HMP Durham had many strengths but the pace of progress was too slow and it was not safe enough, said Peter Clarke, Chief Inspector of Prisons. Today he published the report of an unannounced inspection of the local jail.

HMP Durham, in the city centre, dates from the early 19^thcentury. It serves courts in the North East and Cumbria and holds just under 1000 prisoners in often overcrowded accommodation. Nearly half of those held were remanded or serving short sentences. The high levels of need among the population were clearly evident and a significant challenge. During the inspection, inspectors were told of plans to designate Durham as a reception prison with the principal purpose of holding remanded and unsentenced prisoners. Previous inspections, and this more recent inspection, acknowledged the many positive features of the work done at this prison. The pace of progress, however, has been slow. The prison was still not safe enough. The prison’s work to help prisoners resettle back into the community had deteriorated, as had education, skills and training provision for prisoners.

Inspectors were concerned to find that:

• four prisoners had taken their own lives since the last inspection in 2013 and there was a further tragic death the week following the inspection. The prison was trying to learn lessons from those deaths and men in crisis said they felt well cared for;
• although levels of violence remained broadly unchanged and most incidents were low level, more prisoners said they felt unsafe at the prison than during previous inspections;
• just under half the prisoners when surveyed said that illicit drugs were readily available in the prison;
• arrangements when prisoners first arrived at the prison were generally poor, which was a major risk in a prison responsible for receiving those new to custody;
• the use of force had increased threefold, and levels were now higher than at similar prisons;
• although communal areas were reasonably clean, cells were often overcrowded, dirty and not properly equipped;
• 47% of prisoners were locked up or not purposefully occupied during the core day and although most prisoners benefited from some time out of cell in the morning or afternoon, not enough was done to ensure prisoners attended work, training or education;
• many prisoners were transferred on from Durham without a completed assessment of the risks they posed; and
• the work of the two community rehabilitation companies (CRCs) and the offender management unit was not integrated well enough.

However, inspectors were pleased to find that:

• staff-prisoner relationships were improving and inspectors observed commendable interaction and care by many staff, as well as disinterest and lack of care by others;
• the provision of health care was reasonable with some excellent mental health interventions;
• substance misuse services were very good;
• the quality of teaching and training was good and achievement was high on most courses;
• public protection arrangements were robust; and
• work with the children and families of prisoners continued to be a real strength.

Peter Clarke said:

“This is a disappointing report. The prison had many strengths, not least a strong local identity and generally friendly staff, but the culture was not as constructive or purposeful as it should have been. It was striking how little had changed since our last inspection, with a passivity, even complacency, about what was needed to take the prison forward. Plans to redefine the prison’s role and purpose arguably provide an opportunity to develop greater momentum towards improvement.”

Michael Spurr, Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service, said:

“The illicit supply of psychoactive drugs has undermined safety in Durham and tackling this, with the support of the Police, is a priority for the Governor.

“As HMI Prisons say, assaults have fallen since the last inspection and robust arrangements are in place to keep the public safe, but there is more to do.

“The Governor has already taken action to address concerns about reception, first night care and self-harm.  Additional staff are also being recruited at Durham and across the Prison Service to improve prisoner supervision and support and I’m confident that with these resources in place the Governor will be able to significantly improve the performance of the prison.”

– ENDS –

Notes to editors:

1. A copy of the full report, published on 7 March 2017, can be found here.
2.  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.
3. HMP Durham is a category B local establishment for adult and young adult male prisoners.
4. This unannounced inspection was carried out from 3-14 October 2016.
5.  Please contact Jane Parsons at HM Inspectorate of Prisons press office on 020 3681 2775 or 07880 787452 if you would like more information.