REAL efforts are being made to improve conditions at La Moye prison, the Home Affairs Minister claimed yesterday – despite the fact that a large number of recommendations made by official inspectors in 2001 have still not been addressed.

The jail was this week described as being ‘in crisis’ by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in England and Wales following an HMI inspection.

Inspectors found that several aspects of the institution were failing, and conditions for some inmates were appalling.

Senator Wendy Kinnard, who has been in office for more than three years, insisted that the jail was to become a top priority, and promised to take the arguments in support of more funding to political colleagues and Islanders.

She denied that the apparent lack of action since 2001 had been because she was losing these arguments as other politicians pressed for the cash to be spent elsewhere, such as on schools.