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HMP Highpoint

Published:
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Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Highpoint by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (16-27 October 2023)

Highpoint healthy prison scores

Bar chart showing prisoner outcomes at HMP Highpoint by healthy prison area in 2023 compared with 2019. Safety had remained reasonably good, respect had remained good, purposeful activity had dropped from reasonably good to poor, rehabilitation and release planning had remained not sufficiently good.

What we found

One of the largest category C training and resettlement prisons in England, Highpoint was failing to deliver its core purpose to prepare men for their return to the community.

The prison held just under 1,300 men, many convicted of offences related to drugs or violence. Category C prisons should support men to develop skills that will enable them to find work and resettle successfully in the community on their release. But inspectors rated the provision of purposeful activity as ‘poor’. There were not enough places for men to attend education, training and employment and staff shortages meant the well-resourced training facilities for motor vehicle mechanics, plumbing, catering, digital skills and barbering were unused at the time of the inspection.

More than a third of adults released from prison are known to reoffend within a year. With rising prison populations, and people serving longer sentences, it is essential that we address this. That can only happen if prisons fundamentally refocus to become places of rehabilitation, education and training that equip people to move on from offending and take their place in society. There was much to admire about Highpoint, which was safe, well-maintained and had excellent relationships between staff and prisoners. But, like too many other prisons, its work on education, training and resettlement wasn’t good enough.

Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons


Action plan