The jail, which held 176 prisoners at the time of the report in May, was praised by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons David Strang for boasting a safe environment.
He said: “I was impressed with the positive relationships we observed and the constructive engagement that was evident between all staff and prisoners.
“This created a safe environment where mutual respect between all those in the prison
was present.”
In relation to ten standards used to assess the outcomes for prisoners, one was assessed as good, seven as satisfactory and two as generally acceptable.
Mr Strang was happy with the prison leadership, calling the Governor in Charge energetic and forward thinking’ and he praised the clear sense of purpose and direction for all the prison’s staff.
The HM Chief Inspector was particularly impressed with the range of cultural activities offered, including engagement with the Wigtown Book Festival, guitar and ukulele classes, visits from a local Alzheimers group and engagement with a domestic
violence campaign.
Mr Strang said: “Prisoners in HMP Dumfries told us that they felt safe. It was clear that good order in the prison was built on the quality of the relationships between
staff and prisoners.”
He added: “Overall, this is a good inspection report for HMP Dumfries. I hope that the areas of good practice will be taken up by other prisons in Scotland.”
