Concerns have been raised that sex offenders at HMP The Verne are not being given adequate training and rehabilitation to help make them less dangerous when they leave jail.

An inspection of the prison has found that inmates have a lack of contact with an offender manager and many have not had the chance to achieve qualifications through education and training programmes.

The Portland prison holds 604 prisoners convicted of sexual offences.

The report by Charlie Taylor, HM Inspector of Prisons, said it was possible for high-risk prisoners to spend "years at the jail without any challenge or support towards changing their thinking or dangerous behaviour" due to a lack of offending behaviour programmes on offer.

Concerns were also raised that access to GP services was often reduced because of the number of acute cases.

Mr Taylor wrote: "Prisoners were unlocked for eight hours a day and they were locked on their spurs rather than in their cells at night.

"The level of access to some purposeful activity was, however, poor with not enough available for many of the men.

"A shortage of tutors and teachers meant that many had only part-time access to education and the curriculum was not suitable for the needs of the population.

"As a result, many prisoners were underemployed and, with a more limited range of enrichment programmes than at our last visit, many complained of being bored.

"Although levels of violence remained low at The Verne, it had risen in recent months, as had self-harm.

"The prison had not conducted analysis on why this might be, and no strategic action had been taken."

Despite, the lack offending behaviour programmes, it was announced during the inspection that funding had been found to run the programmes.

Mr Taylor said the announcement should be "a spur to leaders to reinvigorate it, train staff, recruit enough prison offender managers and do much more to address prisoners’ offending behaviour".

The prison was given a four out of four score for prisoners feeling safe and a three out of four for staff treating prisoners well and the prison being clean.

The prison was praised for providing "good-quality social and medical care for often very unwell men with long-term conditions and mobility issues".

There were also plans for a palliative care suite where families can be with prisoners who are dying.

Among improvements, Mr Taylor wrote: "We want prisoners to be able to do the programmes they need to make them safer people when they leave prison.

"We want prisoners to see their offender managers and key workers more often.

"We want all health care workers at the prison to know what each prisoner needs. We also want prisoners to be able to see a doctor more quickly.

"We want health care buildings to be repaired. We want the prison to get rid of mould in the health care rooms."