10 things I learnt from the Chief Inspector of Prisons Annual Report for 2023/24

6   Deteriorating residing circumstances

Inspectors raised issues about residing circumstances at 16 grownup males’s prisons and located a worrying image of decay. Though extra predictable at Victorian prisons, there had been a big decline at a number of open prisons, in addition to at  two excessive safety prisons.

A wide range of issues had contributed to this decline, however chief amongst them was an absence of funding in ageing infrastructure and an incapability to fee or undertake constructing work. Far too many buildings and methods wanted upgrading, and the continued existence of evening sanitation in some prisons was unacceptable.In too many institutions, leaders had didn’t set excessive sufficient requirements for prisoners and employees. Wings have been soiled, cleansing routines had been allowed to lapse and generally prisoners didn’t have easy accessibility to cleansing tools.

7  Launched homeless

Inspectors continued to seek out prisons struggling to supply lodging help for prisoners, together with some which have been releasing prisoners regardless of not having a resettlement perform. For instance, Lindholme – not a resettlement jail – had launched 86 prisoners throughout the earlier 12 months and Lowdham Grange, with no resettlement perform or housing employees on website, had launched 80.

At Dovegate, knowledge confirmed that within the earlier 12 months 29% of the sentenced prisoners launched had no lodging. At Bedford, inspectors have been involved to seek out that 30% of prisoners have been launched homeless and 42% to unsustainable lodging.

8   Drift and decline in circumstances for youngsters

The newest figures present the Youth Custody Service spent £197 million caringfor round 500 kids – considerably greater than £300,000 per little one. But inspectors typically discovered wasted sources as academics, well being care employees and resettlement caseworkers have been unable to entry kids because of shortages of frontline operational employees or assembly rooms.

There was an absence of accountability for failures, regardless of giant senior groups; for instance, at Cookham Wooden there have been 24 senior leaders in an institution holding simply 77 kids.

9  Courtroom Custody

Detainees have been largely optimistic about their remedy in court docket custody and inspectors famous varied enhancements this 12 months, together with some rising employees confidence in utilizing decoding companies to speak with non-English talking detainees.

Provision for neurodivergent detainees, nonetheless, wanted enchancment, and much too few court docket custody services have been accessible for these with disabilities.

Regardless of discovering some incongruous and extreme looking out and handcuffing, drive was used occasionally, was usually low degree and de-escalated shortly, and oversight was bettering.

The oversight and consciousness of safeguarding have been additionally a lot improved, as was the remedy of most youngsters.

Provided that the court docket custody service was additionally beset by employees shortages, that is a formidable set of findings.

10   Bucking the pattern

Regardless of the numerous challenges, inspectors discovered some prisons that managed to be protected, respectable and productive. Inspections this 12 months of seven open prisons revealed part of the property that was usually performing effectively, whereas reviews on Preston, Swansea and Leicester confirmed that even probably the most overcrowded Victorian reception prisons might be protected and respectable. Prisons holding males convicted of sexual offences have been additionally doing a fairly good job, though purposeful exercise was not adequate in any of them.

Because of Andy Aitchison for form permission to make use of the picture on this submit. You may see Andy’s work right here