Hydebank Wood Secure College rated good in all four areas, inspectors find

Hydebank Wood Secure College achieved the top grade in all four areas that inspectors assess, according to a report published in November 2024.

Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland and HM Inspectorate of Prisons carried out the unannounced inspection jointly. Their fieldwork ended in June 2024.

The secure college holds young men aged 18 to 24. It held 51 young men at the time, against an operational capacity of 204.

Inspectors credited strong and effective leadership from the governor and senior team. They wrote that leaders had promoted an atmosphere of respect, care and optimism, and that “the positive culture they had cultivated was enabling many prisoners to flourish”.

Good across the board

The inspectorates judge establishments against four healthy prison tests: safety, respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release. Purposeful activity covers education, work and time out of cell.

Hydebank Wood Secure College scored good, the highest grade, for every one of the four tests.

Inspectors had also made a short scrutiny visit during the Covid-19 pandemic. That report, published in June 2020, did not award grades.

Inspectors said leadership had generated pride, energy and commitment at every level of management and among most staff. They added: “Some of the Senior Officers and Unit Managers were among the best we have seen.”

Leaders trusted their teams to use initiative and make decisions. Inspectors said this helped the college work towards its stated vision, ‘Changing Minds, Changing Lives’. They saw countless good examples of work to rehabilitate prisoners.

Partners and the Northern Ireland Prison Service worked together well across every function. Senior leaders valued their staff and supported their well-being and development. Many staff spoke positively about the support they received.

FOREWORD Examples of notable positive practice ABOUT THIS INSPECTION 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER APPENDICES 15 Leaders provide the direction, encouragement and resources to enable good outcomes for prisoners. 2.3 Leaders had promoted an atmosphere of respect, care and optimism, and the positive culture they had cultivated was enabling many prisoners to flourish.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons report

A welcoming start

Reception staff dealt with around 16 new young men each week. Inspectors described reception as bright, clean and welcoming, with friendly and helpful staff.

Young men and women passed through the same reception area but were processed and held separately. Officers did not routinely handcuff young men on arrival. They based that decision on a risk assessment.

One weakness was privacy. Staff carried out an initial safety interview at the front desk, within earshot and sight of others in holding rooms. Leaders had well-developed plans to renovate the area.

An X-ray body scanner had operated since April 2023, and every male prisoner received a scan on arrival. Young adults no longer faced routine strip searches. Staff searched 11 prisoners in this way between May 2023 and April 2024, each after a risk assessment.

New arrivals received bedding, toiletries, a grocery pack and an information booklet. The chaplain gave modest financial help to those with no money, which helped prevent debt. Peer supporters known as buddies saw every new arrival within 48 hours.

A five-day induction programme followed. New arrivals spent most of their time out of cell, which inspectors said was better than they usually see.

Behaviour, safety and use of force

Most young men had reasons to behave well. Staff treated them with respect and care, and they had access to a full and rich regime. In the survey, 85% said the opportunities and rewards on offer encouraged good behaviour.

Only two were on the restrictive basic level of the incentives scheme at the time. Landing 5 of Cedar House gave trusted prisoners the most time out of cell and a kitchen to cook their own food.

Violence between prisoners had increased since the last full inspection. However, the rate over the previous 12 months was similar to comparable prisons, and nearly all incidents were relatively minor. There had been only one serious incident in the previous year.

Staff often showed great skill in calming difficult situations. The college had also introduced animal therapy to reach and support young prisoners.

Use of force had grown. There had been around 100 uses of force in the previous 12 months, almost twice the number at the last inspection. Most footage reviewed showed respectful and proportionate actions by staff, with a few exceptions.

Use of force reports, however, did not describe efforts to de-escalate in enough detail. Leaders had still not tackled the poor use of body-worn video cameras.

What needs to improve

Inspectors found weaknesses in discipline processes. In the previous 12 months, 45% of all charges laid had been withdrawn or not proceeded with. Some serious charges, such as failing or refusing a drug test, fell away because of administrative errors. The report said this undermined adjudications as a deterrent.

Staff segregated prisoners 165 times under Rule 32, which restricts association, involving 75 prisoners over the previous year. Most stays lasted around a week or less. Multidisciplinary panels reviewed longer stays and produced plans for reintegration.

More broadly, leaders did not use data well enough to shape their strategies or show what worked. Some improvement plans lacked measurable targets.

The breadth and quality of opportunities were impressive. Yet leaders had not yet organised programmes and interventions well enough to make sure every prisoner could benefit.

Inspectors said leaders understood these weaknesses and were keen to learn from the findings. They had no doubt that committed staff would support leaders in addressing the concerns.