HMP Springhill was doing good work, but was struggling to sustain aspects of its core resettlement function, said Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons, publishing the report of an unannounced inspection of the open prison in Buckinghamshire.

HMP Springhill holds category D prisoners, many of whom are nearing the end of long sentences for serious offences. Fundamental to its purpose is the resettlement of these prisoners into society and a key tool in that endeavour is the managed use of release on temporary licence (ROTL).

In July 2013, a prisoner released from Springhill on temporary licence committed murder. This incident, along with two others, rightly caused significant public concern about ROTL. ROTL is a vital tool in the successful rehabilitation of prisoners and failures are rare. However, the consequences of failure can be extremely serious so the process needs to be managed with the greatest care. Springhill had responded and reviewed its arrangements, leading to important changes in the way prisoners were assessed and managed prior to ROTL. The procedures were more robust, resource intensive and took longer. The safety of the public has to come first but the delays caused frustration among prisoners and had the potential to undermine the work of the prison. Despite this, the prison had still managed to deliver 14,000 individual ROTL events in the previous six months which was vital in allowing prisoners soon to be released the opportunity to reconnect with their families or to become used to real work. However, inspectors were not assured that the Governor and his staff had the resources to sustain these changes and this required urgent attention.

Nick Hardwick said:

“Springhill was still dealing with a disastrous set of circumstances that had struck at its central purpose. The prison was, however, well led and while the prison was clearly under pressure, staff were responding positively to the challenges they faced. Key staff were working hard to ensure that more robust systems for the assessment of prisoners were in place, and that there were arrangements for ROTL that could command public confidence. However, getting this right was difficult; relationships were being impacted and staff in some roles were very stretched. The safe resettlement of offenders at the conclusion of their sentences matters, and this work needs to be resourced sufficiently and be done properly.”

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

“The tragic murder of Graham Buck by a prisoner on temporary release from Springhill in July 2013 led to a fundamental review and tightening of temporary release arrangements at Springhill and across the Prison Service.  I’m pleased that the Chief Inspector has concluded that procedures are now more robust and that Springhill has responded positively with more intensive risk assessment processes now in place.

“As the Chief Inspector makes clear temporary release is an essential tool to support effective rehabilitation for prisoners – but public safety is our top priority and we will ensure that Springhill and all open prison establishments have the resources to undertake the more rigorous assessment process we now require.”

Notes to Editors:

1. Read the report.
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 Springhill is a category D open establishment with a resettlement function for adult males.
4. This unannounced inspection was carried out from 6-15 May 2014.
5. Please contact Jane Parsons on 020 3681 2775 or 07880 787452 if you would like more information or to request an interview.