Recommendation 1
It is disappointing that funding to support staffing in the young adults’ unit has been removed.
Source · IMB Annual Report
Bedford
AI-generated report summary HMP Bedford, a Category B reception and resettlement prison, continues to face significant challenges, particularly high levels of violence and self-harm, overcrowding, and an inconsistent regime with prisoners spending excessive time locked in cells. While education and family visits have seen improvements, the mental health team remains under-resourced, and staffing issues impede purposeful activity and the full implementation of the key worker scheme. The IMB raises concerns about the dilapidated infrastructure, poor property management, and calls for HMPPS and the Governor to address these long-standing issues.
Year: 2023
Published: 12 Dec 2023
Type: Prison · Cat B, YOI, reception, resettlement
Recommendations: 18
Key concerns
Positive findings
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 1 | — |
Positive findings
AI-generated summaryThe reception process operates effectively, and the prison has made commendable progress in areas such as drug treatment services and the education department, particularly in English and mathematics teaching, which has been cited as best practice. Education attendance rates have shown sustained improvement due to strong leadership. Improvements in family visit arrangements and the move of the main meal to the evening are also positive. The chaplaincy team provides a much-valued service, and the diversity and inclusion manager is highly effective. Additionally, the development of a remand prisoners’ strategy is welcomed.
Key concerns
The induction process is not consistent and there is no process for assessing quality.
Self-harm and violence levels are too high, with HMP Bedford having proportionally the highest number of assaults on staff among reception prisons.
Young adults are involved in more than half the violent incidents, and funding for specially trained staff on the young adults’ wing has been reduced or removed.
The prison remains overcrowded, with two prisoners sharing cells designed for one.
The infrastructure is ancient, vermin abound and the plumbing regularly breaks down.
The kitchen has continued to struggle with basic facilities and a lack of workers.
The segregation unit remains in its dire underground location.
It is a great shame that the prison has not been able to reintroduce the ‘key worker’ scheme in its entirety.
The system for managing prisoners’ property is not fit for purpose, particularly regarding inter-prison property transfers, due to a lack of protocols, standards, and measurement systems.
Most prisoners spend far too long locked in their cells, impacting their mental health, failing to reduce violence and self-harm, and is not a humane way to treat individuals.
The gym has not been open for much of the reporting period.
The mental health team struggles with very limited resources to provide an effective service, and the mental health steering group has not met for some months and appears to have fallen into abeyance.
Most of the skills workshops have not been available for much of the year, leading to limited provision of purposeful activity.
There is a lack of a suitable computer in the healthcare rooms in reception, preventing healthcare staff from accessing personal escort records.
The provision of applications and other forms on the wings is inconsistent.
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) does not measure time out of cell (or time locked in cell) or appear to give any importance to it, especially when purposeful activities are unavailable.
The early identification of release areas by the probation service would be helpful where prisoners, because of the length of time served on remand, have only a week or so before release – better coordination in this area would be really useful.
There needs to be a strong and continued focus on making the young adults wing a success.
We hope that the prison will take note of the findings of our mental health survey and see what improvements can be made.
The availability and distribution of written material about mental health issues and problems is an easy win for improvement.
Prisoners need to attend the pre-release board, and the prison should facilitate this.
Recommendations
Recommendation 2
The system for managing prisoners’ property is not fit for purpose and, in particular, there are no protocols or standards for inter-prison property issues.
Recommendation 3
It is disappointing that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) does not measure time out of cell (or perhaps time locked in cell) or appear to give any importance to it, when purposeful activities are not available.
Recommendation 4
The early identification of release areas by the probation service would be helpful where prisoners, because of the length of time served on remand, have only a week or so before release – better coordination in this area would be really useful.
Recommendation 5
The induction process is not consistent and there is no process for assessing quality.
Recommendation 6
The lack of a suitable computer in the healthcare rooms in reception means that healthcare staff cannot access the personal escort records.
Government response
Healthcare providers can access PERs.
Recommendation 7
We hope that there will be a strong and continued focus on making the young adults wing a success.
Recommendation 8
Prisoners have regularly reported issues about pigeon droppings, cockroaches, showers not working and broken tumble dryers.
Recommendation 9
The provision of applications and other forms on the wings is inconsistent.
Recommendation 10
We look forward to the segregation unit being relocated early in 2024.
Recommendation 11
We hope that the ‘key worker’ scheme can soon be fully implemented.
Recommendation 12
We are pleased that the prison has developed a remand prisoners’ strategy. and hope that it will put a strong focus on implementing its recommendations.
Recommendation 13
Prisoners spend far too long locked in their cells.
Recommendation 14
We are disappointed that the mental health steering group, which seemed to offer the promise of an effective and integrated approach, has not met for some months and appears to have fallen into abeyance.
Recommendation 15
We hope that the prison will take note of the findings of our mental health survey and see what improvements can be made.
Recommendation 16
The availability and distribution of written material about mental health issues and problems would appear to be an easy win.
Recommendation 17
We hope that the prison will be able to offer a much fuller provision of skills workshops.
Recommendation 18
Prisoners need to attend the pre-release board and we hope that the prison can facilitate this.
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (including transfers) | 45 | 38 |
| Discrimination | 2 | 2 |
| Education, training and work | 3 | 6 |
| Food | 5 | 7 |
| Healthcare (including dental) | 10 | 16 |
| Other | 43 | 40 |
| Property (in prison) | 20 | 22 |
| Remand issues | 5 | 4 |
| Segregation | 3 | 5 |
| Staff conduct | 6 | 12 |
Related inspections & investigations
Safety 1
· Respect 1
· Activity 1
· Release 2
Sorin Fodor · Natural causes
Edward Hands · State Custody related deaths
Ezra Tamiem · State Custody related deaths | Suicide (from 2015)
Mark Vagnoni · State Custody related deaths
Other reports for Bedford
Population 367
· Concerns
Population 370
· Self-harm 484
· Concerns
· Self-harm 367
· Concerns
Population 370
· Self-harm 138
· Concerns
· Concerns