Stocken Prison in Rutland suffers staff shortage

An inspector has outlined urgent improvements which need to be made at Stocken Prison to improve the quality of life for those living there.

A staff shortage has resulted in a lack of educational and recreational activities for its 1,051 prisoners.

Based in Stretton, Stocken is a category C training prison, but inspector Charlie Taylor noticed a lack of purposeful activity during a two-day visit in January.

His report, which has just been published, said: “Too few key work sessions were being delivered and officers spent too long in offices instead of interacting with prisoners on the wings, limiting staff-prisoner relationships.

“There were not enough full-time activity spaces available to meet the needs of the population and leaders and managers did not offer a broad enough curriculum.”

A new acting governor, Russ Truman, was appointed in September and the inspector found that he has made good progress in getting prisoners back into meaningful activity.

Mr Taylor said: “Despite a severe shortage of staff, the acting governor had prioritised purposeful activity and Stocken was approaching pre-pandemic activity levels.

“Free-flow of prisoners had been reintroduced and up to 500 men were moving peaceably around the prison to work, education or training.”

As well as addressing the staff shortage, the prison buildings are in need of refurbishment and changes are needed to improve contact between prisoners and family members.

In his report, Mr Taylor concludes: “The governor and his team have much to be proud of. They have worked hard to improve the jail.

“The key challenges for the next year will be recruiting enough staff in key roles and improving the way they engage with prisoners, improving the infrastructure and cleanliness of the prison and making sure the education provider delivers a much better service.

“I am confident that should this impressive governor remain in place and develop his inexperienced but enthusiastic leadership team, the prison has the potential to become one of the best in the country.”