HMP Northumberland: Prison says post-release opportunities improving

HMP Northumberland is a category C jail privatised in 2013

A resettlement prison says it is "working its socks off" to improve the help it gives inmates to get them ready for life outside.

Last December an inspection found HMP Northumberland had "lost its way" in rehabilitation and release planning.

Sodexo, which runs it, said since the report it had learned and was improving inmates' resettlement opportunities.

It has set up a website for interested potential employers who have also been invited to "phone up the prison".

The category C facility, near Acklington, which houses 1,335 prisoners was inspected between August and September last year.

As a resettlement prison offering training and work, inspectors said they were disappointed such provision "was lacking", with staff shortages and levels of absenteeism having "severely impacted" on its ability to fulfil its aims.

The inspection said staff shortages had affected what activities prisoners could do, with too many being locked in their cell for most of the day.

Ofsted said the overall quality of education, skills, and work activity "required improvement".

At the time HMP Northumberland said it would implement an action plan to help address the issues.

Sodexo's justice operation director Tony Simpson said: "The prison has obligations to be run in a safe and secure manner but it also has an obligation to prepare people for release."

He said while he understood the reasons why employers might have reservations about giving a job to someone with a criminal background, he said it is often unfounded.

"We have set up a dedicated website with questions, advice and case studies so people interested in looking into our potential talent pool can find out more and more locally I would say to people 'phone up the prison' and get involved, ask to visit and meet people who can talk to prospective employers about their specific concerns and needs and tailor make introductions," he said.

"There's potentially an over-estimation on the level of threat but there's an under-estimation of how job ready people leaving prison actually are," Mr Simpson added.