Duchess visits offenders in addiction treatment unit at women’s prison

The Duchess of Cambridge has heard the uplifting stories of offenders battling their addictions in a unique unit within a women’s prison.

Kate sat down and chatted with the female prisoners and ex-offenders during her first trip to a jail – HMP Send near Guildford, Surrey.

A group of prisoners eat, sleep and receive treatment for their addictions within a self-contained building run by the charity RAPt (Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust) at the prison.

The Duchess is patron of the charity Action on Addiction and through her involvement with the organisation is aware that substance dependency lies at the heart of many social issues.

Send was in lock-down when Kate arrived and with its immaculate gardens, tended by the inmates, the complex of two-storey cell blocks had a tranquil air.

Kate was dressed for the occasion in a grey dress by The Fold, and before she met the prisoners had a private meeting with Dave Charity, the prison’s deputy governor, Mike Trace, RAPt’s chief executive, and other senior figures from both organisations.

Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2015, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Wire.