HMP Altcourse was a safe prison with excellent learning and skills provision, but resettlement work needed to improve further, said Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons. Today he published the report of an unannounced short follow-up inspection of the Liverpool jail.

This short follow-up inspection focuses on the progress the prison has made in implementing recommendations made at its last full inspection in 2010, rather than providing a complete picture of the establishment. HMP Altcourse had made progress in many aspects, particularly in the quality of staff-prisoner relationships that underpinned much of its good work.

Inspectors were pleased to find that:

• the prison remained safe, with a relaxed but appropriately controlled atmosphere;
• prisoners at risk of self-harm received good support;
• services for substance misusers had much improved;
• the environment remained very good and was testament to efforts by both staff and prisoners to maintain a decent living space;
• staff-prisoner relationships were excellent;
• the management of equality and diversity had improved;
• the learning and skills opportunities remained a strength and further improvements had been made or were planned; and
• some resettlement provision, such as helping prisoners with accommodation, debt issues and maintaining links with family, was getting better.

However, inspectors had some concerns:

• anti-bullying processes were still not sufficiently robust;
• problems with mental health diversion services from North Wales courts meant that the prison managed some prisoners with serious mental health conditions, whose needs would have been better met in a secure mental health setting; and
• resettlement work was not yet based on a needs analysis of the population and there was still no adequate custody planning for short-term convicted and remand prisoners.

Nick Hardwick said:

‘Altcourse remained a very effective local prison. Resettlement work had improved, although more still needed to be done in this area.’

Michael Spurr, Chief Executive Officer of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), said:

‘Altcourse continues to offer a safe environment with impressive learning opportunities and strong relationships between staff and prisoners, and I am pleased that its continuing progress has been recognised in the Chief Inspector’s report.

‘The Director and his staff will work to use the recommendations in the report to build on the progress that has already been made and address concerns raised around the areas of resettlement and custody planning.’

Notes to editors:

1. View the report. (519 kB)
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. This unannounced short follow-up inspection was carried out from 15-17 October 2012.
4. HMP Altcourse is a category B core local prison holding sentenced and remanded adults and young offenders. It is fun by G4S.
5. Please contact Barbara Buchanan at HMI Prisons on 0207 035 2102 if you would like more information or to request an interview with Nick Hardwick.