Inspectors found HMP & YOI Doncaster badly overcrowded, with rising self-harm and five self-inflicted deaths in the year before their visit. HM Inspectorate of Prisons published its report on the South Yorkshire prison in January 2020.
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke described cells shared by two men that were too small and indecent for the purpose. “I saw many cells holding two people that were simply not fit to do so,” he wrote.
Inspectors visited between 9 and 20 September 2019. Doncaster was a category B local and resettlement prison for adult men and young adults. Serco ran it. It held some 1,100 prisoners, a young and transient population, and 63% had stayed six months or less.
About 30% of the population was under 25, and about a quarter had convictions for sexual offences. Around 114 prisoners left on release each month.
How inspectors graded Doncaster
The inspectorate judged Doncaster against four healthy prison tests: safety, respect, purposeful activity, and rehabilitation and release planning. Purposeful activity covers education, work and time out of cell. Each test receives one of four grades: good, reasonably good, not sufficiently good or poor.
Inspectors rated safety not sufficiently good. They rated respect and purposeful activity reasonably good. Rehabilitation and release planning was not sufficiently good.
The Chief Inspector of Prisons said the findings were broadly similar to those of the previous inspection in July 2017. Inspectors had made 46 recommendations then. The prison had achieved 17, partially achieved four and not achieved 25.
One major concern from 2017 had been resolved. Back then, the prison had taken in a large number of men convicted of sexual offences without making provision for their needs. That issue had since been put right.
I saw many cells holding two people that were simply not fit to do so, on grounds of both size and simple decency.
Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
Self-harm, deaths and drugs
The Chief Inspector of Prisons said inspectors were very concerned by rising self-harm and the five self-inflicted deaths. Another death followed shortly after the inspection. Not all recommendations from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman after these deaths were under regular review.
The number of men on case management for risk of self-harm risked becoming unmanageable. The report said the prison needed to understand what lay behind the rise. It also found no Listeners scheme in place.
Violence presented a complicated picture. A recent downward trend in assaults was welcome. However, levels were still higher than at the previous inspection and higher than at comparable prisons.
Illicit drugs were a real and continuing problem. In the survey, 61% of prisoners said drugs were easy to get. On the other hand, the positive mandatory drug testing rate had fallen to around 16%, and the prison had put many sensible measures in place.
Overcrowding and too little to do
Doncaster was a reasonably modern prison but badly overcrowded. Around 700 of the 1,100 prisoners lived doubled up in cells designed for one.
The Chief Inspector of Prisons criticised HM Prison and Probation Service for relying on a certified figure of 1,145 prisoners. He called the official distinction between crowded and overcrowded conditions sophistry. He also feared that the service would again reject the inspectorate’s recommendation against holding men in such conditions.
During the inspection, 44% of prisoners were locked in their cells during the working day, a very high figure for this type of prison. The 285 unemployed prisoners spent only around four hours a day out of cell. Many wing workers had little to do, and inspectors saw cleaning equipment lying idle.
The report called the mix of drugs, idleness and overcrowding dangerous for such a young population. At times staff struggled to keep control, and poor behaviour went unchallenged.
Inspectors also found a great deal of good work on resettlement and planning for release. Other things eased the frustration. Prisoners had reasonable access to basic kit, in-cell phones and kiosks for applications. Health care had improved, food was acceptable and work to support family contact was good.
Inspectors raised serious shortcomings in arrangements to protect the public when prisoners were released or contacted family. Over half of prisoners, 52%, presented a high risk of harm. The leadership responded promptly to some issues during the visit. The Chief Inspector of Prisons praised staff who had worked extremely hard, and saw good reason to hope the prison could improve.
Since this report
Inspectors have reported on Doncaster again since, with full inspections published in June 2022 and December 2025. This story covers the 2020 report only.
About this story
This story is based on HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ report on HMP & YOI Doncaster, published on 30 January 2020, following an inspection that ended in September 2019. It covers an earlier inspection: the prison’s profile has the latest findings. All figures and judgements are the inspectorate’s. Read the full inspection report · See the prison’s profile in our directory.
