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Durham prison is to change purposes after the chief inspector of prisons Anne Owers described it as “inappropriate” for holding women serving long-sentences writes Clare Jerrom.

The inspection report, which was carried out at the end of an 18-month period in which there had been five self-inflicted deaths, found there were no policies for women in relation to suicide management, drugs and resettlement.

Owers highlighted that more than half of the women in Durham had at some point been on suicide watch and some of the most vulnerable women were held behind double doors, insulated from the rest of the wing.

While there were some improvements that managers could make to create a better environment, Owers said: “However, we do not believe that the environment, or the regime that can be made available within it, are appropriate to hold long sentenced women who need both support and sufficient purposeful activity.”

This week, the Prison Service announced that the prison would be re-roled to become a community prison. The establishment of two purpose-built units for women and additional spare capacity elsewhere meant there was no longer a need to hold women and category A male prisoners at Durham.

Deputy director general Peter Atherton said the decision meant staff could specialise in resettling short-term prisoners in the north-east and play an important role in helping to establish the National Offender Management Service.