Self-harm and violence increases at YOI

An inspection of Glen Parva YOI in Leicestershire, which was holding 515 young men aged between 18 and 21 at the time of the visit in November, found there had been 390 self-harm incidents during the previous six months, higher than its last inspection in 2014.

??“There had been 10 incidents of serious self-harm or near misses. These were all well investigated with recommendations made where necessary,” a report by the chief inspector of prisons states.

??“There had been two self-inflicted deaths since our last inspection, and the related action plans were being addressed and were monitored at the weekly safety and control meetings. ??
“Tragically, just before we arrived, another young man hanged himself and subsequently died during our inspection.”??

Inspectors also found nearly a quarter of young people felt unsafe, with 42 per cent stating they had been victimised by other prisoners. ??

The report also raised concerns that the number of reported violent incidents had increased since the previous inspection and was higher than in similar establishments. ??

There had been 168 assaults on prisoners in the previous six months, of which 42 were serious. There had also been 32 assaults on staff, of which four were serious.

??Inspectors also found that despite a good and developing model for the promotion of equality, more needed to be done to address negative perceptions among some groups, in particular Muslim, disabled and foreign national prisoners.

Despite the concerns, the report did find there was a good relationship and positive interaction between young people and prison staff.??

Meanwhile the prison's strategic approach to tackling drugs was beginning to take shape, and efforts to confront gangs and drug activity was supported through a good partnership with the local police.

??Martin Lomas, deputy chief inspector of prisons, said: “Glen Parva continued to face many challenges but this is an encouraging report in difficult circumstances.

??“Running Glen Parva well is tough but improvements were clearly evident. The governor and her team were doing a good job and deserve credit for the improvements they had made.”??

Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, said: “The governor and her staff have worked hard to tackle violence and support rehabilitation and the praise for their efforts is well deserved.

“There is more to do, including adapting the regime to meet the needs of prisoners over 21 years of age who will now be held alongside the young adult population at Glen Parva.

??“This report gives confidence that the leadership team and staff at Glen Parva will respond positively to this new challenge and maintain the excellent progress they have made to date.”