HMP Doncaster

Section 3. Purposeful activity
Physical education and healthy living
Expected outcomes:
All prisoners understand the importance of healthy living, and are encouraged and
enabled to participate in physical education in safe and decent surroundings.
3.32 Prisoners had scheduled access to the gym but sessions were often cancelled. Facilities were generally
good and used for a variety of sports. There was a range of accredited courses, and pass rates were
high. Recreational PE was good, and community and professional sports teams frequently visited the
prison to motivate and engage prisoners.
3.33 The PE department was well run by a manager, six instructors and three prison orderlies.
Prisoners had scheduled access to the gym, which was open every day, and young adults had
their own scheduled gym sessions. However, gym sessions were frequently cancelled
because gym officers were redeployed on other duties. In our survey, only 10% of prisoners,
against the comparator of 25% and 40% at the previous inspection, said that they went to the
gym three or more times a week. The prison collected data on gym use by house block;
there was no analysis to ensure all groups of prisoners accessed it.
3.34 PE facilities included a sports hall, free weights room, cardio fitness room and an outdoor allweather
pitch. There was good use of the outside facilities for team sports and visiting teams
from the community. Recreational PE was good with a range of programmes to target
prisoners who were overweight or new to exercise. Links with health care were effective,
and prisoners had good access to remedial PE. The gym induction was informative and
included healthy living, and the benefits of healthy living and using the gym were promoted.
3.35 There was a range of accredited PE courses from entry level to level 2. Pass rates were high
but data on the number of prisoners starting courses were not analysed to identify
underrepresented groups.
3.36 Several sports teams worked in the prison regularly, coaching and motivating prisoners. The
PE department had successfully organised charitable activities that motivated prisoners and
raised substantial funds. The PE department had built good links with the ‘UCHOOZE’
project, which enabled young people at risk of offending to visit the prison and talk to
prisoners about how offending had affected their lives.
Recommendations
3.37 Managers should ensure that prisoners are able to visit the gym and library at
their allotted times.
3.38 The PE department should collect and analyse data on gym attendance to
identify any groups of prisoners who do not participate in PE and to encourage
them to take part.
50 HMP Doncaster