HMP Berwyn: 'Competently run, but needs improvement'

That was the view of HM Inspectorate of Prisons inspectors to the category C training prison.

In a report published this month, it is said those inspecting the establishment found a strong leadership team providing decent outcomes, but said improvement was needed in purposeful activity and rehabilitation and release planning. 

The prison, one of the newest and largest in the estate, held 1,835 men at the time of the inspection.

Charlie Taylor, chief inspector of Prisons, said: “Leadership was strong. 

"The governor had been in post since 2019 and was highly experienced. 

"He made himself visible, and his energy was setting the tone in the prison.” 

READ MORE: HMP Berwyn to receive six new officers as part of Unlocked scheme

In particular, the governor had approached recruitment and retention creatively and ensured it was led at a senior level. 

However, there continued to be staff shortages, which affected the delivery of some key services in health care, purposeful activity, and resettlement and release.

Efforts to reduce violence were successful in creating a safer prison than at the jail's last inspection, but levels of violence remained "too high," inspectors said. 

The rate of self-harm was also high, but leaders had responded to this and it had been falling for the last six months. 

It was found that data on self-harm was collected but not used effectively to understand the drivers behind self-harm.

Following the inspection, it was concluded that prisoners continued to spend "far too long" behind their doors. 

While full-time workers could be unlocked for about nine hours a day, most prisoners worked part-time or were unemployed and had much less time out of cell. 

There were insufficient work and education places for the population, and the prisoners who did have places often did not attend classes regularly enough. 

READ MORE: HMP Berwyn is making prisoners more employable

Inspectors concluded more needed to be done to ensure that the prison was fulfilling its role as a training establishment.

Staff shortages "plagued" the offender management unit, which meant existing prison offender managers had high caseloads and not enough contact with prisoners. 

Public protection phone and mail monitoring had not been carried out for many of those posing a significant risk to the public.

However, work to support resettlement, including finding employment and housing, was very good, and there were plans to expand this work.

Mr Taylor said: “Berwyn is a competently run prison. Outcomes were either reasonable or improving and with the capable leadership we observed, there is every reason for confidence about the prison’s immediate future.”

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Violence and self-harm at HMP Berwyn are down and we are boosting staff numbers through a pioneering scheme aimed at recruiting graduates into the prison service.

“We are confident more rehabilitation work will be carried out by the prison now that restrictions put in place to keep staff and prisoners safe during the pandemic have been lifted.”