Recommendation 1
The Minister should reduce the current overcrowding at Bristol prison.
Source · IMB Annual Report
Bristol
AI-generated report summary HMP Bristol faced significant challenges in the reporting year, marked by an increase in deaths in custody (9), self-harm, and violence, alongside persistent overcrowding at over 50% capacity in single cells. Staffing shortages severely impacted regime delivery, leading to increased time in cell and reduced access to purposeful activity. The Board expressed concern that the HMIP Urgent Notification Action Plan did not adequately address systemic issues such as occupancy levels or substantive staff numbers, hindering effective prisoner care and safety improvements.
Year: 2023
Published: 23 Nov 2023
Type: Prison · Cat B, local, resettlement
Population: 550
Recommendations: 7
Key concerns
Positive findings
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 9 | — |
Positive findings
AI-generated summaryThe new reception area improved privacy for interviews, and the first night centre is well run, ensuring over 95% of prisoners are seen by healthcare. The Board observed good support for prisoners and staff after distressing incidents. Cleanliness and decency on wings were maintained, with prisoners actively participating in painting, showing pride in their work. Food quality improved, with prisoners now making much of the food. Segregation staff were noted as helpful, knowledgeable, and interacting well with complex prisoners, and GOoD reviews and adjudications were well conducted. The Board observed good prisoner and staff interactions, and prisoner forums, especially the Prisoner Council, were well-run and offered solutions. Equality and diversity monitoring is active, with prisoner representatives included in meetings. The multifaith team provides good support, and initiatives like the Harmony garden and beekeeping training have been productive. A new Head of Education introduced several positive initiatives, and workshops were impressive, with prisoners working towards NVQs. Efforts to support family contacts, including additional social visits and a refurbished visits hall, were noted. The PACT centre continues to provide a good range of support for prisoners on release.
Key concerns
Increase in deaths in custody, self-harm and violent incidents.
More prisoners were on assessment, care in custody teamwork (ACCTs) plans and constant supervision than last year.
More frequent incidents of prisoners under the influence due to availability of drugs and illicit prisoner made alcohol.
High levels of overcrowding (over 50% all year) with two prisoners in cells built in Victorian times for one person.
Staffing levels are below the required levels and on some days the numbers on duty are below the minimum level needed. This affects the consistent delivery of a full daily regime, resulting in more prisoners spending more time in their cells. Activities are often cancelled on the day and key working has not yet been re-established.
There remain issues with access to specialist mental health units: the latest data shows that over 50% of the prisoners awaiting transfer wait longer than the 28-day limit set out in NHS England’s good practice guidance. One prisoner spent 130 days in segregation and eventually moved to a mental health unit, with force used to facilitate the move. Several assessments can take place, before being accepted for a place. Most of these prisoners are held in the segregation unit whilst waiting assessment and transfer, which affects the prisoner, other prisoners, and the staff.
Prisoners with physical disabilities cannot access healthcare clinics and some workshops.
Low numbers of prisoners access education and workshop activities due to shortages of prison staff.
There are more remand prisoners in the prison and less support for their release.
Recall prisoners often report a lack of support, housing, and medication problems as key factors in their return to prison.
Significant delays in answering cell bells, with over 1,000 cell bells taking over 30 minutes to be responded to in June 2023.
The vulnerable prisoners wing is always full with a waiting list.
The segregation unit is often full, with some prisoners spending very long periods (e.g., 130 days) awaiting transfer to specialist mental health units.
Source wording under review
Persistent property issues both within the prison and during transfers, remaining one of the highest reasons for complaints and IMB applications.
The Board remains concerned that there is no mention of lowering the prison occupancy which would reduce overcrowding and enable staff to be more effective in safely caring for prisoners. There is also no increase in substantive staff numbers.
Recommendations
Recommendation 2
The Minister should ensure that Bristol prison has sufficient resources to staff and maintain the prison properly.
Recommendation 3
The Minister should increase access to sufficient and appropriate mental healthcare within the prison system.
Recommendation 4
The number of prisoners at Bristol has risen and alongside this there has been an increase in self-harm, violence and deaths in custody. Can the prison roll be reduced to enable the prison to address this effectively?
Recommendation 5
The Prison Service should provide support or increased staffing to enable a full regime at Bristol to be run, thereby giving prisoners access to education, work, activities, sufficient time out of cell and key working.
Recommendation 6
The Governor should provide the Board with relevant and timely reports and data to inform monitoring.
Recommendation 7
The Governor should ensure improved access to healthcare, in terms of physical disability access, improved attendance at clinics and medication delivery.
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 5 | 9 |
| Canteen facility list, catalogues | 10 | 8 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 4 | 9 |
| Equality | 4 | 5 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 9 | 21 |
| Food and kitchens | 11 | 9 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 60 | 36 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 11 | 15 |
| Miscellaneous | 10 | 10 |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 25 | 30 |
| Property within the establishment | 26 | 24 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 7 | 10 |
| Sentence management, including home detention curfew, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 24 | 28 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 42 | 32 |
| Transfers | 3 | 0 |
Related inspections & investigations
Safety 1
· Respect 2
· Activity 1
· Release 2
Lee Jackson · Self-inflicted
Paul Coughlan · Self-inflicted
Georgie Smith · Self-inflicted
Gary Beaudro · Natural causes
Callum Smith · Community health care and emergency services related deaths; Hospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths; Suicide (from 2015)
Reggie John · State Custody related deaths
Other reports for Bristol
Population 561
· Self-harm 455
· Concerns
Population 579
· Self-harm 906
· Concerns
Population 494
· Self-harm 459
· Concerns
Population 500
· Self-harm 570
· Concerns
Population 550
· Self-harm 1,026
· Concerns