Prison blasted for issues
HMP DURHAM CRITICISED IN INSPECTORS’ REPORT
HMP Durham has received a damning report saying it has “significant problems” with drugs, violence and “worryingly” high levels of self-harm and drugrelated deaths.
Durham became a reception prison in 2017 and has on average 118 new prisoners each week, with around 70% of the 900 men in the jail either on remand or subject to recall.
A report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons, which is an independent inspectorate, says violence at the prison had doubled since the last inspection in 2016 and the use of force by staff had increased threefold.
However, the report says some of the increase in force may have been due to new staff who were not yet confident in using deescalation techniques.
Governance of the use of force had improved.
It says a significant number of inmates arrived at the jail feeling depressed or suicidal and selfharm was very high.
Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: “There were some very early signs the level of violence was beginning to decline but it was too early to be demonstrable as a sustainable trend.”
Mr Clarke said the overriding concern was lack of safety.
He added: “Since the last inspection in October 2016, there had been seven self-inflicted deaths.
“It was disappointing to see the response to recommendations from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (which investigates deaths) had not been addressed with sufficient vigour or urgency.
“There had also been a further five deaths in the space of eight months where it was suspected illicit drugs might have played a role.”
Drugs were readily available in the jail and nearly two-thirds of prisoners said it was easy to get drugs - 30% said they had acquired a drug habit since coming into the prison.
“These were very high figures,” Mr Clarke said, though the prison had developed a strategy to address the drug problem.
Inspectors noted there were “many positive things happening at the prison”, including the introduction of in-cell phones and electronic kiosks on the wings for prisoners, which had “undoubtedly been beneficial.”
The disruption caused by prisoners needing to be taken to court had been reduced by the extensive use of video links.