A PRISON for sex offenders in the village of Pucklechurch is well led and has been rated good after an unannounced inspection.

HMP Ashfield, which in 2013 was re-designated from a young offenders’ institute to a Category C jail for 400 men who have all been convicted of sex offences, was said to be performing well after the changes by HM Inspectorate of Prisons, a new report has found.

But the facility, run by private security company Serco, needs to improve its education programme for prisoners and address the number of inmates in denial about their offences.

Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons, said following the inspection last August the prison was calm, clean and safe, security was proportionate and relationships between staff and prisoners were excellent. Prisoners were unlocked for long periods and there was sufficient activity for most and resettlement services already provided reasonable outcomes for prisoners, said the report which has just been published.

However, Mr Hardwick said inspectors were concerned to find English and maths was being taught at too low a level by some unqualified teachers. He said the prison needed to do more to address the risks presented by the significant number of prisoners who were disengaged because they were in denial of their sexual offending.

“Overall this is a very good report for a prison that has undergone a radical change of direction,” said Mr Hardwick.

“Priorities going forward are to ensure work, training and education is fully fit for purpose, and that the prison has a more sophisticated and better co-ordinated approach to addressing the risks posed by a sex offender population.

“This seemed to us well within the competence of a prison that is well led and run by a capable and caring staff team.”

Last year the Gazette reported how plans to develop Ashfield into a specialist treatment centre for sex offenders was being compromised because the prison was being forced to accept high number of inmates, many of whom were in denial of their crimes, and were therefore ineligible for programmes run by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).

Michael Spurr, chief executive of NOMS, said: “Ashfield is a well-managed prison which has adapted well to its current role holding sex offenders.

“As the Chief Inspector has found, it is a safe and decent prison, where staff are protecting the public effectively from the risks presented by this type of offender.

“We will continue to support the prison to improve the quality of education and training opportunities, which will further underpin the rehabilitation of the prisoners held there.”

Secretary of State for Justice, Andrew Selous, said: “It is important that decision making about suitability and readiness to engage with a programme is made locally, and that prisoners who are not yet ready to engage are not excluded from programme sites.

“Locally HMP Ashfield creates positive relationships with other establishments so that transfers are progressive, appropriate and carried out in an as timely fashion as possible, subject to space in the appropriate part of the prison estate becoming available.”