The move follows two deaths in custody this year and prison governor John de Carteret having stepped aside while an investigation is carried out into his conduct.
The news was revealed by Home Affairs vice-president John Gollop, standing in for absent president Marc Leadbeater, as he faced questions in the States from Deputy Rob Curgenven, who was pursuing complaints made against prison staff. Deputy Gollop refused to answer those questions directly.
But instead he announced the likely inspection, the prospect of which was raised earlier this year and accepted by Deputy Leadbeater.
‘I think we are going as far as we can,’ said Deputy Gollop.
‘And I personally wish to see more thematic understanding, because we realised as a committee we actually need to know what the issues are.
‘It doesn’t mean to say we interfere in staff matters or operational matters, but we do need to know what resources are needed and improvements to get the best service.’
The news of the inspection was released as the inquest was opened and adjourned into the death of remand prisoner Darren Salituri.
His body was discovered in a cell on J Wing at the prison at about 8.20am on 2 February this year.
The inquest was told that there were no suspicious circumstances over the death and police were working closely with the Prison Ombudsman to determine the facts.
Judge Gary Perry adjourned the matter indefinitely to allow the investigation to conclude. He gave permission for Mr Salituri’s body to be released for burial or cremation.
Guernsey Prison was last inspected by the UK Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2014, when it was described as ‘an exemplar of what can be achieved by well-coordinated services’ and ‘a powerful reminder of how good a small prison can be’.
It did also raise concerns about young people being held in an adult prison, but rated the prison ‘very highly’ in comparison with other UK prisons and said that there were relatively few incidents reported.
In contrast in recent months the prison has seen a senior member of staff jailed for external events, another officer was told to stay away from work after allegedly supplying drugs to an inmate with the possible involvement of accomplices, and claims of lax security while a convicted child sex offender was staying in hospital, which the committee denied.
Its most recent annual report noted that disciplinary offences had nearly trebled, and long-standing concerns remained about mental health services and accommodating children.
Earlier this year Deputy Leadbeater told the Guernsey Press that his committee would be open to an independent review of the whole prison after the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman had identified any lessons to learn from the deaths in custody.
‘Would I be resistant to an independent review of the prison? No, I wouldn’t, and I don’t believe the prison governor or the head of probation would either,’ said Deputy Leadbeater.
‘We have just had an independent review of the fire service, we are having independent reviews into these serious incidents [the deaths in custody] and we could probably take some learnings out of them.
‘Then the committee can have a look, and if we have the budget and the ability to do something, then it’s not something the committee would be averse to.’
But he dismissed any suggestion that his committee was facing a crisis at the prison and said he had ‘total confidence’ in experienced management at the prison and probation.
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