HMP Gartree, HMIP Inspection

The last full HMIP inspection was in January 2023. To read the full report follow the links below. In the latest  report the inspectors said:

Located near Market Harborough in Northamptonshire, Gartree is a category B training establishment and part of the prison service’s long-term, high security estate. At the time of our inspection it was holding just under 600 adult men, nearly all of whom were serving indeterminate sentences and were assessed as presenting a significant risk of harm. The long duration of stays at the prison meant that the turnover of population was very low, with hardly anyone routinely released from the prison, although most progressed to lower category prisons over time.

Overall, this is a very encouraging report. At this inspection we found a well-led institution that continued to provide generally good outcomes for those detained. In our tests of a healthy prison, safety outcomes had improved and, along with outcomes in respect and rehabilitation and release planning, were now reasonably good. Only in purposeful activity were outcomes not sufficiently good, although even here, much of what we report is better than we have seen recently in similar establishments.

New arrivals were generally received well into the prison, and this was important in establishing credibility and good relationships as a first step toward working with some very serious offenders and helping them to settle and progress. This positive approach and culture was also evident in much better time out of cell than we usually see, reasonable arrangements for prisoner consultation and redress, and some very good staff-prisoner relationships. Most prisoners felt respected by staff and nearly all could name their key worker. Formal key work itself was generally good quality, although intermittent. Staff on the smaller units, such the psychologically informed planned environment (PIPE) unit, were knowledgeable and caring.

The improved safety of the prison was clear, despite a small increase in the number of recorded violent incidents, and six self-inflicted deaths since we last inspected in 2017. Recorded self-harm had fallen by 21% in recent times and was low compared with similar prisons. We found significant evidence of competence and capability in the management of behaviour and the promotion of safety, and this was also true of the promotion of equality, which was now being prioritised, and health care, which had improved since the last inspection.

The prison was showing its age and needed investment in the infrastructure; in the meantime, staff had not demanded better standards of cleanliness. Despite this, prisoners were generally positive about their living conditions. Time out of cell was good, but there were too few activity places, and attendance and punctuality at those activities that were available was not good enough. Our colleagues in Ofsted judged the overall effectiveness of provision of work, learning and skills as ‘requires improvement’. Work to support offender management was generally satisfactory and the prison’s approach was evolving to deal with the arrival of long-term prisoners earlier in their sentence. Engagement with case managers seemed to us to be appreciated by prisoners and work was supported by a range of interventions, not least the small number of specialist communities providing good support for prisoners with more complex needs.

Leaders saw the purpose of Gartree as the stabilisation and settlement of prisoners into long-term custody, supporting them to be good citizens of the prison community. The vision was not without merit and was, to a great extent being achieved, although a more active regime would improve outcomes still further. Leadership from the governor down was visible, energetic and knowledgeable. Prisoners were treated as individuals, and we found many examples of good care.

Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
March 2023

 

The inspectors provided a note of their key concerns

What needs to improve at HMP Gartree

During this inspection we identified 11 key concerns, of which six should be treated as priorities. Priority concerns are those that are most important to improving outcomes for prisoners. They require immediate attention by leaders and managers.

Leaders should make sure that all concerns identified here are addressed and that progress is tracked through a plan which sets out how and when the concerns will be resolved. The plan should be provided to HMI Prisons.

 

Priority concerns

  1. The prison environment was poor, and the fabric of the buildings was in a state of disrepair.
  2. Many communal areas were dirty. Standards were not high enough and monitoring of day-to day-cleaning was not robust.
  3. Too many illicit items, including drugs, were entering the prison. Although security measures had been improved, further action was needed to reduce supply.
  4. There were far too many interruptions to education, skills and work activities. We evidenced poor attendance and delays in the completion and achievement of qualifications in education. Similar issues also undermined the efficiency and working ethos of workshops.
  5. There was insufficient support for prisoners with learning difficulties and disabilities and those with low reading ability
  6. The curriculum did not fully meet the needs of the prison population.

Key concerns

  1. The care for patients with long term conditions was inconsistent.
  2. The quality of learning and skills provision had not been improved promptly or effectively. Leaders’ improvement plans did not effectively identify and drive improvement and none of the recommendations from the previous inspection had been fully met.
  3. The collection and analysis of data were underdeveloped. Data were not used well to evaluate the performance of education, skills and work.
  4.  Too many OASys (offender assessment system) assessments were overdue. Nearly 200 prisoners needed an assessment completed to inform their management and progression.
  5. Prisoners who were recategorised to category C were not being transferred to lower category prisons, delaying and restricting their opportunity to progress through their sentence. There were over 100 category C prisoners at Gartree.

.Return to Gartree

This section contains the reports for Gartree from 2001 until present