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HMP Exeter Urgent Notification

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HMP Exeter Urgent Notification letter (PDF, 264.2 KB)

Urgent Notification letter, issued on 18 November 2022

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, invoked an urgent notification at Exeter for the following reasons: “There have been 10 self-inflicted deaths in the last four years. This is despite us highlighting our grave concerns at the 2018 inspection before which there had been 6 suicides and in 2016 before which there had been 10. The arrangements for inducting and monitoring prisoners in their first few weeks at the jail, when they are often most at risk, are inadequate… and the supervision from healthcare staff for those prisoners who are substance misusers is poor. The staffing of senior leadership positions has been unstable, with 8 deputy governors and 8 heads of safety since we last inspected… Rates of self-harm at the prison are the highest of any reception prison in England and Wales and in the last year have been 44% higher than they were in the year before our last inspection. In our survey 77% of prisoners told us they had a mental health problem, some of whom arrive in the prison having been returned from secure hospitals, but the provision of mental health care is not good enough, with too few staff to provide adequate support.” For the full list of reasons this urgent notification was invoked, see the letter attached above.

Inspection debriefing paper

HMP Exeter inspection debriefing paper
(PDF, 228 KB)

Action plan

The Secretary of State’s response and action plan (16 December 2022).

HMP Exeter Secretary of State’s reply
(PDF, 85 KB)
HMP Exeter Secretary of State’s Action Plan
(PDF, 174 KB)

Inspection report

Report on the unannounced inspection of HMP Exeter by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (31 October – 11 November 2022).

Read the report