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Poor staff-prisoner relationships at the heart of problems at Guys Marsh

Published:

Already-inadequate conditions at HMP Guys Marsh were deteriorating further, with fractured relationships between staff and prisoners creating a negative culture, an inspection has found.

Rates of violence at the Dorset prison were high and rising, with a third of prisoners feeling unsafe at the time of the inspection, and the widespread availability of illicit drugs presenting an ongoing threat to stability and safety. The rate of self-harm was very high, exceeding that of all other category C prisons. The use of force was among the highest in similar jails, with some staff too quick to resort to it, a third lacking up-to-date training in restraint, and inconsistent use of body-worn cameras. The governor was focused on improving standards, but issues with staff absence, retention and inexperience meant progress had been too slow.

Chronic underinvestment in the prison had resulted in power outages, water entry into cells, and black mould on ceilings and walls. The heating frequently broke down and too many showers were out of use. New prisoners spent their first night in dirty cells lacking basic amenities and were not always provided with food or a free telephone call. Systems for prisoners to get things done and raise concerns did not function well and there was no effective strategy to make sure different groups were treated fairly. These day-to-day problems contributed to prisoners’ overriding sense of dissatisfaction and the poor relationships in the jail.

Despite Guys Marsh’s role as a training prison, around three in 10 prisoners were locked in their cells during the working day. There were not enough places in English and mathematics to meet prisoners’ needs and too many were unemployed. Not enough was being done to promote reading across the prison.

Guys Marsh was not performing well when we inspected it in 2022 and it has declined since then. We found a range of problems that – given the poor relationships between staff and prisoners and high levels of staff absence – will be very challenging to address. The well-respected governor has a clear vision for improvement, and has already taken action to address poor performance and strengthen processes to manage staff absence. A national initiative to build staff skills was due to start at Guys Marsh during 2025, which was encouraging, and the new group director was focused on supporting the governor to turn the jail around and restore its purpose.

Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons

Notes to editors

  1. The inspection of Guys Marsh took place between 6 and 16 January 2025.
  2. Guys Marsh is a category C training and resettlement prison near Shaftesbury in Dorset. At the time of our inspection up to 487 adult men could be held.
  3. The report, published on 15 April 2025, can be found on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website.
  4. 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.
  5. Please email media@hmiprisons.gov.uk if you would like more information.