An unannounced inspection of a County Durham Prison earlier in the year found that conditions were overcrowded and a drug market was thriving - here's a breakdown of what else the inspection found.

HMP Durham houses 985 prisoners and is running at 172 per cent capacity - according to the latest inspection by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) which took place earlier this year.

Amongst other things, the watchdog found that most prisoners spent 22 hours a day or more locked in their cells and there is a "thriving illicit drug market".

The 61 page report delved into everything from conditions for prisoners and staff as well as healthcare, access to facilities and prisoner outcomes.

Read a more detailed breakdown of the report here: Inspectors find overcrowding and thriving drugs market at HMP Durham

Here's a more brief overview of the inspection and what it found.

When and why was the prison inspected?

The prison was inspected by watchdog HM Inspectorate of Prisons over late April and early May this year by conducting their first visit there since 2021.

Inspectors looked around the prison, spoke to staff and prisoners and reviewed documents as part of the process.

What did inspectors find?

In their report, the watchdog laid out a number of what they have called "priority concerns" that they want the governor of the prison to take action on.

They wrote:

  • Prisoners arriving in the late evening did not receive healthcare or a safety interview which put those who may self harm or have alcohol dependency at risk
  • Prisoners had easy access to drugs and banned items
  • Cells were overcrowded and cramped and almost all cells designed for one person were housing two
  • Prisoners were sometimes in their cells for up to 22 hours a day
  • Too many prisoners were released homeless
  • There were not enough activities for prisoners to develop skills

Other concerns were that the use of PAVA (a type of pepper spray) was too high when other options were available.

What did prisoners have to say?

A survey for prisoners found that more (86 per cent) reported that they were offered a vape or nicotine replacement on their first night than a shower or something to eat.

119 prisoners reported that they were not given clean clothing that fit them within their first few days, and nearly half of prisoners believed they are "never" given enough to eat.

When asked about healthcare, 42 per cent of prisoners said they found it very difficult to see a doctor with 31 per cent agreeing that the quality of health services are "very bad".

As for mental health, whilst 74 per cent of the prisoner population counted themselves as someone with a mental health problem, 51 per cent of them said they they have not been helped with said problems.

What did staff have to say?

610 members of staff were emailed the survey with seven days to complete it - and inspectors received 94 responses.

41 per cent of staff revealed they believe that support they receive from their line manager is "very good" and 72 per cent said they knew what the procedure was to raise concerns about the prison.

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However, more than half of staff said they had seen staff behave inappropriately towards prisoners as well as to each other. 

What happens now?

Prisons in the UK are inspected at least once every five years by the HMIP, but many are inspected every two to three years.