HMP Northumberland – safer but failing in its rehabilitative duty
HMP Northumberland, a category C resettlement prison in the north east of England was safer than during the last inspection in 2017, according to prison inspectors. However, the provision of meaningful work, education and training was lacking, and inspectors were particularly disappointed with limited rehabilitative opportunities and poor oversight of public protection. Staff shortages had severely impacted the prison’s ability to fulfil these crucial functions.
Overall, we found Northumberland to be a settled and reasonably decent prison. Leaders were capable and visible and had analysed the prisons strengths and weaknesses adequately. However, staff shortages, attrition and levels of absenteeism were a concern, and some staff suggested to us that they felt their well-being had been neglected.
Violence at the prison, which at the time of the inspection held 1,335 adult men, had declined considerably and was now lower than at similar prisons. Prisoners surveyed said they felt safer – only 12% reported feeling unsafe at the time of the inspection. Violent incidents were thoroughly investigated, and appropriate action taken as a result. Although work to prevent self-harm and suicide was being rightly prioritised, it was still in its infancy and inspectors found that not all life-threatening acts of self-harm had been investigated by the prison leaders.
Mr Taylor said that the prison had “lost its way” in rehabilitation and release planning. Vacancies in the offender management unit were compounded by regular redeployment to wing operational duties, and consequently the staff remaining on the unit had high caseloads and were unable to provide prisoners with proactive support. There was no onsite forensic psychology team, and other offending behaviour work was also limited – the delivery of the prison’s three accrediting programmes had been delayed due to staffing issues and some prisoners were going before the Parole Board unable to prove that they were addressing their risks.
Staff shortages were also affecting the provision of purposeful activity. Unemployed prisoners made up a fifth of the total population and had only two hours out of cell, although the regime for those in purposeful activity was better at around seven hours a day unlocked. There were too few places in education and attendance was low. Colleagues at Ofsted reported that the overall quality of education, skills, and work activity ‘required improvement’.
Mr Taylor concluded that leaders must focus on “defining and delivering the prison’s core rehabilitative mission and ensuring the entire staff complement were committed to this endeavour.”
Notes to editors
- Read the HMP Northumberland report, published on 14 December 2022.
- HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate, inspecting places of detention to report on conditions and treatment and promote positive outcomes for those detained and the public.
- HMP Northumberland was created following the merger of HMP Acklington and HMP/YOI Castington in October 2011. It became part of the contracted prison sector on 1 December 2013 and occupies a large site.
- HMP Northumberland is a category C resettlement, training and working prison for men.
- At the time of this inspection, the prison held 1,335 prisoners.
- Inspectors identified three examples of notable positive practice during this inspection.
- This inspection took place between 22 August and 8 September 2022.
- Please email media@hmiprisons.gov.uk if you would like more information.