Northumberland scrutiny visit 2020
Report for Northumberland Prison
Summary
HMP Northumberland is a category C male prison with a strong emphasis on constructive employment. Over 1,300 prisoners are accommodated in 16 house blocks over a large area. There was a prompt and active response by managers at the beginning of the COVID-19 restricted regime period. Because some other prisons in the region had suffered outbreaks, Northumberland had from the start of the period taken a considerable number of new receptions, and the provisions to cohort those arriving each day had been effective. On the advice of Public Health England (PHE), prisoners who needed to be isolated were kept on their existing house block to minimise risk of cross-infection, since the buildings were well spaced out. There had been a stream of communication throughout the period, and good signage on precautions against the spread of infection. Inspectors also identified several priorities for improvement, including The prison should implement communications monitoring for all relevant new arrivals promptly to ensure that risks are managed appropriately and the public are protected. (To the director) S8 Key concern: Resettlement planning continued to be undertaken remotely with no faceto-face contact between staff and prisoners. For nearly all prisoners, plans were developed too near to the date of release to be meaningful and effective.