Staffing
Repeated
The shortage of available staff seriously undermined the ability of the prison to function effectively. The percentage of unavailable officers rarely dipped below 50% during the period.
Safety
Repeated
The prison was not safe. The number of assaults rose by 25% over the reporting period to 1,048. On average there were over 10 assaults on staff per week. This was reflected in a 49% rise in the use of force.
Safety
Repeated
Access to contraband through a variety of methods, including drones, continued to appear easy; cell searches realised 330 mobile phones and 1,900 litres of illicitly brewed alcohol.
Mental Health
The number of assessment care in custody and teamwork (ACCT) reviews opened rose by 29% in the period to 1,041.
Overcrowding
Repeated
The prison remains seriously overcrowded with most men sharing cells designed for single occupancy.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The prison repeatedly had no heating or hot water during the winter months.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
In G and H wing there were only 11 shower stalls for 265 men, who all wanted showers in the very limited time available to them.
Healthcare
Repeated
The new multi-million pound healthcare centre remained unused, over one year after its scheduled opening date.
Healthcare
Repeated
The Addison and Jones units house some of the most vulnerable men in the prison. The state of their environment is unhygienic, dangerous and detrimental to their care and rehabilitation.
Healthcare
There were 88 recorded incidents in the first 10 months of the reporting period of critical medications not being administered.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
The library was open throughout the period but men were rarely brought to it. The opportunity for men to have their regulation 30 minutes per week in the library was largely ignored.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Remand prisoners still received no housing support and this increased their vulnerability and risk of reoffending on release.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Home Office Immigration services were affected by staff shortages throughout the reporting period; there was no consistent pattern of when Immigration staff would be visiting the wings, and no clear information on when a FN prisoner could expect an interview. This caused considerable and unacceptable delays leading to frustration for prisoners and in some cases led to self-harm.
Staffing
The work of the resettlement team was adversely affected by chronic understaffing, down to two members out of 12 at the end of the reporting period.