Read the report: HMP Haverigg

HMP Haverigg, on a sprawling former RAF station in a remote area of Cumbria, was found to have become safer since it changed from a closed training prison to a category D open establishment.

Inspectors visited the prison – holding 310 men, the majority high-risk sex offenders – in May 2021. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor said Haverigg had a troubled history and had been the subject of much criticism from the Inspectorate in recent years, “particularly in relation to safety and control.”

However, in 2019, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) re-designated Haverigg as an open prison. The change coincided with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and “the prison’s response to the pandemic, while maintaining the momentum behind the transition, has therefore been the main strategic challenge for the establishment over the last 16 months.

“It is greatly to the credit of the acting governor, her management team and the staff and prisoners of Haverigg, that they have progressed so well.”

Safety at Haverigg had improved to ‘good’, the Inspectorate’s highest assessment. Much of this success was predicated on good staff-prisoner relationships, a traditional strength at Haverigg, with prisoners in our survey being very positive about their experiences in the prison. There was very little recorded violence or substance misuse. Around 110 prisoners were aged over 55 and inspectors found a calm and relaxed atmosphere at Haverigg.

Staff in turn seemed to inspectors to be greatly relieved that the prison had gained for itself a new lease of life, one that they were embracing, although some expressed anxiety about the need to gain the new skills required for working with the particular type of prisoner now held at Haverigg. Meeting the needs of men convicted of sexual offences was quickly established as the new purpose and specialism of the prison.

Prisoners had very good access to the prison grounds and nearly everyone was involved in some kind of purposeful work or education. Mr Taylor added:

“We were similarly encouraged by the way the prison was sustaining its approach to sentence management, critical risk of harm reduction work and rehabilitative services. As the prison settles into its new role, these services will take on even greater significance.”

The prison, using prisoner labour, was in the process of removing the now superfluous security fencing, as well as other restrictions. “This was not an insignificant task,” Mr Taylor said.

“A workshop had even been created to make use of the reclaimed steel. Similarly, the prison’s extensive grounds were being developed and opened for prisoner access rather than being cordoned off.”

Prisoners were prepared for release through release on temporary licence (ROTL). Local employers spoke highly of the work ethic of Haverigg prisoners but inspectors urged the prison to expand the range of ROTL options to include more high-skilled occupations.

Overall, Mr Taylor said:

“More, of course, remained to be done. Some governance arrangements needed to be tightened up and while prisoners mitigated the worst impact, many accommodation facilities required investment and renewal. The challenge of ensuring a safe but accessible offer of temporary release also needed to be met. These issues, which are supported by our recommendations, do not, however, detract from our encouraging findings. Haverigg is fast becoming a very capable establishment and is progressing to a point where it soon may well be one of the better open prisons in the estate.”

– End –

Notes to editors

1. Read the HMP Haverigg report, published on 1 September 2021.
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 Haverigg was opened in 1967 on the site of a former RAF station and is the only prison in Cumbria. Originally, 350 prisoners were accommodated in the RAF billets, but the addition of new accommodation and the rebuilding of two units following incidents of concerted indiscipline in 1988 and 1999 increased the accommodation. In December 2019 HMP Haverigg was re-categorised from a category C to a category D prison.
4. Inspectors found 15 examples of notable positive practice at Haverigg.
5. This inspection took place between 17 and 28 May 2021.
6. Please contact John Steele at john.steele@justice.gov.uk or on 07880 787452 if you would like more information.