AS I was shown into the cells of rapists and child molesters to see the different types of accommodation available, from single and double cells to the ‘penthouse suite’ for a prisoner who was a mentor, I had an urge to run but Sue Gibson put me at ease.

Sue has worked with sex offenders at Risley Prison for 16 years and last year won a national award for her outstanding contribution to working with offenders.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown wrote to the prison officer last month, praising her dedication in preventing sex offenders from re-offending through her creation of a peer mentoring scheme and establishing links with other prisons.

This has resulted in an increase in offenders getting treatment and a reduction in prisoners denying their offences.

Walking around the wing with Sue, I was overwhelmed by the inmates’ respect for the matriarch.

She said: “Working with sex offenders is rewarding. It’s about motivating them to do the programme, move on to a category D prison and hopefully they don’t re-offend.

“We have eight prisoners per group who have committed different sexual offences and they all challenge each other – we know that people respond more to peers and recognise their own actions by looking at others.

“The mentoring scheme means a prisoner can speak to someone who has gone through the treatment and receive advice and support.

“My greatest achievement was the first prisoner who agreed to be a mentor – he came to the prison in denial and had a lengthy sentence of more than 10 years.

“He wasn’t going to do the group but changed his mind and then went on to help others. He told me he felt like a better person after he completed the course because he could understand why he did it and identify risks for himself in the future.

“For most men it is very daunting to go into a group environment and talk about something you have probably never spoken about and possibly denied.

“Sexual offenders have been on the bottom of the ladder in the eyes of prisoners and we have tried to address that by separation so they feel safe and not abused – if they are made to feel like a victim then they are not likely to address the issues surrounding their own victims.

“I also liaise with other prisons to move prisoners around to get them on programmes they need.”

She added: “Research shows that the programmes work. A study by Nicholaichuk found that 14 per cent of rapists treated will go on to re-offend compared to 42 per cent of those untreated, while 18 per cent of treated child offenders will re-offend compared to 62 per cent of those untreated.

“Also, research shows that if offenders are treated after their first offence they are less likely to re-offend.”