Want to spend time in a police custody suite?

The office of the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner wants to recruit volunteers to a role which helps ensure prisoners’ rights.

It wants people to become independent custody visitors which would only take up a few hours per month.

Independent custody visitors check on the treatment of people in police custody as well as the conditions in which they are held and that their rights and entitlements are being observed.

A custody visitor is required to visit a custody suite a couple of times a month for up to two hours and report their findings back to the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

The volunteers work as part of a team and are accompanied at all times by a fellow independent custody visitor.

A spokesman for the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner said: “This is a flexible position, where they decide alongside their partner when the visit is made, at any time of the day or night.

“Independent custody visitors must maintain their independence and impartiality. They do not take sides but look, listen and report on what they find in the custody suite.

“During a visit they will have access to the entire custody area, including the cells, detention rooms, charge rooms and medical room to check detainees have been offered their rights and entitlements under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

“They must treat everything that they see and hear on their visit as confidential.”

Applicants must be over 18 years of age, and live or work in South Yorkshire.

Full training will be given and out of pocket expenses paid.

An application form can be obtained, along with more information, at www.southyorkshire-pcc.gov.uk or by calling 0114 296 4150 before the closing date of Friday, May 12.