HMP Bure was a safe and decent prison, but the way it managed the
risks prisoners posed needed to improve, said Peter Clarke, Chief
Inspector of Prisons. Today he published the report of an
unannounced inspection of the Norfolk prison.
HMP Bure is a category C training prison and national resource
for sex offenders, holding just under 650 prisoners. Previous
inspections have always reported positive findings and this
inspection was similar. The prison continues to ensure some very
good outcomes, though there were concerns regarding the approach
to risk management and resettlement.
Inspectors were pleased to find that:
- Bure remained a safe and respectful prison, with low levels
of violence;
- security was applied proportionately and segregation and use
of force were used sparingly;
- living conditions were decent and staff-prisoner
relationships were generally good; and
- virtually all prisoners had a good amount of time out of cell
and there was sufficient work, training and education for
all.
Inspectors were, however, concerned to find that:
- although few prisoners self-harmed, support for those with
complex and ongoing needs was weak;
- as a national resource for sex offenders, the prison had no
resettlement function and very limited resources to support
reintegration and resettlement back into the community. Too few
prisoners were being transferred to their home area prior to
being released, and about 100 prisoners had been released
directly from the prison in the preceding six months; and
- Bure held many high-risk prisoners, yet offender management
was far too variable and more attention needed to be paid to
comprehensive risk management planning prior to release.
Peter Clarke said:
“Bure was a safe and decent prison, but weaknesses in offender
management and resettlement – requirements which should be at the
very heart of the prison’s purpose – undermined its success and
overall effectiveness. We have made a number of recommendations
which we believe will assist further improvement.”
Michael Spurr, Chief Executive of HM Prison & Probation
Service, said:
“The Governor and her staff at HMP Bure deserve credit for
providing a positive regime for prisoners in a safe and
respectful environment, which provides a solid foundation for
successful rehabilitation.
“Work is already underway to address the weaknesses identified in
offender management and resettlement support and the Governor is
using the recommendations in this report to drive progress in
these areas”.
