A PRISON for sex offenders near Rugby has been described as ‘one of the best and safest in the country’ by inspectors.
HMP Rye Hill near Willoughby achieved the highest score possible in His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons’ (HMIP) safety, respect and preparation for release categories.
Inspectors said the rate of violence ‘was now among the lowest of all adult male prisons’.
Staff-prisoner relationships were assessed as ‘excellent’ and were a ‘hallmark of the prison’.
Angus Jones, who led the inspection, added: “Initiatives by the safety team had driven down already low levels of violence, and Rye Hill was now among the safest of all closed prisons.
“I was struck by the number of professionally organised peer support schemes and the scale of the community events programme.
“The director had created the space for staff to support prisoners and to develop some of the most innovative practice I have seen in recent years.”
The report found ‘a sense of hope amongst prisoners as they work their way through their sentences’, with 83 per cent saying their experiences at the G4S-run prison had made them less likely to offend in the future.
Inspectors said public protection arrangements for prisoners were not robust enough – with the prison responding by strengthening its systems.
Lee Davies, Director of HMP Rye Hill, said: “The staff deserve so much credit for their dedication and professionalism.
“We take nothing for granted though and it means a lot that HMIP acknowledges how guarded we are against complacency, particularly regarding violence which is at an all-time low.
“Continual improvement across all aspects of the prison will always be our focus.”
The report also criticised the under-resourcing of staff to escort prisoners to the local hospital, and the lack of consultation rooms for the mental health team.
In response, a spokesperson for the prison said: “We have adequate staffing levels to deliver hospital escorts. However, we have recently experienced a spike in demand for escorts over and above the number we are required to provide under our contract.
“We will be reviewing this with HMPPS and continue to work with them in the meantime to ensure we meet the needs of the population.
“As part of the expansion of Rye Hill, a brand new healthcare facility will be opening shortly which includes consultation rooms for all healthcare teams.”
Visit https://tinyurl.com/59ahkwss to read the full report.
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
The post Inspectors describe prison near Rugby as ‘one of the best and safest in the country’ first appeared on Rugby 247.
—-
Author : rugby-247
Publish date : 2024-11-29 18:15:34
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.