HMP Dartmoor, one of Britain’s oldest jails and home to hundreds
of sex offenders, needs help from the prison service to improve
“shocking” failings in its work to protect the public from the
risk posed by men it releases, according to a report by HM
Inspectorate of Prisons.
The number of sex offenders had doubled over four years as a
proportion of Dartmoor’s population - to 70%, around 440 at the
time of the August 2017 inspection. There were also a substantial
number of men serving long sentences for violence and other
serious offences. It releases hundreds of men each year.
Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said the jail was
well led in many ways but there was “confusion nationally” about
its role. “Our most serious concerns related to resettlement.
Dartmoor was not a designated resettlement prison, which meant it
did not have adequate resources to effectively engage in
pre-release planning.
“Despite this, over 200 men in the year leading up to the
inspection had been released from the prison. Our projections
indicated the number would be even higher next year. In addition,
offender management provision did not ensure that men received
support to reduce the risks of harm they might pose to the public
on release, or that release planning for the highest-risk men was
timely or comprehensive. This was a shocking and totally
unacceptable situation, given the generally high-risk population
being released from Dartmoor.”
The situation was exacerbated by the prison’s inability to move
men to resettlement prisons in the local area and a hiatus in the
delivery of specialist offending programmes for men convicted of
sexual offences. Inspectors found that 511 of the 633 men in the
jail were under MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection
Arrangements), the system for managing risk to the public.
Despite this level of risk, they also found that:
- Release planning for high-risk prisoners “was often
unplanned, rushed and poor.” Far too many men left Dartmoor
either homeless or in very temporary accommodation.
- While national prisons strategy involved transferring men
back to a local resettlement prison three months prior to their
release, this did not happen in Dartmoor.
- There was little provision at Dartmoor for men who were in
denial of their sexual convictions and “too many sexual offenders
were released without having sufficiently addressed their
attitude, thinking or behaviour.”
Dartmoor was established in 1809 and has had many roles within
the prison system, becoming, by 2017, a category C training
prison. Inspectors noted that the prison had taken the “bold
step” of integrating sex offenders and other prisoners, with low
levels of violence.
In the heart of Dartmoor and built on land owned by the Duchy of
Cornwall, the prison remained under threat of closure and local
managers felt this had resulted in a degree of ‘planning blight’,
with a reluctance to invest in upgrading the poor infrastructure.
Some buildings were poor, with pervasive damp in many cells.
Nevertheless, men were found to be generally positive about
the amenities offered, and staff-prisoner relationships were
very good. Some good work had taken place to support disabled and
elderly men at the prison, though a significant investment in
adapting the buildings was needed if these men were to receive
consistently good treatment.
Overall, Mr Clarke said:
“We had significant concerns about the lack of clarity relating
to the prison’s resettlement and risk management
responsibilities, and in particular its inability to carry out
adequate pre-release planning for men being released from the
prison. While we considered Dartmoor to be well led and making
strides in some important areas, it was being hampered by
confusion nationally about its role, doubts about its future and
inadequate resources to do the job it was being asked to do. The
solutions to many of the most significant concerns we raise in
this report are not in the gift of the governor; the active
support of HM Prison and Probation Service is
needed.”
Michael Spurr, Chief Executive of HM Prison & Probation
Service, said:
“Protecting the public is our priority and all high-risk
offenders released from HMP Dartmoor are supervised by the
National Probation Service. The vast majority are released to
approved accommodation and all are seen by their probation
officer on the first day of release to reinforce their licence
conditions. A review of risk management arrangements has taken
place and a new senior probation officer is also already in post
to oversee the management of higher risk offenders. As the Chief
Inspector makes clear the prison is well led and the Governor
will receive the support she needs to address the recommendations
set out in this report.”
- ENDS -
Notes to editors
- A copy of the full report, published on 12 December 2017, can
be found on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website
at: www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons
- 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.
- HMP Dartmoor is
located in Princetown on Dartmoor in Devon. Owned by the Duchy of
Cornwall, it received a grade II heritage listing in 1987. HMP
Dartmoor was established in 1809 to hold French and American
prisoners of war from the Napoleonic and American wars and is now
a category C training prison.
- This unannounced inspection took place between 14-24
August 2017.
