Northumberland inspection report 2025
Report for Northumberland Prison
Summary
With scores of reasonably good across all four of our healthy prison assessments, this was a positive inspection of a well-run category C training and resettlement prison. Northumberland held a population of 1,223 men that included more than 400 prisoners convicted of a sexual offence. The discovery of RAAC in the accommodation and in one of the education blocks had meant parts of the jail had been closed, with a large building project underway. This was also leading to refurbishment of five wings, which will ultimately improve living standards in a large proportion of the jail. Other parts of the prison – particularly those holding vulnerable prisoners – were showing their age, but leaders had made sure that wings were kept clean and men appreciated being housed predominantly in single cells. The director and education leaders’ focus on purposeful activity had led to some impressive provision and Ofsted noted some particularly good teaching in education and some of the workshops.