'Significant improvement' at HMP Featherstone

The category C prison holds about 630 inmates

A prison where some inmates said they were "living in fear" has been praised for showing "significant improvement".

HMP Featherstone in Staffordshire was last inspected in October 2016 and found some prisoners were choosing to stay in their cells 24 hours a day.

Inspectors said the prison "had come a considerable distance", but added it was still not safe enough for inmates.

The prison and probation service said there is a "comprehensive plan in place to further improve safety".

Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke, said: "A range of initiatives had been put in place to confront violence and its causes and there were some encouraging indications that this work was having an impact."

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The latest inspection report said a "largely inexperienced staff group were well supported by supervisors and managers and most prisoners indicated that they felt respected".

'Purposeful regime'

Much of the prison, near Wolverhampton, is in need of refurbishment, but since the last inspection cells were found to "cleaner and properly equipped".

The strategy for reducing reoffending needs improvement, inspectors found, and more needs to be done to improve English and maths skills among prisoners.

Chief executive of Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, Michael Spurr, said: "The Governor and staff at Featherstone have worked hard to achieve a consistent and purposeful regime and the improvement since the last inspection is commendable.

"There is a comprehensive plan in place to further improve safety across the prison by tackling drug use and ensuring every prisoner has a dedicated officer to support them through their sentence."

The category C prison holds about 630 inmates.