HMP Rye Hill, which is operated by G4S, has been described as ‘one of the best and safest prisons in the country’ following an unannounced inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP).

Inspectors said it was ‘progressive and innovative’ and the leadership is ‘among the best we have seen in recent years’. Their report, published today, found ‘a sense of hope amongst prisoners as they work their way through their sentences’.

The prison achieved the highest score possible - ‘good’ - across three of HMIP’s four key metrics: safety, respect and preparation for release. Purposeful activity was rated as being ‘reasonably good’. Inspectors also observed 12 examples of notable positive practice which other prisons may be able to learn from or replicate, including training and support for new staff. 

Lee Davies, Director of HMP Rye Hill, said:

“We are so pleased to have received such a positive inspection report and, as HMIP recognises, the staff deserve so much credit for their dedication and professionalism. I’d like to thank the entire team at Rye Hill for their hard work. 

“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.” 

Safety 

Inspectors found the rate of violence ‘was now among the lowest of all adult male prisons’ and ‘very few incidents were serious’. Despite this, leaders remained vigilant and ‘continued to act to improve safety further.'

Inspectors noted ‘the rate of recorded self-harm had decreased by one-third since the previous inspection and was among the lowest of all closed adult male prisons.’ They found support for those with the most complex needs was ‘particularly good.’ 

The report highlights the ‘positive mandatory drug testing (MDT) rate was among the lowest of all adult male prisons at less than 1%’ and that ‘reception and early days processes remained impressive.’

Respect

Staff-prisoner relationships were assessed as ‘excellent’ and were a ‘hallmark of the prison, with many men telling inspectors how well cared for they felt.’ Inspectors added: ‘Prisoners of all ages, backgrounds and levels of ability were able to participate meaningfully in the daily life of the prison.’

Prisoner-led initiatives were praised in the report and recognised for being ‘integral to the success of the jail.’ They said peer workers ‘were having a very positive effect in many parts of the prisons’ – support for visits and new arrivals were two such examples given. 

Purposeful activity

Inspectors observed that ‘almost all prisoners were allocated to full-time work or education and had about nine hours a day unlocked.’ They wrote: ‘Prisoners in education, skills and work were well behaved, polite, and had respectful relationships with peers and staff. Workshops and classrooms were calm, well ordered and conducive to learning and work.’

There was an ‘excellent range of enrichment activity available each day’ including chess and football clubs and an external speakers programme. Leaders had a ‘dynamic approach to the personal development curriculum, which met the specific needs of the prison population and included anger management and mental health awareness courses.

A successful prison-wide reading strategy had been developed and ‘access to the library was good and it was well used.’

Preparation for release

Of the prisoners surveyed by HMIP, 83% said their experiences at the prison had made them less likely to offend in the future. 

Inspectors said that partnership working across the prison was ‘collaborative and effective in helping prisoners get the most from their time at Rye Hill’ and the offender management unit was ‘well led and staff worked hard to drive positive outcomes for prisoners’.

Making Sense of a Long Sentence was ‘a particularly impressive initiative’ which ‘helped to manage expectations and gave prisoners a sense of purpose.’

Improvements

Inspectors said that public protection arrangements for prisoners were not robust enough. In response, the prison has strengthened its systems to ensure every action taken is captured and any concerns are acted upon promptly.