HMP Coldingley – good time out of cell but poor living conditions for many
Leaders at HMP Coldingley had balanced managing the risk of COVID-19 with the benefits of providing a good amount of time out of cell, HM Inspectorate of Prisons found. Although the prison was operating within national COVID-19 restrictions, prisoners at the category C training prison in Surrey spent up to seven hours a day unlocked. This was in stark contrast with other jails recently inspected, where they rarely spent more than two hours out of their cells. During checks, inspectors found just 4% of prisoners locked up.
Our visit came as the prison was recovering from a recent COVID-19 outbreak, but leaders had kept the regime open while successfully managing the risk for the 431 prisoners who were being held there.
Despite men spending a good amount of time out of their cells, inspectors identified that only 30% of prisoners were participating in purposeful activity. Ofsted found the prison’s education, skills and training provision to be inadequate.
This was a huge missed opportunity to get prisoners onto productive leaning pathways that would help them to resettle when released. There was also a lack of work opportunities available for prisoners, which meant that some did not have enough to do during the day and were not able to get used to normal working habits. Prisoners were not being sufficiently incentivised or challenged to go to work or attend education and during this inspection.
Inspectors also noted that more than half of prisoners lived in older units, where conditions and accommodation remained poor. They did not have in-cell sanitation, and toilets, sinks and showers were communal. A night sanitation system was still in place in these units and waiting times to use the lavatories were so long that prisoners often had to use a bucket in their cell, where they could not wash their hands. However, leaders planned to carry out extensive refurbishment.
Drugs were also widely available and, in our survey, 38% of prisoners said it was easy to get hold of illicit substances at the prison. Most safety issues related to debt associated with the use of drugs. The prison’s response was not underpinned by an effective strategy or supply reduction action plan. Support for prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm also needed improvement.
Nevertheless, staff-prisoner relationships were strong and prisoners were positive – 82% in our survey said staff treated them with respect.
The effective and thoughtful governor knew his prison well and had well-developed plans in place to make improvements. As the disruption of the pandemic receded, he and his team had the opportunity to build on the excellent staff-prisoner relationships and to focus on making sure that all prisoners spend their time productively, either working or in education. There was also scope for building relationships with local employers, in a part of the country with a buoyant jobs market, to offer release on temporary licence for those prisoners who met the threshold. This would further prepare them for working life and incentivise good behaviour and attendance among the rest of the population.
Mr Taylor concluded that Coldingley was well-run and decent, but that there was scope for further improvement. He stated:
“The governor and his team should be ambitious in aiming to make this prison a model for other category C establishments in the country.”
Notes to editors
- Read the HMP Coldingley report, published on 20 April 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.
- Coldingley opened in 1969 as a category B industrial training prison. It is now a category C training and resettlement prison for adult males, holding mostly long-term, including life-sentenced, prisoners. It is publicly run and is part of the Kent, Surrey and Sussex prison group.
- Inspectors identified seven examples of notable positive practice.
- This inspection took place on 6 and 10-14 January 2022.
- Please email media@hmiprisons.gov.uk if you would like more information.