Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner praises custody welfare volunteers

The Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) have been involved with the revamp of the library in Mansfield’s custody suite, sourcing a haul of donations including easy reads, picture books, informational books and comics for vulnerable detainees.

Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Caroline Henry said: "Our ICVs are passionate about delivering the highest possible standards of police detention and work in partnership with officers and the ICV scheme manager to ensure time in custody is as positive as possible, with appropriate resources for reflection and distraction.

"The revamp of our custody libraries is one of the many ways our ICVs make a difference to their communities and uphold the dignity and respect of those in custody.

"I'm incredibly proud of all the team, particularly given the challenges of the pandemic and the changes this has brought to their visits. Throughout Covid, our ICVs have continued to carry out appropriate visits and telephone checks to custody workers and detainees to ensure health and safety requirements are being met and we value immensely their feedback and observations.

"Keeping Nottinghamshire safe involves a whole number of roles and responsibilities, many of which are undertaken by volunteers from our community. I am incredibly grateful for their support and commitment."

One of the ICVs involved in the library revamp was Diane Bialek, who appealed to colleagues and her personal network to secure book donations.

She said: "I was really excited to be invited to contribute to this project, improving the existing library by sourcing suitable books for vulnerable detainees, particularly those with learning difficulties, children and detainees who read in different languages.

"Just a small gesture of a book can help manage time in custody positively and hopefully leave the reader with some kind of benefit."

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