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Reports published 24 March

Published:

Reports on HMP/YOI Deerbolt and HMP Forest Bank.

HMP/YOI Deerbolt

Type of inspection: full inspection

Dates of inspection: 3–19 December 2024

Summary of findings: Illicit drugs were too easily available, with the rate of positive random drug tests high. Evidence suggested violence was on a downward trajectory, but it was still the second highest rate of assault among comparator prisons and self-harm was the highest of similar jails. The over-restrictive and unreliable regime, as well as staff inexperience, frustrated prisoners. Many men were locked up during the working day, struggling to get to activities.

Points to note: Patients faced unacceptable barriers to receiving health care. They were not escorted to appointments, received medicines late and had clinics cancelled. A high number of medical emergencies caused by substance misuse compounded these problems.

Read the report: Deerbolt

HMP Forest Bank

Type of inspection: full inspection

Dates of inspection: 9–20 December 2024

Summary of findings: Prisoner on prisoner assaults were high and too many drugs and other illicit items were getting into the jail despite work to restrict the supply. Time out of cell was reasonably good for prisoners involved in purposeful activity, with those in part-time work typically getting around eight hours a day unlocked, and unemployed prisoners got 4.5 hours out of their cells. More needed to be done to meet the needs of the growing remand and unsentenced prisoner population.

Points to note: Levels of self-harm continued to be high and officer shortages created unacceptable delays in patients accessing emergency hospital care for some acute and potentially life-threatening health conditions.

Read the report: Forest Bank