HMP Isle of Wight has been failing to prepare high risk prisoners for release, according to a report by inspectors and there is a 'frightening' risk to members of the public, caused by a lack of support, planning and contact with probation services.

Chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, said: "HMP Isle of Wight is a training prison – its primary purpose is to support rehabilitation and prepare prisoners for release, including those who pose a high risk of harm to the public, but it’s failing to do so."

HMP Inspectorate of Prisons found problems were country-wide but inspectors found them to be particularly acute at HMP Isle of Wight, along with two other mainland sites, Swaleside, Kent and Woodhill, Norfolk.

The Parkhurst-based prison, on the outskirts of Newport, was last inspected in 2019, but the report says it has experienced a significant a significant deterioration in some important outcomes since then and was 'still not safe enough'.

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Isle of Wight County Press:

What did HMP Inspectorate of Prisons find when it visited HMP Isle of Wight?

An unannounced visit was paid to the Isle of Wight prison between September 20 and October 7.

There is accommodation for around 1,000 convicts, but there were 971 prisoners when the visit took place. 

At the 2019 inspection, 15 recommendations were made. In 2022, five had been achieved, nine had not been achieved and one was no longer relevant

Today's report says HMP Isle of Wight releases one or two high risk prisoners per month, but inspectors found one in five prisoners were leaving without a sustainable place to live. 

They said high risk releases were not always identified, or discussed, at a multidisciplinary forum ahead of their release, to make sure risk management plans were robust.

The inspection report said not all prisoners had completed an offending behaviour programme for those convicted of a sexual offence (30 were found to have done so).

Around 130 prisoners, for whom completing a behaviour order was a requirement for parole, could not easily access the sessions.

Isle of Wight County Press:

Inspectors raised concerns about rising rates of self-harm and suicide.

They called the standard of case management documents 'inadequate' and revealed prisoners had spoke about about a 'lack of care shown to them by some staff.'

Acute staffing shortages had meant behaviour programmes were not back to pre-Covid-19 levels.

There was a severe lack of qualified psychologists and just over a third of officer posts were either empty, or staff could not be deployed.

While unemployed prisoners spent less than two hours out of their cells every day, many with jobs were also locked up, due to a lack of instructors.

"Too many men [who] pose a risk to the public are being released without a sustainable place to live."

Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: "HMP Isle of Wight is a training prison – its primary purpose is to support rehabilitation and prepare prisoners for release including those who pose a high risk of harm to the public but it’s failing to do so.

"Their time in prison presents an opportunity to reduce their risk of reoffending, and that opportunity is being lost when, instead of taking part in education, work and training, men are sitting locked in their cells all day.

"When it comes to the end of their sentences, too many men we know pose a risk of harm to the public are being released without a sustainable place to live and without proper planning around protecting victims of their crimes and often inadequate contact with local probation services.

"This is frightening. The prison service has to take serious and immediate action to address this."