The prison was given a full inspection in March 2023, the full report can be read on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website, just follow the links below. In their latest report the inspectors said:
HMP & YOI Moorland is a category C training and resettlement prison in South Yorkshire, run by HM Prison and Probation Service, holding 1,044 men, a significant proportion convicted of sexual offences, against an operational capacity of 1,058. Inspectors rated safety, respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release all reasonably good, unchanged across the board from the 2019 inspection, with the Chief Inspector noting that Moorland continued to be a successful institution delivering reasonably good outcomes on every test.
Thirty-seven per cent of prisoners said they had felt unsafe at some point, down sharply from 54% previously, and self-harm incidents were down 61% since the last inspection, with use of force down by around half. Seventy-one per cent found their keyworker helpful, well above the comparator average, and education was rated Good by Ofsted. Sixty per cent said their time at Moorland would make them less likely to reoffend, up from 44% at the last inspection, and communal areas and laundry provision were both rated well above similar prisons.
Inspectors nonetheless found a stark equality gap, with only 52% of Black and minority ethnic prisoners feeling treated with respect by staff compared with 82% of white prisoners, and 37% feeling unsafe against 14% of white prisoners. Time out of cell was too limited, particularly for unemployed prisoners on the basic regime who got only two hours a day, and there were long waiting lists for education, skills and work places. Delays transferring prisoners with acute mental health needs to hospital were a continuing concern, and inspectors also flagged poorly targeted security and strip-search practices.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
April 2023
To read the full reports, go to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website or follow the links below:
- Inspection report (PDF), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP & YOI Moorland by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (13–24 March 2023, published week commencing 10 July 2023)
- Easy read summary of the 2023 inspection report
- Action plan, HM Prison and Probation Service action plan in response to the 2023 inspection of HMP & YOI Moorland