Promoting healthier lifestyles for prisoners - National Audit Office

Inspiring exercise – it’s not all about weight training!l Promote “Walking your Way to Health”, possiblythrough letting prisoners borrow pedometersto encourage them to walk more frequently orfor longer distances.l Publish (anonymous) successes on postersaround the prison as well as in the gym.Did you know?> The range of facilities available at the 44 prisonsresponding to the NAO survey 6 include:l 91 per cent have dedicated gymnasium withCV/fitness suite and 98 per cent have dedicatedweight training facilities;l 91 per cent have a sports halll 46 per cent have outside grass pitches but only25 per cent have all-weather pitchesl 29 per cent have bowls facilitiesl 87 per cent have an exercise yard for walking> The cost of providing physical education per prisonervaried from £392 at a male, local prison to £1085 at aYoung Offenders Institution (2004-05).> Although 43 per cent of prisoners undertook someform of organised physical education activities inprison, this ranged from 11 per cent in a largecategory B male prison to 87 per cent injuvenile male institution. The averagewas 2.4 hours per week.25