Source · IMB Annual Report
Wymott
Year: 2023
Published: 12 Oct 2023
Type: Prison · Cat C
Population: 1,192
Recommendations: 9
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP Wymott faces significant challenges including a rise in violence and self-harm, severe staff shortages impacting safety and regime, and inhumane conditions on A and B wings where refurbishment is repeatedly delayed. Overcrowding forces prisoners to double up in unsuitable cells, while healthcare struggles with inadequate facilities and high agency staff reliance. The Board commends efforts in education and resettlement, and the positive feedback on the new J wing.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 7 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 426 | 286 |
| ACCT cases opened | 251 | 168 |
| Prisoner assaults | 68 | — |
| Assaults on staff | 42 | — |
| Use of force | 241 | 149 |
Positive findings
The Board commends HMP Wymott for generally keeping prisoners safe and for improvements in education, with a full programme of courses and positive staff-prisoner relationships. Positive feedback was received for the new J wing units and in-cell telephony. The Recoop buddy system supporting older and disabled prisoners is a notable success, serving as a model for other prisons. Efforts to restart key work, improve the complaints process, and develop resettlement provision, including employment days with local employers, are welcomed.
Key concerns
Safety
Rise in violence and self-harm associated with drugs, bullying and debt.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The continued appalling state of the showers and toilets on A and B wings and the increased use of ‘doubling up’ in cells that are not suitable for two. The Board considers that it is inhumane that some prisoners must eat their meals sitting on their bed or their toilet because the cells are not big enough to accommodate two chairs.
Other
Repeated
Prisoner poverty is another issue of great concern. Prisoner pay has remained static whilst the price of essential canteen items has rocketed. Many prisoners do not have any external source of money and are unable to pay for the basics. This is a recipe for bullying and debt.
Healthcare
Healthcare has continued to struggle with inadequate accommodation to run primary care clinics and carry out mental health interventions. Shortage of both nursing and pharmacy staff has hampered the delivery of services to the wings.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The Board remains concerned about the number of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) being held at Wymott... The Government’s refusal to offer these men a sentence review means that there is little incentive or opportunity for them to progress. Those who do manage to gain release are often vulnerable to recall, sometimes for relatively minor breaches.
Staffing
Repeated
Many of the issues raised in this report can be linked to the shortage of staff, particularly experienced officers.
Other
Repeated
Missing property, both within Wymott and on transfer, remains a big issue for prisoners, and compensation rates are inadequate.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The prison desperately needs a new kitchen that can cater for the 50% increase in prisoner numbers. The kitchen frequently struggles to deliver the menu with the large amount of equipment out of commission.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is the Ministry of Justice instructing HMPPS to concentrate the budget on the building of new prisons to the detriment of existing prisons requiring urgent refurbishments? If so, is the promised refurbishment of A and B wings likely to be curtailed (see section 5.1)? Repeated | Ministry of Justice | |
| 2 | The Board remains deeply concerned about the plight of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) prisoners, particularly those on recall (see section 7.3). Since the rejection of the Justice Select Committee’s recommendations on re-sentencing and a reduced sentencing period, has the Minister lost interest in addressing this damaging legislation and left individual prison governors to support these prisoners? Repeated | Ministry of Justice | |
| 3 | The Board considers the proposal to build a new prison next to HMPs Wymott and Garth will have a detrimental effect on the local infrastructure. Prison staffing and IMB recruitment are already stretched, and this will further impact upon them. | HMPPS | |
| 4 | As noted in the address to the Minister, is the focus on building new prisons rather than carrying out repairs to existing establishments likely to impact upon the funding available for refurbishment of A and B wings and the kitchen? Repeated | HMPPS | |
| 5 | Many of the issues raised in this report can be linked to the shortage of staff, particularly experienced officers. Are there any plans to review prison staffing levels nationally? Repeated | HMPPS | |
| 6 | As the prison recovers from the impacts of Covid, prisoners are rightly expecting to see a return to pre-Covid levels of activity. When are the regular wing lockdowns likely to cease? | Governor / Director | |
| 7 | The Board is pleased to note that the prison is currently reviewing its complaints policy (see section 5.7). When is this likely to be published, and is it anticipated that it would reduce the numbers of complaints that are returned to prisoners for sometimes trivial reasons? Repeated | Governor / Director | |
| 8 | Missing property, both within Wymott and on transfer, remains a big issue for prisoners (see section 5.8), and compensation rates are inadequate. Does the prison have an overview system for monitoring these losses and the subsequent costs in compensation? Repeated | Governor / Director | |
| 9 | The Board remains concerned about the healthcare service provision but acknowledges that management is working with the provider to address these concerns. Is the Governor satisfied with the progress being made? | Governor / Director |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 47 | 28 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 23 | 11 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 27 | 22 |
| Equality | 7 | 4 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 45 | 26 |
| Food and kitchens | 8 | 9 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 71 | 27 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 58 | 35 |
| Miscellaneous | 25 | 28 |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 57 | 54 |
| Property within the establishment | 44 | 56 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 36 | 27 |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 71 | 65 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 42 | 15 |
| Transfers | 37 | 18 |
Related inspections & investigations
11 Dec 2023
HMIP · Unannounced
Safety 3
· Respect 2
· Activity 2
· Release 4
Other reports for Wymott
Report details
- Establishment
- Wymott
- Type
- Prison · Cat C
- Report year
- 2023
- Published
- 12 October 2023
- Responsible body
- HMP Wymott
- Recommendations
- 9
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 3 — Good
Population
| Population | 1,192 |
| Operational capacity | 1,192 |
Service providers
Education
Novus
Escort contractor
GeoAmey
Healthcare and pharmacy
Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust (GMMH)
Maintenance
Amey
Mental health
GMMH
Resettlement support
Achieve NW (Career Connect)
Social Care
Lancashire County Council
Substance misuse programme
Delphi Medical
Visitors’ centre
Partners of Prisons (POPS)