New visitor centre opens at prison

The centre is aimed at the majority of prisoners, about 70 per cent, who are serving a sentence of 12 months or less and are not supervised once they leave.

Their rate of offending is significantly higher than those who do get supervision by probation staff.

The new centre, in a modified building attached to the front of the jail, offers services to inmates and their families, from agencies including the local primary care trust, a family intervention programme run by Barnardos and the Hull Council-run Minerva project looking at housing and work opportunities.

Head of community and business engagement at the jail Mark Grasby said: "A lot of people would like a society where criminals are locked up and the keys thrown away but the fact is the vast majority are coming out to live in the community with us. It's either do something to assist them with changing or we are happy to stick with what we have got."

Mr Grasby said the centre offered a "route into mainstream services", not just for the prisoner but also for some families.