HMP Humber, formed from the merger of two prisons, had seen some deterioration during this period of change, and needed to improve, said Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons. Today he published the report of an unannounced inspection of the resettlement prison near Hull.

HMP Humber is a large category C prison, formed by the merger of HMPs Wolds and Everthorpe. The prison is operated by the public sector. HMP Wolds, which had previously been run by G4S, moved to the public sector in April 2013 and the merger of the two prisons took place in April 2014. A secure corridor, which creates a physical link between the two sites, opened in April 2015. This is the first inspection of HMP Humber. Market testing and the merger had been a protracted process, the opening of the secure corridor had been delayed and during this period of uncertainty, many aspects of the running of the two sites had deteriorated. Cultural differences between the two establishments were still evident during the inspection, as were some divisions among staff. The new governor and his team had started to recover lost ground.

Inspectors were pleased to find that:

• most prisoners said that staff treated them with respect and that they had someone to help them with a problem, which provided an excellent base on which to improve outcomes across all areas;
• fewer prisoners said they felt unsafe, which inspectors felt reflected the strong and supportive relationships between staff and prisoners;
• efforts to improve support for prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm were starting to have a real impact;
• a new substance misuse provider was starting to develop a good range of support for prisoners;
• living conditions were reasonable;
• time out of cell was good and there was very little slippage in the regime;
• arrangements for release on temporary licence were robust; and
• resettlement support was mostly good.

However, inspectors were concerned to find that:

• the prison was not sufficiently safe and many procedures designed to underpin prisoners’ safety were underdeveloped;
• incidents of poor behaviour by prisoners were common, some were serious and the number of assaults on staff was high;
• the availability and use of illegal drugs were too high and there were major challenges with the use of new psychoactive substances;
• the use of force was too high and its oversight needed urgent attention;
• equality and diversity work had collapsed, but the governor had recently put in place a structure to address the needs of the protected characteristics groups;
• there was a shortfall in the number of activity places available for the population and not all the available places were fully used; and
• the quality of offender management work varied.

Nick Hardwick said:

“Humber was a prison undergoing major change. The merger had been traumatic and prolonged, and some aspects of the management of the process could have been better. Managing the introduction of new providers in health, substance misuse and resettlement added considerably to an already complex picture. Change on so many fronts was a significant factor in many of the poor outcomes we have reported. However, the good relationships between staff and prisoners provided a solid foundation on which to build. The work the new governor had started was having a positive impact on outcomes for prisoners, but it was too early to see the benefit of many very recent initiatives. We had some confidence that progress would continue to be made but the challenges were significant and the prison would need some significant support from the Prison Service if outcomes were to improve.”

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

“The Governor and staff at Humber have managed significant change following the merger of two prisons and are now starting to make real progress in establishing an effective regime.

“This includes a comprehensive plan to improve safety, over 100 extra work and training places and a new abstinence and recovery wing to help prisoners with substance misuse issues.

“The Chief Inspector recognised the prison’s commitment to improve and staff will be fully supported to do so.”

 

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 Humber is a category C resettlement prison for adult men.
4. This unannounced inspection was carried out from 13-24 July 2015.
5. Please contact Jane Parsons at HMI Prisons press office on 020 3681 2775 or 07880 787452 if you would like more information or to request an interview.