HMP Highpoint: Jail has 'too few probation officers'

A category C prison with more than 1,000 inmates has too few probation officers to manage high-risk prisoners, inspectors have said.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons published a report into HMP Highpoint near Haverhill, Suffolk, after an inspection in August.

It said there were "serious weaknesses" in work that protected the public.

Inspectors said these were urgent issues and would not be "allowed to carry on as they have in the past".

Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons said it was "disappointing" that for the third consecutive inspection HMP Highpoint's rehabilitation and release work was assessed as "not sufficiently good".

But he said: "Overall this was a very encouraging inspection of a prison that has found a way of treating high-risk prisoners with respect in decent surroundings."

The report said that vacancies in the probation team had run at 50% for over a year.

It said this meant that probation officers' caseloads were "very high and they lacked support and training".

The inspectors also found "weaknesses in basic public protection work", including not properly enforcing child contact restrictions, allowing potential contact between prisoners and victims.

Phil Copple, Director General for Prisons, said that since the inspection "action has been taken to deal with victim contact concerns".

The inspectors' report said that more than a third of the 1,300 prisoners said it was easy to get hold of drugs in the jail and 13% said they had acquired a drug habit since coming into HMP Highpoint.

They recommended more drug testing was needed, along with better searching of post and greater use of technology.

Mr Copple said HMP Highpoint "has strengthened its checks on incoming mail for drugs and are working closely with the police to catch those responsible".