'Public at RISK' over 'SHOCKING' sex offender failings by 'inadequate' Dartmoor prison
GETTY Dartmoor prison are mishandling the release of "high risk" prisoners
In a damning report released today, HMP Dartmoor is accused of “rushing” the release of sex offenders on to the streets of the UK and failing to follow the national strategy for resettlement from prison. The national prisons strategy outlines the need for prisoners at Dartmoor, based in Cornwall, to be transferred to a local resettlement prison for three months prior to release. However, hundreds of prisoners were being released directly from the jail. Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: “Our most serious concerns related to resettlement. Dartmoor was not a designated resettlement prison, which meant it did not have adequate resources to effectively engage in pre-release planning.”
Despite the prison failing to meet the standards required by the Prisons Inspectorate to be authorised as a resettlement prison, more than 200 potentially dangerous men were released in the year leading up to August’s inspection. Mr Clarke continued: “Offender management provision did not ensure that men received support to reduce the risks of harm they might pose to the public on release or that release planning for the highest-risk men was timely or comprehensive. “This was a shocking and totally unacceptable situation, given the generally high-risk population being released from Dartmoor.”
Inside Britain's Young Offenders Institutes Thu, March 2, 2017 Play slideshow HM Prison Warren Hill 1 of 11 HM Prison Warren Hill located in Suffolk
In the prison, 511 out of the 633 men had public protection arrangements in place which aim to protect the public from violent and sexual offenders. Dartmoor was one of the UK’s most notorious high-security prisons until 2002 when it was downgraded to a Category C prison for less violent crimes. The extensive report into the failings of one of the UK’s oldest jails also found that “too many sexual offenders were released without having sufficiently addressed their attitude, thinking or behaviour.”
Responding to the report Michael Spurr, Chief Executive of HM Prison & Probation Service, said: “Protecting the public is our priority and all high-risk offenders released from HMP Dartmoor are supervised by the National Probation Service. “The vast majority are released to approved accommodation and all are seen by their probation officer on the first day of release to reinforce their licence conditions.” The inspectorate found that in many areas the prison was performing well. They said that it was well led and staff-prisoner relationships were very good.
GETTY Dartmoor used to be one of the UK's most notorious high-security prisoins
GETTY The report found that sex offenders at Dartmoor failed to accept their crime