisis has seen them at their finest and I consider them to be true hidden heroes.

IAN BLAKEMAN
Governor, HMP Pentonville