A prison plagued by appalling levels of violence is tackling the problem by bringing in hundreds of sex offenders.
Convicted and suspected rapists, molesters and paedophiles had been transferred to the volatile Category B prison in a bid a ‘stabilise’ it, said a watchdog.
Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke said it was a ‘deliberate policy’ introduced to cut the number of attacks at HMP Doncaster.
But the speed of the move meant that there were ‘inadequate’ programmes in place to reduce the risk posed by the sex offenders when they were eventually released.
A door being closed by a prison guard. Staffing levels in many jails are too low to maintain order and run a decent regime, the prisons watchdog has warned. (file photo)
Because of the nature of their nauseating crimes, the fact they are aware they are targets for other inmates and they are generally older, sex attackers tend to be more compliant members of the prison population.
Housed on a separate wing to other inmates, it means they are less likely to become involved in violence blighting the jail system in England and Wales, be placed on lockdown in their cells or need to be monitored by more guards.
In October 2015, HM Inspectorate of Prisons raised ‘serious concerns’ about levels of violence at privately-run HMP Doncaster, a 1,115-capacity local and resettlement prison accommodating youth and adult male inmates.
In the six months up to that damning inspection there had been a shocking 365 assaults – around two every day.
In a desperate attempt to get to grips with the problem, jail chiefs reshaped the profile of the population behind bars.
The number of alleged or convicted sex offences at the South Yorkshire prison soared from around 100 to just over 300 at the time of the inspection in July.
Mr Clarke said: ‘Over the course of the previous year, the number of men on remand for, or convicted of, sex offences had trebled, and many of them were longer-term, high-risk offenders.
‘I was told that this was a deliberate policy in order to help to stabilise the prison in light of the serious problems with violence that had been identified.’
But he warned that ‘the support, offender management and programmes intended to reduce the risk both in custody and on release presented by this population were not present’.
He added: ‘In effect, this large cohort of men was being denied the opportunity to make progress.
‘While it is perhaps understandable that, as a matter of policy, it might be decided that a prison should have a particular population profile, this should not be done in such a way that offender management of those prisoners is neglected.’
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that HMP Doncaster, which is operated by private firm Serco, was chosen as a suitable prison to hold an increased number of sex offenders.
The department insisted this was not national policy and the prison was using the move as part of a local strategy to reduce violence.
Michael Spurr, chief executive of Prison and Probation Service, said: ‘The leadership team at Doncaster are managing an increase in sex offenders and have created a specific houseblock dedicated to providing the right regime to support their rehabilitation as part of our wider population strategy to manage sex offenders effectively.’
Inspectors found levels of violence at the establishment had reduced sharply but remained high.
The report said poor behaviour from inmates too often went unchallenged, adding that prisoners ‘gathered in cells, smoked on the landings, walked around partially clothed and ignored staff instruction without fear of reprimand’.
A prison plagued by appalling levels of violence is tackling the problem by bringing in hundreds of sex offenders. Convicted and suspected rapists, molesters and paedophiles had been transferred to the volatile Category B prison in a bid a ‘stabilise’ it, said a watchdog (file photo)
Government plans to shut down old and ‘dilapidated’ prisons in England and Wales have been shelved because of a sudden surge in the jail population.
Michael Spurr, head of the Prison and Probation Service, said no closures were planned in the next five years.
Speaking to the Prison Governors Association conference, Mr Spurr said it had been an ‘incredibly difficult’ summer after an unexpected rise in inmate numbers.
But he said plans to provide 10,000 new prison places were still on track.
The Conservative Party election manifesto had promised that old Victorian-era jails would close. It said: ‘We will invest over £1bn to modernise the prison estate, replacing the most dilapidated prisons and creating 10,000 modern prison places.’
Hindley young offenders institution and prison, in Wigan, and Rochester jail, in Kent – both of which had been earmarked for closure pending redevelopment – are to remain open.
The Home Office has also announced that the Verne Immigration Removal Centre, in Dorset, will be turned back into a prison next year.