Inspectors praise 'progress' at HMP Ranby

Progress has been made to improve safety and cut the supply of drugs at a Nottinghamshire prison, say inspectors.

HMP Ranby was criticised after a 2007 inspection, which found that illegal drugs were "prevalent" amid concerns about bullying and violence.

An unannounced visit earlier this year found that work had been done to tighten security and reduce violence.

However, the report said resettlement services and support for foreign prisoners were still underdeveloped.

'Stretched resources'

The short follow-up inspection was carried out at the category C adult male training prison, which holds more than 1,000 inmates, between 8 and 10 March.

Inspectors said they were pleased to find that security arrangements had improved and steps had been taken to prevent the entry of drugs.

They also praised the quality of relationships between staff and prisoners and said opportunities for vocational training had improved.

Concerns had also been raised about the support available to vulnerable prisoners, translation services for foreign nationals and resettlement work.

The prison's governor Louise Taylor said she accepted the criticisms but said measures were already in place.

"Since the Inspectorate have been here we have implemented a new arrangement between our resettlement team and our careers advice and guidance team which has further improved our links with employers on release."

Nigel Newcomen, Deputy Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: "Managers and staff will need to continue to work hard to maintain a safe and effective environment, as resources become even more stretched and the number of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences increases."