HMP Manchester was coping well with a challenging population and making progress, said Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons. Today he published the report of an unannounced inspection of the local jail.

HMP Manchester, once known as Strangeways, is a local prison which also holds a small number of high risk prisoners. The overcrowded Victorian prison held a complex and challenging population. The normal pressures of a local prison – a high churn in the population and a high incidence of mental health and substance abuse problems – had to be managed alongside the need to hold its small, high risk category A population safely and securely. Its last inspection in 2011 was very positive about the prison and the quality of its leadership, although there were some concerns. This recent inspection found that HMP Manchester had maintained many of its previous strengths and, despite signs of the pressures the prison system as a whole is under, had made progress in addressing those concerns.

Inspectors were pleased to find that:

• an experienced senior management team was coping well with staffing shortages, preparing the prison for its new role as a resettlement prison and re-commissioning health and substance misuse services;
• there were high expectations of prisoners;
• security arrangements remained very effective and facilitated, rather than restricted, the regime;
• the use of force was low and subject to much better supervision than inspectors often see;
• poor conditions in cells were mitigated to some extent by good relationships with staff and most prisoners spent less time locked up than in many local prisons;
• health care was generally good and health promotion was excellent;
• the quality of learning, skills and work was good and prisoners achieved well;
• there were enough activity places for most of those required to work and the prison continued to encourage a good work ethic; and
• practical resettlement services were generally good and through the gate substance misuse services were very good.

However, inspectors were concerned to find that:

• the number of self-inflicted deaths remained high, but the prison was much better focused on preventing these and learning lessons from each incident and care for those at risk of self-harm was good;
• more prisoners said they felt unsafe than at the last inspection and there were more violent incidents, although both of these were lower than at comparable prisons;
• the prison held some men with profound disabilities and struggled to meet their basic needs;
• too many prisoners were doubled up in small cells designed for one with inadequately screened toilets and some cells were damp;
• prisoners from black and minority ethnic groups and Muslim prisoners reported less positively about relationships than the population; and
• there were insufficient programmes to directly address prisoners’ attitudes and behaviour.

Nick Hardwick said:

“HMP Manchester is one of the best large, inner city Victorian prisons and we have now found this to be so over two inspections. We still have some significant concerns and there is more the prison needs to do, but it has solid, longstanding strengths. It is better placed than most to continue to make progress and weather the pressures ahead.

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

“I am pleased that the Chief Inspector has identified HMP Manchester as one of the best inner city prisons they have inspected. It holds a challenging population and provides a positive regime promoting purposeful activity and a strong work ethic.

“The report identifies areas where further improvement is required and the Governor and her staff will use the report’s recommendations to address these over the next 12 months.”

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 Manchester is a core local prison holding male prisoners received from the Greater Manchester courts as well as category A offenders, and with a discrete close supervision centre.
4. This unannounced inspection was carried out from 27 October – 7 November 2014.
5. Please contact Jane Parsons in HM Inspectorate of Prisons Press Office on 020 3681 2775 or 07880 787452 if you would like more information or to request an interview.