Deerbolt inspection report 2021
Report for Deerbolt Prison
Summary
Deerbolt is a prison and young offender institution located near to Barnard Castle in County Durham. The establishment is normally capable of holding more than 500 young adult prisoners aged 18 to 24 years old, but a rolling programme of refurbishment and upgrades meant that this number had been dramatically reduced and only 265 prisoners were held at the time of our visit. Of these, nearly two-thirds were under the age of 21. When we last inspected Deerbolt in 2018 we found a prison that was reasonably safe and respectful, but one that surprisingly, bearing in mind the resources available, needed to improve the regime experienced by those detained and its approach to the rehabilitation and resettlement of prisoners