Kate visits prison to learn about charity’s addiction work with prisoners

HMP High Down is a category C men’s prison and young offender institution which is home to around 1100 prisoners.

The Princess of Wales, Patron of The Forward Trust, arrives for a visit to HMP High Down in Surrey (Jonathan Brady/PA) (PA Wire)

The Princess of Wales has arrived at a Surrey prison to learn how inmates are being supported by a charity to recover from their addictions.

Kate is touring HMP High Down in Surrey ahead of Addiction Awareness Week to hear about the efforts of The Forward Trust she supports as patron.

The theme of this year’s Addiction Awareness Week is “Everybody Knows Somebody”, which aims to highlight the vast array of people across society who are affected by addiction.

The princess will shadow a family during a normal visit, starting with the security procedures that must be followed before visitors are allowed to enter the institution, a Category C men’s prison and young offender institution housing around 1,100 prisoners.

She will hear about the impact this has on families and will learn about the recent efforts HMP High Down has put into practice to make the experience more positive for children in particular.

Later serving prisoners working with The Forward Trust will discuss with Kate their experiences and the support they are receiving from the charity and prison.

The Forward Trust delivers a range of services at HMP High Down, tailored to meet the needs of the men who reside there.

They include The Bridge, an intensive abstinence-based programme, Stepping Stones, a low to medium intensity intervention for those whose alcohol or drug consumption is at harmful or dependent levels, and Family Ties, a course of workshops focused on restoring healthy communication and trust between loved ones.

Before leaving Kate will visit The Clink, an on-site restaurant which trains prisoners in hospitality, where she will meet with former prisoners and Forward Trust alumni.