North Sea Camp

Response
Every effort is made to obtain the necessary documents so Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) boards can be held promptly, and Parole Board hearings are not postponed. Return of paperwork reminders are regularly sent to COMs and escalated to the Head of Offender Management five weeks prior to the ROTL Board. If there is further delay, where the prisoner has been allocated to a COM and responsibility transferred from the Prison Offender Manager, matters are escalated through the local probation senior management.

Response
HMPPS is considering options for longer-term replacement of the decommissioned Harrison and Llewelyn modular units, and is undertaking a strategic review at HMP North Sea Camp as part of the agency’s long-term estates strategy. This is looking at how the reduction in capacity might be reversed to reduce overcrowding, whilst also taking into account the risks of flooding at the site.

Response
Regarding prisoners sharing dormitories, it is recognised that the rooms are not large enough for two tables, but prisoners are not constrained to their rooms and the regime is structured so that comparatively little time is spent indoors. Work activities encourage people to make the most of the 300 acres of this resettlement establishment. At this time there is no budget allocated to converting the dormitories to smaller rooms. A Small-Scale Investments team are commissioning a feasibility study on the options available to refurbish various buildings. This includes erecting partition walls in three dormitory rooms located in South Units 1 and 2 to create seven double-occupancy rooms.

Response
It is acknowledged that the performance of facilities management (FM) has sometimes fallen below expectations. Performance is measured through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), tracking results periodically and applying financial penalties where necessary. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Property Directorate will continue to work with the FM provider to improve reactive maintenance.

Response
The newly published Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework came into effect on 5 September 2022 and replaces Prison Service Instruction 12/2011 - Prisoners’ Property. The Framework is the result of extensive consultation, including with the IMB. It has been designed with procedural justice at its core, and aims to ensure consistency and fairness and enhance prisoners’ satisfaction with processes and outcomes. Given the nature of property, and the movement of prisoners between establishments, the Framework looks to provide greater direction and standardisation on a national basis. It strengthens processes in relation to the main problem areas identified by IMBs and staff including the handling of valuable property, managing cell clearances, compliance with volumetric control and forwarding on excess property following a prisoner’s transfer.