HMI Prisons report on HMP Thameside - "A well-ordered prison that has avoided huge increases in violence seen elsewhere"

HMP Thameside, in south east London, effectively tackled gangs and avoided the huge rises in violence seen in other jails, according to Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. 

In a report on an unannounced inspection, published today, Mr Clarke also noted that despite a very high turnover of prisoners at Thameside, with an average stay of only 36 days, the prison maintained a generally settled and respectful atmosphere.

Thameside, inspectors concluded, offered an unusually high number of good practice points from which others might learn.

Thameside is a modern prison in a group with HMP Belmarsh and HMP Isis in south east London. It opened in 2012 and serves the courts of east and south east London. It is run by Serco and at the time of the inspection, in May 2017, held just over 1,200 prisoners, both sentenced and remand. The prison was last inspected in September 2014. 

Among positive aspects, inspectors noted that: 

• While violence levels were high and had not fallen over the past three years, there had been a small but consistent reduction in incidents of violence, particularly associated with gang activity, in the months before the inspection.
• Overall, Thameside avoided the huge increases seen elsewhere. Maintaining a database of gang affiliations helped keep different gang members apart and avoid potential conflict. The prison had a reasonably calm atmosphere and was well ordered.
• The largest identified security threats to the prison were contraband, violence, escapes, gangs and staff corruption. Links with the police were generally good. Work to tackle staff corruption was also good; three former staff were serving custodial sentences for corruption.

•    Buildings and grounds were mostly in good condition and an AstroTurf football pitch appeared to be in near constant use. The gym was also well-used.

• There was especially good access to showers and in-cell telephones, which allowed prisoners to maintain contact with families. Prisoners were much more positive about the quality and range of meals than HMIP normally sees. There was good use of the ‘virtual campus’ – giving internet access to community education, training and employment opportunities.

Areas for improvement included:

• One prisoner in four said it was easy to get hold of illicit drugs and although there was a focused drug supply reduction strategy in place more needed to be done to reduce the availability of drugs.
• The governance and oversight of use of force were poor, though each month managers discussed officers who had used force more than twice in the previous month, which helped to ensure that force was used appropriately. 
• There were also not enough activity places and attendance was not good enough. Overall, around 55% of prisoners got to activities, which was not enough in a jail of this kind. 
• The very high turnover of prisoners had a direct impact on education and vocational achievements, as too many prisoners were starting courses that they could not complete because of release or transfer. Those who managed to stay on accredited courses achieved well.

Peter Clarke said: 

“Overall, HMP Thameside was a relatively good prison, and we have identified an unusually high number of good practice points from which other establishments could learn. In the current climate, for a local prison to be assessed as reasonably good in three of the four healthy prison tests is a real achievement. The leadership of the prison were clearly committed to making improvements and building on what had already been achieved.”

Michael Spurr, Chief Executive of HM Prison & Probation Service, said:

“I am pleased that the Inspectorate has highlighted the positive work being done to tackle gangs and violence at HMP Thameside. The prison has made good progress since its last inspection, including a new robust drugs strategy which has helped maintain a well-ordered environment to support effective rehabilitation. The prison will use the recommendations in this report to support further improvement.”

 - ENDS -

Notes to editors:    

1. A copy of the full report, published on 12 September 2017, can be found on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website at: www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons
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 Thameside is a local category B prison, for adult men, forming part of a group with HMP Belmarsh and HMP Isis in south east London.
4. This unannounced inspection took place between from 2-3 and 8-12 May 2017.