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UK Local prison operated by HM Prison & Probation Service. Listed in the GOV.UK Find a prison directory.
Background
HM Prison Durham is a Georgian era reception Category B men's prison, located in the Elvet area of Durham in County Durham, England. Built in 1819, the prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. Its women prisoners were all moved out to other prisons in 2005 due to overcrowding and suicides.
This review visit followed up on the concerns we raised at our last made the following judgements about outcomes for prisoners. Figure 1: HMP Durham healthy prison outcomes in 2021 and 2024 Our inspection in May 2024 found a deterioration in outcomes for prisoners in two out of four of our healthy prison tests, safety and ageing, overcrowded reception prison that serves the courts across large parts the governor have led to transfers of leaders between prisons in the region. In the case of Durham this has refreshed the leadership team and, although our healthy prison assessment scores for safety and purposeful activity had dropped to not sufficiently good and poor respectively, I left with some optimism The most worrying aspect of this inspection was the limited regime; it was was a thriving illicit drugs market which was linked to an increase in violence There were not enough activity spaces for the population. Despite this, there was poor attendance at education, in part caused by local rates of pay that attention.
— UK IMB Annual Report (2024) —
Safety: 4.1 Reception and induction 4.1.1 Reception continues to be a very busy area of the prison. 4.1.2 Late arrivals (after 7.30pm) to HMP Durham have reduced considerably. 4.1.3 Healthcare staff have evidenced that new arrivals are offered their first night’s health screening prior to being placed in the first night centre. This has been delivered by more timely arrivals, a reviewed process, and [...]
Respect: 5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food 5.1.1 The Board remains concerned at the level of overcrowding. Around 90% of cells originally designed for single occupancy are now double occupied. 5.1.2 Cells provide minimal separation (and, in some cases, none) between a person’s toilet, sleeping and eating space. This is unhygienic and undignified, especially where most cells are double occupancy. 5.1.3 The [...]
Purposeful activity: Education 7.1.1 Education is provided by Novus. Prisoners’ needs are assessed by the careers, information, advice and guidance (CIAG – Ingeus). Goals are set and prisoners are engaged with opportunities to explore various elements of the curriculum. Qualifications were introduced in April 2025 for most subjects. The following five core principles underpin the education provision: teamwork; [...]
Preparation for release: 7.3.1 As a reception prison, the offender management unit (OMU) in HMP Durham is not mandated to complete OASys (offender assessment system, used to assess the risks and needs of prisoners), other than for sentenced prisoners and those staying at HMP Durham for a period of time. The OMU undertakes OASys and sentence planning for prisoners who remain for six weeks or longer in the prison. There is [...]
Visiting
the week of our visit, it was the only jail to service the courts in the This review visit followed up on the concerns we raised at our last barely less restricted than at our last visit which came soon after the pandemic. The segregation unit – a cause of concern at our last visit – was better led and prisoner who had put in an application for a visit could not make an application to see the GP until the visit had been agreed. This issue also impacted on family contact: slots for visits remained unfilled, with families often only being
Mailing
The inspection team left optimistic that if senior leaders remain in post and the
Practical info
HMP Durham is a reception and resettlement prison for adult men; until Note: rehabilitation and release planning became ‘preparation for release’ in October 2023. healthy prison assessment scores for safety and purposeful activity had The most worrying aspect of this inspection was the limited regime; it was was poor attendance at education, in part caused by local rates of pay that frustrated because the restricted regime meant that they did not have the support from the chaplains and the psychology team. The limits on the regime move to the segregation unit where they lived in single cells with a regime that and often are addicted to drugs or alcohol, urgent work is required to make the uncertainties of the changing timescales of the early release scheme, but nearly a third of prisoners were released without anywhere to go and many restricted regime and the ingress of drugs were the cause of much of the strong leadership team, who had worked together to reduce the supply of drugs with often serious mental health difficulties or who misused drugs or alcohol. The quality of health care in every area, from GP appointments to mental health work, but they were hampered by an education provider that had been slow to The prison had worked to refurbish much of the indoor and outdoor communal meant the provision of resettlement work and sentence planning was fragile.
Known issues
was a thriving illicit drugs market which was linked to an increase in violence The segregation unit – a cause of concern at our last visit – was better led and move to the segregation unit where they lived in single cells with a regime that and often are addicted to drugs or alcohol, urgent work is required to make restricted regime and the ingress of drugs were the cause of much of the strong leadership team, who had worked together to reduce the supply of drugs into the prison. This had contributed to a more than 60% fall in violence since reviewing incidents. with often serious mental health difficulties or who misused drugs or alcohol. suicide or self-harm.
Francis Davidson Fraser (13 December 1923 â 26 November 2014), better known as "Mad" Frankie Fraser, was an English gangster who spent 42 years in prison for numerous violent offences.
Source: Wikidata + Wikipedia.
Contact & address
HMP Durham Old Elvet Durham DH1 3HU See map Help us to improve this page. Give us your feedback in this 2 minute survey., Durham DH1 3HU
Higher risk than 0% of peer facilities in United Kingdom.
Capacity (beds)this: 992 · peers avg: 567 (+75%)
Reports
HMIP6 Jan 2025
1.1
HMP Durham is a reception and resettlement prison for adult men; until
the week of our visit, it was the only jail to service the courts in the
north-east of England.
1.2
This review visit followed up on the concerns we raised at our last
inspection of HMP Durham in May 2024.
What we found at our last inspection
1.3
At our previous inspections of HMP Durham in 2021 and 2024, we
made the following judgements about outcomes for prisoners.
Figure 1: HMP Durham healthy prison outcomes in 2021 and 2024
Note: rehabilitation and release planning became ‘preparation for release’ in October 2023.
1.4
Our inspection in May 2024 found a deterioration in outcomes for
prisoners in two out of four of our healthy prison tests, safety and
A new governor and deputy have brought some much-needed stability to this
ageing, overcrowded reception prison that serves the courts across large parts
of the north of England. Recent decisive action by the prison group director and
the governor have led to transfers of leaders between prisons in the region. In
the case of Durham this has refreshed the leadership team and, although our
healthy prison assessment scores for safety and purposeful activity had
dropped to not sufficiently good and poor respectively, I left with some optimism
about the future.
The most worrying aspect of this inspection was the limited regime; it was
barely less restricted than at our last visit which came soon after the pandemic.
Despite having a full complement of officers and a welcome reduction in
sickness levels, most prisoners were spending 22 or more hours a day behind
their doors. This meant they did not have enough time even to complete the
most basic tasks and they often had to choose between using the electronic
kiosk, having a shower, collecting medication or getting fresh air. In a jail in
which prisoners spent so long locked in their cell, it was not surprising that there
was a thriving illicit drugs market which was linked to an increase in violence
since our last inspection.
There were not enough activity spaces for the population. Despite this, there
was poor attendance at education, in part caused by local rates of pay that
incentivised wing cleaning over learning. Although there was a focus on
assessment and identifying need, this was worthless when there were not
enough classes laid on to teach the basic English and maths skills that so many
prisoners lacked.
Although there had been some recent refurbishment on A wing, many cells and
communal spaces in the rest of the jail were dilapidated and in need of
attention. Almost all prisoners were now living in overcrowded conditions.
One of more positive aspects of Durham was the good relations between
prisoners and officers, and unusually, we received very few complaints from
prisoners about the way staff treated them. Officers, however, told us they were
frustrated because the restricted regime meant that they did not have the
opportunity to get to know the prisoners in their care.
The segregation unit – a cause of concern at our last visit – was better led and
had a capable staff team who knew their prisoners well and received good
support from the chaplains and the psychology team. The limits on the regime
for prisoners on the main residential wings meant that some men had chosen to
move to the segregation unit where they lived in single cells with a regime that
was not much worse.
Use of PAVA incapacitant spray was the highest of any reception prison and
footage we viewed showed that some staff had used it when there were other
options available, particularly in a jail in which staff-prisoner relationships were
so good.
In our 2022 report on the prison, we were very critical of the arrangements for
prisoners’ early days. Disappointingly, this situation had got even worse, with
more men coming through the inadequately sized reception, often in large
groups in the evening, when there were not enough staff on duty to complete
some basic tasks such as safety interviews or to enable health screening. In a
prison with such a churn of prisoners, many of whom suffer from mental illness
and often are addicted to drugs or alcohol, urgent work is required to make
sure this vulnerable population is receives better care.
Compared to recent inspections of reception prisons, staff had coped well with
the uncertainties of the changing timescales of the early release scheme, but
nearly a third of prisoners were released without anywhere to go and many
were recalled after only a few days. This, the poor reception processes, the
restricted regime and the ingress of drugs were the cause of much of the
4.1 Reception and induction 4.1.1 Reception continues to be a very busy area of the prison. 4.1.2 Late arrivals (after 7.30pm) to HMP Durham have reduced considerably. 4.1.3 Healthcare staff have evidenced that new arrivals are offered their first night’s health screening prior to being placed in the first night centre. This has been delivered by more timely arrivals, a reviewed process, and reception staff staying until 10pm. 4.1.4 The search process is carried out by officers at the rear of reception. Prisoners are then screened with an Xray body scanner for secreted items. The Board has observed that these are conducted in a professional manner. 4.1.5 Prisoners’ vulnerabilities are assessed and identified by the induction officer, using HMP Durham’s V12 (vulnerability form) and the cell sharing risk assessment documents. The V12 document has been updated to include a prisoner questionnaire, evidencing the prisoner experience about induction. 4.1.6 There are four reception orderlies. This includes one Samaritan-trained Listener (a prisoner trained by the Samaritans to provide confidential emotional support to fellow prisoners) and one ‘red band’ (trusted men who support new prisoners and provide initial peer support). They offer peer support to new arrivals. 4.1.7 All new first night centre staff are allocated jobs for continuity and accountability. These include moves officers, cleaning officers, security officers, rehabilitation culture leads and second day induction [...]
7.3.1 As a reception prison, the offender management unit (OMU) in HMP Durham is not mandated to complete OASys (offender assessment system, used to assess the risks and needs of prisoners), other than for sentenced prisoners and those staying at HMP Durham for a period of time. The OMU undertakes OASys and sentence planning for prisoners who remain for six weeks or longer in the prison. There is an expectation that OASys assessments are completed within 10 weeks of sentence for prisoners sentenced to 10 months or more and within 16 weeks for life sentences. Reviews are conducted annually for a standard prisoner and three-yearly for prisoners on a life sentence or if there is a significant change in circumstances. During the reporting year a great deal of press has surfaced regarding the prisoners released in error, HMP Durham has had four prisoners released in error in the reporting year. Since these errors occurred, an enhanced pre-release check has come into fruition. The Board will continue to monitor the progress on this throughout the next reporting year. 7.4.1 Contact with family and friends can be invaluable to a prisoner’s mental health. As well as personal visits, prisoners have access to in-cell telephony, email a prisoner service, video links and general mail access for contact with family and friends. 7.4.2 For those prisoners who have no one to visit them, HMP Durham has the official prison visitors’ scheme (OPV). This is a volunteer service run by the [...]
5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food 5.1.1 The Board remains concerned at the level of overcrowding. Around 90% of cells originally designed for single occupancy are now double occupied. 5.1.2 Cells provide minimal separation (and, in some cases, none) between a person’s toilet, sleeping and eating space. This is unhygienic and undignified, especially where most cells are double occupancy. 5.1.3 The internal fabric of A wing is visibly the worst in the prison. Refurbishment of A wing began in November 2022. The nominated contractor went into administration mid-2024 and a replacement appointed mid-2025. Work is expected to recommence in March 2026. 5.1.4 Facilities for showering provide minimal levels of decency. Prison rules 1999, section 28, require that prisoners are given access to a hot bath or showers at least once per week. The prison, however, strives to ensure showers are offered daily. 5.1.6 Generally, cells are not disability- or age-friendly. There are very few fully accessible cells in the prison. Men who, due to disability, are unable to access even ground floor cells may have to be housed in the healthcare unit, resulting in a shortage of beds for those that need them for healthcare reasons. 5.1.7 The Board has observed improvements in the levels of decency, primarily due to: • Improved levels of accountability. Frontline officers have been allocated specific responsibility for a block of cells; typically, two officers per block. • Accommodation fabric checks [...]
Education 7.1.1 Education is provided by Novus. Prisoners’ needs are assessed by the careers, information, advice and guidance (CIAG – Ingeus). Goals are set and prisoners are engaged with opportunities to explore various elements of the curriculum. Qualifications were introduced in April 2025 for most subjects. The following five core principles underpin the education provision: teamwork; communication; self-management; problem-solving; and presentation. The prison has experienced two national budget cuts, affecting provision. 7.1.2 Learn in Work Progress (LWPs) have replaced personal learning plans (PLPs). Completion of LWPs for all prisoners during the induction period remains an outstanding challenge for CIAG. 7.1.3 All education is offered on a part-time basis. Attendance figures against allocation have risen from 62% to 73% for a similar period this year compared to last year (June 24/25). The national target is 70% whilst the local target is 80%. Efficiency figures (attendance against spaces) have also risen from 53% to 65% for the same period. 7.1.4 There is an activities CM (custodial manager) who promotes the uptake of education and employment. 7.1.5 The following classes are offered: functional skills, ESOL; digital skills; horticulture; multi-skills; barbering; and English and maths. 7.1.6 Vulnerable prisoners have lost the creative enterprise class but have benefitted from the new multi-skills class in the F wing activity centre. 7.1.7 This year, the prison has [...]
Largely rebuilt in 1881, HMP Durham is a men’s category B reception prison
that accepts prisoners from across the north of England. At the time of our
inspection there were 959 prisoners, of whom 606 were on remand. More than
a third of the prison’s population were receiving support for substance misuse.
Much credit must go to the impressive governor and to what was a generally
strong leadership team, who had worked together to reduce the supply of drugs
into the prison. This had contributed to a more than 60% fall in violence since
our last inspection, making the prison one of the safer locals in the country.
Throughout the inspection the prison felt calm and generally well-ordered.
We also saw a commensurate fall in the use of physical intervention, but during
the inspection we uncovered some examples of staff appearing to use force in
improper and disproportionate ways. Leaders needed to take urgent action to
make sure that staff were sufficiently trained and had effective systems for
reviewing incidents.
Like most local prisons the jail had a large population of prisoners who came in
with often serious mental health difficulties or who misused drugs or alcohol.
This meant that, particularly in their first days in custody, they could be at risk of
suicide or self-harm. We were therefore concerned that late in the evening or at
particularly busy times, the prison was not able to offer full health care
screenings to new arrivals. These prisoners often had to be dispersed around
the jail because the induction unit was full, which meant they did not always get
the care and the attention they needed.
The quality of health care in every area, from GP appointments to mental health
provision, was suffering from some serious staff shortages. Prisoners frequently
complained to inspectors about the difficulties in getting treatment or
medication. These issues were compounded by problems with the application
system that meant prisoners could not submit a second application to a
department before a previous application had been resolved – for example, a
prisoner who had put in an application for a visit could not make an application
to see the GP until the visit had been agreed. This issue also impacted on
family contact: slots for visits remained unfilled, with families often only being
told the day before that there was an available time.
Many prisoners remained locked in their cells for too long, particularly those on
the induction wing. The prison could have done more to provide activities and
work, but they were hampered by an education provider that had been slow to
restore services.
The prison had worked to refurbish much of the indoor and outdoor communal
areas in this historic prison, but many cells were overcrowded and dilapidated.
While staff from the former community rehabilitation company continued to
provide some support to prisoners on remand, the future of this provision was
uncertain with the reunification of probation services. This and the fact that the
senior probation officer was leaving to be replaced by a temporary appointment,
meant the provision of resettlement work and sentence planning was fragile.
Inspectors were very concerned that 43% of prisoners left the jail without
suitable accommodation.
Durham prison has showed some impressive improvements since our last
inspection and the governor and his team should be proud of the progress the
jail has made, particularly considering the challenges caused by the pandemic.
The inspection team left optimistic that if senior leaders remain in post and the
issues raised in this report are addressed, the prison can continue to make
good progress.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
January 2022
