Prison Retail Service

Tender description

Lot 1: The Retail service is a critical operational function within the prison estate where by prisoners can supplement their daily provisions by purchasing items using their own cash. The contract provides a range of products from foodstuffs to toiletries which are picked and packed at several workshops located within prisons. The workshops pick c.66,000 orders per week and provide employment places for approximately 520 prisoners daily, who are supported by the supplier by providing guidance, support and training. By employing prisoners, the service provides a key tool in maintaining prison order through productive labour but also supports one of HMPPS’ and MoJ’s key strategic objectives of rehabilitating prisoners as they have an opportunity to learn vocational skills and gain real-world job experience that can be used to gain employment on release. The service aims to deliver orders in a timely, efficient manner while ensuring that prison security policies (national or local) are never contravened. Financially a key aim of the service is that it is self-financing and that the service overheads are covered through the cost of sales. The service must not exploit the customer (prisoner) population and instead should be an opportunity both to play a key role in the operation of a prison environment and providing opportunities for re-skilling and resettlement on release (e.g. job interviews, offers of work).