Mental Health
The Board is very concerned at the number of prisoners showing extreme symptoms of mental illness who are sent to HMP Peterborough, for whom treatment would be considerably more humane if they were diverted under the Mental Health Act. The suffering the Board witnesses is inhumane.
Safety
Violence is generally well controlled, although prisoner on prisoner assaults have remained level, prisoner on staff assaults are slightly up, while staff use of force to maintain good order is slightly down. Of concern, as the prison focusses on increasing time out of cell and purposeful activity, is prisoner on prisoner fights, which have nearly doubled in the last year.
Healthcare
Healthcare services, delivered via several different contracts, are often poorly integrated, leading to communication issues, misunderstandings about services, and delays in essential medication for new arrivals and hospital referrals.
Source wording under review
Staffing
1 The key worker allocation and contact has since the resumption of a normal regime post pandemic, been less than expected.
Substance Misuse
Psychoactive drugs, such as spice, are prevalent despite measures implemented to control drug entry, with a continued problem via throw overs, passes during visits, and counterfeit legal mail.
Resettlement/Release
Securing ample post-release accommodation remains a significant challenge, with observed discrepancies between local data and probation records.
Equality/Diversity
The prison is accessible to disabled male residents with adequate lifts available for those in wheelchairs. A limited number of adapted cells and equipment are available for prisoner use, however an increase in elderly and disabled male prisoners has seen resources stretched. Blankets, special chairs, and mattresses are also readily available. The Board was however concerned that a bariatric prisoner continued to be housed in the healthcare unit with no suitable hoist throughout his sentence.