HMP Onley – staffing crisis hinders prisoner progress
HMP Onley, a category C training and resettlement prison in rural Northamptonshire, was now a safer prison, but acute staffing shortages were having a severe impact on the provision of activity and progression for prisoners, according to inspectors.
Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of Prisons, described the staffing situation as “one of the worst” he had seen on inspection. He said:
“The prison was unable to deliver a proper category C regime. Out of a population of 732, less than half were working or attending education, and because the prison was operating a split regime even these prisoners were only spending half the day off the wing. Moreover, this restrictive regime wasn’t always being carried out; short staffing was leading to it being frequently curtailed, a situation that was worse during the weekends.”
The quality of education was poor and the curriculum did not meet the needs of prisoners in a training and resettlement prison. Prisoners were not effectively allocated to work, training, and education and attendance was too low.
The offender management unit was not providing good enough support to prisoners, many of whom told inspectors that they rarely saw their prison offender manager.
Inspectors were pleased to find that good work had been done to tackle violence, and violent incidents against prisoners had reduced by 65%. The updated violence reduction strategy identified that most incidents were caused due to limited time out of cell and poor access to work. Fewer prisoners than at the last inspection reported that drugs were easily available at Onley.
Mr Taylor said:
“Lower levels of violence, and the end of the COVID-19 restrictions, offer a springboard for leaders at Onley to open up the regime and motivate prisoners, many of whom have become indolent after two years of lockdowns, so that the prison can really fulfil its function as a category C prison. Unless the dire staffing situation improves however, it is hard to see how this can be achieved.”
Notes to editors
- Read the HMP Onley report, published on 7 September 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 Onley is an adult male category C prison.
- At the time of this inspection, the prison held 732 prisoners.
- Inspectors identified two examples of notable positive practice during this inspection.
- The inspection took place between 23–24 May and 6–10 June 2022.
- Please contact Ed Owen at ed.owen1@hmiprisons.gov.uk if you would like more information.