Prison told to improve after rise in assaults
GoogleAn "overcrowded" prison where violence is on the rise needs to improve, a watchdog has said.
The Independent Monitoring Board's (IMB) latest report said HMP Durham had seen assaults on staff and between inmates rise by 52%, with self-harm also on the up.
Dr Therese Quincey, IMB's Durham chair, said despite the "negative" findings, the board believed staff were dedicated and "committed" to meeting standards.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it "fully" acknowledged the challenges at the facility and was taking action against drugs, which it said "fuels violence in prisons".
The IMB is made up of unpaid volunteers, who operate in every prison in England and Wales to make sure inmates are being treated fairly and humanely.
Evidence for its latest report on HMP Durham was gathered between 1 November 2023 and 31 October 2024.
During this time, there were 5,436 new inmates.
About 746 of them did not receive a crucial first night healthcare assessment - which was a "significant risk" to their health, the report said.
The IMB also stated assaults on staff and prisoner-on-prisoner assaults had increased by 52% since the previous year and self-harm incidents were up by a third, from 596 to 798.
"The board continues to have the view that the level of overcrowding in HMP Durham contributes to increased levels of self-harm and violence," the report said.
'Unhygienic and undignified'
The IMB said it had reported "for several years" on overcrowding at the facility, with prisoners sharing a cell in wings that were built more than 200 years ago for one person.
It added there was "no privacy" and some cells had a curtain around the toilet, which it described as "unhygienic and undignified". The provision of clothing, bedding and towels was also criticised.
The kitchen and prison clergy were praised and the board said it believed prisoners were overall treated "fairly and humanely".
It added all prisoners were offered a range of part-time education programmes, with a service helping them get work growing "considerably" over the year.
However, the board said it was "concerned" that up to one in three prisoners was released homeless.
Dr Quincey said HMP Durham presented "a number of major challenges" including rising levels of violence, self-harm and drug use.
"High levels of prison occupancy, combined with continuous arrivals and departures, compound the challenge," she said.
"Even in the light of some negative findings; from the board's observations, we believe that the governor and staff perform their duties with dedication and are committed to reach required standards."
An MoJ spokesperson said the government had inherited a "prison system in crisis", which it said was "overcrowded, with drugs and violence rife".
"We are taking action against these, including through drug detection dogs and X-ray scanners, which help clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence in prisons," they added.