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Photo by Rodhullandemu via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Photo by Rodhullandemu via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Photo by Sue Adair via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo by Raymond Knapman via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Background
HM Prison Altcourse is a Category B men's private prison and Young Offender Institution in the Fazakerley area of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. The prison is operated by Sodexo, which took over from G4S in 2023.
Safety: 4.1 Reception and induction HMP Altcourse is recognised as the busiest reception prison in the country and has remained close to or at operational capacity throughout the reporting year. Consequently, reception continues to be a highly pressurised environment. The Board remains concerned about the late arrival of prisoners, as referenced in last year’s report, as ‘lock outs’ in other prisons mean [...]
Respect: 5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food The prison has a contracted capacity to accommodate 1,164 (with a further 60 Available Prisoner Places, APPs) prisoners and has been very close to operational capacity for much of the year. The number of prisoners on remand has remained at around 60-65%. The induction unit (Bechers) continues, on occasion, to accommodate vulnerable prisoners (VP) because the VP [...]
Purposeful activity: Most education classes throughout the reporting year have been well attended. The achievement data from that period indicates that achievement rates are disappointing. Overall, 2,277 courses were completed, with 1,505 achievements (achievement rate of 66%). For ESOL (English for speakers of other languages), the figures were 159 completions, with 70 achievements (44%). All English courses had 580 [...]
Preparation for release: In the light of the average short stay of most prisoners at HMP Altcourse, the various government short-term release schemes did not materially impact the workload of the offender management unit (OMU). The department was already struggling to keep pace with case management and risk assessments for the volume of prisoner releases. Extra members of staff were recruited during the year to help [...]
Visiting
No visiting information available.
Mailing
No mailing information available.
Practical info
Contact the operator's website for inmate-specific procedures.
4.1 Reception and induction HMP Altcourse is recognised as the busiest reception prison in the country and has remained close to or at operational capacity throughout the reporting year. Consequently, reception continues to be a highly pressurised environment. The Board remains concerned about the late arrival of prisoners, as referenced in last year’s report, as ‘lock outs’ in other prisons mean that prisoners often do not reach their residential units until the early hours. The change of court catchment areas has added to this pressure, with prisoners travelling longer distances from court to the prison. Work on the refurbishment of the reception area has, at last, started and should be completed in the next year. Whilst this will cause some disruption, it will bring longer- term benefits, including more space and light and a more welcoming environment for prisoners on arrival. Prisoners are medically screened, assessed for addiction issues, interviewed by the safer custody team and by prisoner mentors before being located on the induction unit. This dedicated induction wing provides daily sessions facilitated by two prisoners. Prisoners are also supported by information, advice and guidance (IAG) mentors, the charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), which focuses on preventing suicides, and equality representatives. The IAG mentors are particularly pro-active at this early stage in a prisoner’s stay at Altcourse. 4.2 Suicide and self-harm, deaths in custody [...]
5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food The prison has a contracted capacity to accommodate 1,164 (with a further 60 Available Prisoner Places, APPs) prisoners and has been very close to operational capacity for much of the year. The number of prisoners on remand has remained at around 60-65%. The induction unit (Bechers) continues, on occasion, to accommodate vulnerable prisoners (VP) because the VP unit is full. This causes additional safety management problems for unit staff and particularly in relation to the lack of dedicated toilets for these prisoners. The accommodation improvement initiatives that began when Sodexo took over the contract from G4S in June 2024 have continued, with positive outcomes for prisoners. For example, all accommodation units now have access to PICS (prisoner in-cell solution). This gives each prisoner, via their cell phone, the ability to book social visits, order canteen (a facility where prisoners can buy snacks, toiletries and other essentials using their allocated funds) and contact the IMB. All exercise yards, including the one on the healthcare unit, are now kitted out with fitness equipment. Two units are designated as ‘calm’ units and suitable prisoners can apply to be located there. Some of the benefits on these units include access to a large screen television and games consoles in the activity room, plus exercise matting and equipment in the association area. Two further units are designated for enhanced and family unit prisoners, where [...]
Most education classes throughout the reporting year have been well attended. The achievement data from that period indicates that achievement rates are disappointing. Overall, 2,277 courses were completed, with 1,505 achievements (achievement rate of 66%). For ESOL (English for speakers of other languages), the figures were 159 completions, with 70 achievements (44%). All English courses had 580 completions, with 305 achievements (53%), with Functional Skills English at 41% achievement. A total of 466 maths courses were completed, with 251 achievements (54%), with Functional Skills maths at 44% achievement. The average length of stay of a prisoner at HMP Altcourse is just four weeks. As a result of this turnover, many prisoners embark on a course they cannot complete. To deal with this challenge, the education provider, Novus, has introduced ‘bite-size’ courses for English and Maths, which provide 10-hour units for those with short release dates. An upgrade to the IT support system, due in the autumn of 2025, should ensure that study progress is documented and follows a prisoner across different establishments. Novus is prioritising provision of better personal development opportunities for prisoners, so all course leaders are required to include elements in their classes that deal with collaborative skills, confidence and employability. Library The librarians have supported the reading initiative across the prison by providing training for prisoner reading champions on [...]
In the light of the average short stay of most prisoners at HMP Altcourse, the various government short-term release schemes did not materially impact the workload of the offender management unit (OMU). The department was already struggling to keep pace with case management and risk assessments for the volume of prisoner releases. Extra members of staff were recruited during the year to help manage the high workload. Management also reduced cross deployment from the OMU at times of staff shortage elsewhere in the prison, which helped keep caseloads up to date. Rates of completion of offender assessment systems (OASys), a tool to assess the risks and needs of prisoners, are good, and public protection issues appear to be well handled by the team. The early release schemes announced through the year did not give rise to many enquiries from prisoners about their status. This was down to early and comprehensive communication from the OMU to prisoners. The IMB has continued to raise with management the reopening of the crèche facility in the visits hall. Whilst the crèche remains closed during general visits, there has been some limited progress in the provision of additional family sessions run on an ad hoc basis by a staff member on secondment from Liverpool City Council. This has been much welcomed by prisoners and their families, particularly for children with additional needs and/or who are neurodivergent. External organisations have facilitated several family-oriented [...]
