The prison was given a full inspection in October 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 Bure is a category C training prison in rural Norfolk, run by HM Prison and Probation Service, holding men convicted of sexual offences, many of them older or long-sentenced; at the time of the inspection it held 641 men, around 40% of them over 50 and 13% over 70. Inspectors rated safety and respect both Good, unchanged from the previous inspection, but purposeful activity fell sharply from Good to Poor and preparation for release improved from Not Sufficiently Good to Reasonably Good.
Reception and first-night care were found to be strong, with the great majority of prisoners saying they were treated well and felt safe from their first night, and a key worker scheme offering a much higher frequency of meaningful contact than inspectors usually see. The library, gym and family-contact arrangements, including frequent video calls, were all well used, and the outdoor grounds were praised as attractive and well maintained. Elderly and frail prisoners were well supported, and inspectors noted innovative practice including a vaping-cessation programme and peer-led gardening groups.
Set against this, purposeful activity was the standout decline: fewer than two-thirds of working-age prisoners were engaged in meaningful activity, Ofsted rated education, skills and work Inadequate, and offending behaviour programmes were restricted to those nearing release, frustrating men trying to progress toward parole or open conditions. Inspectors again raised, for the third inspection running, a disparity in how Black prisoners experienced the prison, with far fewer reporting freedom from staff bullying than white prisoners. Self-harm remained concentrated among a small number of prisoners, drug availability and positive drug tests were higher than at similar prisons, and basic living conditions, including on-wing cooking facilities and food at mealtimes, drew criticism. Resettlement support also lagged behind, with few prisoners securing permanent work on release.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
January 2024
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 Bure by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (2–12 October 2023, published 15 January 2024)
- 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 Bure
- HMP Bure, Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Bure (27 March–7 April 2017)