Source · IMB Annual Report
Doncaster
Year: 2022
Published: 21 Nov 2023
Type: Prison · Cat local category B resettlement
Recommendations: 5
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP Doncaster has shown overall improvements in calmness, cleanliness, and staff-prisoner engagement despite challenges. Key strengths include support for transgender prisoners and multiple faiths, appropriate segregation use, and positive resettlement initiatives like the 'departure lounge'. However, concerns remain regarding persistent restricted regimes due to staffing levels, the experience mix of officers, and prisoners' lack of confidence in complaint systems for equality issues and effective engagement with healthcare processes.
Positive findings
The Board views that the prison has improved across most observable indicators, feeling calmer, cleaner, and with improved staff-prisoner engagement. There is good awareness and respectful engagement with transgender prisoners, and all faiths are well-supported. The discrimination incident reporting form (DIRF) procedure has been refreshed, and segregation is used appropriately with a focus on reintegration. The prison provides healthcare to some who would not access it outside, and the development of a 'market street' with workshops and a 'departure lounge' for men on release are positive developments.
Key concerns
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The prison is not yet able to offer a full regime on all days, primarily due to insufficient officers, impacting prisoners' access to activities.
Staffing
The ratio of newer officers against experienced officers is likely to be less than optimum over the coming year, raising concerns about overall staff expertise and confidence.
Equality/Diversity
Prisoners lack confidence in the investigation of equality/discrimination concerns, perceiving unfairness and believing 'the system' will not provide meaningful investigation or appropriate outcomes.
Healthcare
A number of prisoners are not able to engage effectively with healthcare, leading to them not making the best use of available care provision due to a lack of understanding of processes or agency.
Other
There is concern that inflation and rising canteen prices will adversely impact the spending power of earnings from prison work, particularly for prisoners who rely entirely on this income.
Overcrowding
The sharing of cells is the norm, with limited space and a shared toilet screened only by a curtain, which is a long-standing decency concern.
Complaints/Property
Frequent loss of prisoners' property within the establishment, impacting morale and wellbeing, particularly for those with limited personal money or items of high sentimental value.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ensuring there are sufficient officers in post to offer a full regime | HMPPS | |
| 2 | monitoring the mix of experienced and less experienced officers | HMPPS | |
| 3 | protecting the spending power of prisoners’ prison work earnings. | HMPPS | |
| 4 | measures to improve prisoner confidence in the DIRF system | Governor / Director | |
| 5 | measures to improve prisoner ability to engage effectively with healthcare. | Governor / Director |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 28 | 17 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 5 | 9 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives schemes, sanctions | 11 | 9 |
| Equality | 8 | 9 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 11 | 4 |
| Food and kitchens | 11 | 3 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 65 | 43 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 9 | 10 |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 5 | 9 |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 11 | 4 |
| Property within this establishment | 41 | 29 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 34 | 4 |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 18 | 11 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 46 | 58 |
| Transfers | 5 | 10 |
Related inspections & investigations
Other reports for Doncaster
Report details
- Establishment
- Doncaster
- Type
- Prison · Cat local category B resettlement
- Report year
- 2022
- Published
- 21 November 2023
- Responsible body
- HMP Doncaster
- Recommendations
- 5
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 2 — Concern
Population
| Operational capacity | 1,145 |
| CNA (designed for) | 738 |
Service providers
Prison Operation
Serco Limited