Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
A regime that requires 23 hours a day to be spent in cell for many has been a continued concern.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The provision of basic items (such as toilet covers, toilet rolls, and curtains) and access to property in a reasonable timeframe has been a continued concern.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Progression and resettlement h) Of concern is that for many prisoners, access to purposeful activity remains limited despite the situation improving.
Staffing
Repeated
Probation Prison Offender Managers (POMS) are carrying excessive caseloads of up to 90 prisoners, when usually tasked with 60, adversely affecting OASys reports and interaction with OMU staff, leading to significant delays (up to 5 months).
Source wording under review
Mental Health
There are serious concerns over the availability of appropriate mental health support for those in need who should be placed in NHS secure mental health units, leading to seriously mentally ill prisoners being held in prison, especially in segregation units, and long waiting times for approved transfers.
Staffing
Repeated
The Business Hub is understaffed and does not have the resources necessary to keep up with demand for essential prisoner services (PIN credit, approval of telephone numbers, property, canteen purchases, finance, complaints, IMB applications).
Complaints/Property
Throughout the year, the Board conducted three dip tests involving 20 complaints on each occasion. The quality and fairness of the responses varied significantly. Approximately 40% of the complaints were either left unanswered or received responses lacking the seriousness they deserved. Compounding the issue, handwritten replies posed challenges in terms of legibility, especially for prisoners with limited reading skills. Additionally, the illegibility of some staff signatures further hindered effective communication.
Healthcare
Repeated
The Board is not confident that the out-of-hours GP service will carry out night visits, which remains a concern from the previous year.
Healthcare
Repeated
Dentistry is a particular concern as initial appointments often lead to follow up treatment so there is a paradoxical effect where the waiting list for ongoing treatment grows the more patients that are seen.
Resettlement/Release
5 Resettlement planning Swinfen Hall as a Cat C training prison does not have funding to provide support for men on release. During the reporting period up to 10 men were released from the prison each month. The prison expects to release directly at least 70 men in the next 10 months, as these men are less than 10 months from release and so cannot move to a resettlement prison. A further 134 men are due to transfer to resettlement prisons as they are in the 24 to 10 month resettlement window. Population pressures indicate many of these men will not move to their resettlement prison. The prison is not resourced to support prisoners on direct release.