• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

PRG V1.2 NOMS PRISON RADIO GUIDELINES Contents Introduction Part 1: NOMS Broadcast Requirements Responsibility Requirements Music Foreign Language Content Use of Slang or Colloquial Speech Criminal Activity Suitability for Public Broadcast Submitting Material to the National Prison Radio Service Control of Recording, Data Storage and Transmission Equipment Local Programming Prison Radio Association Part 2: Prisoner Contributions: Controls and Restrictions Allocation to Radio Production Course/ Employment in Local Production Facility Who Can Take Part Identification and Consent Introduction Contained within, guidelines for prison establishments and NOMS Headquarters groups for operation of local radio production facilities and interaction with the National Prison Radio Service. These guidelines set out the responsibilities of any establishment or individual producing content for broadcast on prison radio, whether it is for local broadcast (i.e. to one establishment) or for broadcast on the National Prison Radio Service. It seeks to balance the aims of prison radio to provide prisoners with education and information, and responsibilities, for example, to the security of the Prison Service, including staff, prisoners and anyone connected with them. This document is designed to help those who produce programmes for prisoners to ensure that all content is suitable for broadcast. 1 PRG V1.2 Part 1 – NOMS Broadcast Requirements Responsibility All output must be based on the values of respect, openness and fairness, and must be designed to support time in custody and aid offenders in their rehabilitation and resettlement. Governors and Controllers are responsible for ensuring that all radio content produced in establishments, whether for local or national broadcast is compliant with the NOMS broadcast requirements, and that any contributor has given their written consent to be recorded and broadcast. Governors must approve and sign-off all content prior to broadcast. Compliance and Contributor Release forms, which can be found here; OESS Website. The requirements of this document apply both to material produced for local broadcast and material produced for the National Prison Radio Service. WHO IS LISTENING? Prison radio can be received in juvenile establishments, Young Offender Institutions and adult prisons. 2 PRG V1.2 Requirements All broadcasts on prison radio must be pre-recorded. Live broadcasting is not permitted. All programmes and broadcasts must comply with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code (available at www.ofcom.org.uk). Any person, prisoner or non-prisoner who seeks to make programming for broadcast, must be made aware of this code. Material which must not be broadcast includes, but is not restricted to, that which:- o is likely to cause offence - including the gratuitous use of sexual swear words, words of racist or sexist abuse, derogatory references to faith groups, or otherwise derogatory language o celebrates or glamorises criminal activity or the flouting of the judicial process o is likely to assist, support or incite the commissioning of crime, breach of Prison Rules or lead to disorder o is likely to bring the Prison Service or Prison Radio Association into disrepute or have a negative impact on individuals within or associated with the Prison Service or Prison Radio Association o contains any material likely to cause distress to the victims of crime Music The requirements of this policy apply equally to lyrics in any music broadcast. Particular care must be taken where lyrics are colloquial or difficult to decipher. Foreign Language Content Any content in a language other than English or Welsh must be translated by a reputable translation service, language lab or competent staff member and the transcript provided to the Governor (or designated manager) to ensure compliance with these guidelines. Any foreign language material submitted to the national station must be accompanied by the transcripts. Use of Slang or Colloquial Speech In checking suitability for broadcast, Governors must ensure that the meaning of any slang terms or otherwise ambiguous language has been understood and does not breach any of the considerations of these guidelines. Governors should be mindful of the potential for passing coded messages or networking. Where necessary, advice should be sought from local departments such as security, public protection, police intelligence and diversity managers. 3 PRG V1.2 Criminal Activity No material that celebrates criminal activity or undermines the judicial process will be broadcast. In line with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, no descriptions of criminal techniques which contain essential details which could enable the commissioning of crime will be broadcast. No convicted prisoner will be employed in contributing to a programme relating to his or her own crime unless this is in the public interest. Any reference to ongoing criminal matters or hearings must not be in breach of the Contempt of Court Act. Suitability for Public Broadcast The National Prison Radio Service is transmitted by satellite. While the platform will not be publicised, it can potentially be located and listened to by a person with specialist knowledge. It must therefore be assumed that all material broadcast by the National Prison Radio Service is effectively in the public domain. In checking material prior to broadcast, Governors must bear in mind its suitability for public broadcast, being mindful that this will potentially include prisoners’ friends, families and associates as well as the victims of crime. The prison population is hugely diverse and it follows that not all programming will be of interest or relevance to all. The National Service will endeavour to produce programming to reach and reflect the diversity of the population, including the broadcast of specialist programming where appropriate. Governors should ensure that local programming is not disproportionately biased towards a particular section of the population (such as a particular age group) and that all material is suitable for general broadcast in that, even if it may not be of particular interest to a section of the population, it is nevertheless unlikely to cause offence. In particular, thought should be given to the scheduling of material during the observance of holy days and the principal festivals of the various faiths so that unnecessary offence is avoided by material that might be more acceptable at other times. Care must be taken to protect the vulnerable. Issues surrounding suicide and self harm must only be discussed with great sensitivity and care must be taken to avoid describing methods in any great detail. Governors must be alert to the dangers of making such behaviour attractive to the vulnerable. 4 PRG V1.2 Submitting Material to the National Prison Radio Service All material submitted to the national station, whether as a commissioned work or a speculative submission, must be accompanied by a NOMS Compliance Form found on the OESS Website. In signing this form, Governors are certifying that the material is suitable for broadcast according to the guidelines contained within this document. Governors should note that work submitted from establishments in this manner may not be subject to a further editorial check: the Governor’s authorisation will be accepted as confirming fitness for broadcast. Particularly contentious programming may be sent to the Head of Prison Radio, for sign-off by prior arrangement. This should be agreed prior to commissioning the piece. In creating audio for the National Service, advice should be sought as to the type and duration of audio required, from the Head of Prison Radio. Speculative submissions may not be accepted. Control of Recording, Data Storage and Transmission Equipment Establishments with local production facilities must have a local system to manage access, issue and control of recording and data storage equipment consistent with the Local Security Strategy and Offender Management Act. The Play Out PC allows establishments to switch between the national broadcast and local programming. The Play Out PC should not be accessible to prisoners or members of the public and should have no facility for remote access. Local Programming Specific time slots will be allocated to local programming for those establishments which have audio created for this purpose. Details of how to make use of this facility can be found here. Prison Radio Association The National Prison Radio Service is operated in partnership with the Prison Radio Association. The Prison Radio Association is a registered charity. NOMS has drawn up a partnership agreement with the Prison Radio Association in which they will offer the day-to-day running of the national service at no cost to NOMS. The Prison Radio Association website contains information which content providers may find useful. Other media organisations regularly work in prisons and may offer their services to individual establishments. For more details, contact the Head of Prison Radio. 5 PRG V1.2 2. Prisoner Contributions: Controls and Restrictions Any medium of mass communication in prisons is potentially open to exploitation and must be strictly controlled in order to prevent deliberate or negligent compromise. The nature of radio – the opportunity to broadcast one’s own words in one’s own voice – creates a powerful medium. There must be two levels of control in place – restrictions relating to the material that is broadcast and restrictions relating to individuals’ access to

Load more

  16

Copy Link