Recommendation 1
Recommendation (the Board's words)What plans are there to ensure that design omissions in this new design prison are addressed in future builds?
Source text verified
Independent Monitoring Boards annual report
Five Wells
Report year 2023
Published 12 Sep 2023
Type Prison, category C
Population 1,200
Responsible body HMP Five Wells
14 recommendations
Original IMB report page ↗ Ministerial response, 1 Nov 2023 ↗ imb.org.uk ↗
The summary and positive findings below were written from the report by an AI model. The Board's own wording is in the report linked above.
Summary
Summary written by this site (AI-generated)HMP Five Wells, a Category C prison, opened in February 2022 and housed 1200 prisoners by March 2023, below its operational capacity of 1680. The IMB noted successes such as positive visitor feedback and streamlined safeguarding, but raised significant concerns including widespread illicit items, severe staffing shortages, and numerous design flaws in the new build. Key areas needing development involve consistent regime application, improved food and canteen services, and the re-establishment of resettlement-focused programmes like ROTL.
Positive findings
Summary written by this site (AI-generated)The Board welcomed the successful introduction of integrated wings for the general population and prisoners convicted of sexual offences. The standard of wing accommodation is good, with prompt attention to critical maintenance issues. Healthcare needs are generally met, and the safeguarding process has been streamlined. The prison has shown good engagement with local businesses, offering numerous employment opportunities for those approved for ROTL. Visitor feedback on the overall experience and family engagement events is overwhelmingly positive.
Recommendations
- Recommendation 1Addressed to Ministry of Justice
- Recommendation 2Addressed to HMPPS
- Recommendation 3Addressed to HMPPS
Key concerns
- Key concern 1Substance Misuse
- Key concern 2Staffing
- Key concern 3Estate/Conditions
Recommendations 14 items
Recommendations were extracted from the report by AI, and responses and their status from the ministerial response by AI. Each recommendation shows whether its wording has been checked against the report.
Recommendation 2
Recommendation (the Board's words)Staffing, equipment, and facilities were not all in place when the prison opened, and discrepancies remain. How can this situation be avoided in the future?
Source text verified
Recommendation 3
Recommendation (the Board's words)The Board is concerned that many prisoners were transferred to Five Wells with the promise of an experience that was not available on arrival. This caused problems for prisoners and staff and affected their progression. What steps can be taken to prevent this happening in the future?
Source text verified
Recommendation 4
Recommendation (the Board's words)A significant number of prisoners transferred to Five Wells were not suitable for what the prison had to offer. What steps can be taken to minimise this practice?
Source text verified
Recommendation 5
Recommendation (the Board's words)Key work support has been eroded by staffing shortages and operational requirements. What steps are being taken to ensure prisoners get the support they need?
Source text verified
Recommendation 6
Recommendation (the Board's words)Loss of property (particularly for inter-prison transfers) is problematic and creates anxiety for prisoners and extra work for staff. What immediate steps are being taken to address this?
Source text verified
Recommendation 7
Recommendation (the Board's words)What steps are being taken to ensure a good standard of food is available for prisoners, and food safety requirements are met?
Source text verified
Recommendation 8
Recommendation (the Board's words)How will the prison improve the canteen system? The Board considers the distribution and processing of missing items and refund process unworkable, time consuming and not fit for purpose.
Source text verified
Recommendation 9
Recommendation (the Board's words)What action can be taken to address concerns about the Prisoner Led Initiative (PLI) activities? The Board considers that whilst much of the work has had a positive impact, there are serious concerns (expressed by both prisoners and staff) about the methods of recruitment, selection, management, and supervision of some individuals.
Source text verified
Recommendation 10
Recommendation (the Board's words)The Board’s rota reports have highlighted that inconsistencies and frequent changes in regime have undermined the running of the houseblocks, with some staff feeling unsupported and lacking the confidence to enforce where necessary. What action will be taken to remedy this?
Source text verified
Recommendation 11
Recommendation (the Board's words)What steps are being taken to ensure the consistent application, management, and review of the incentives scheme?
Source text verified
Recommendation 12
Recommendation (the Board's words)What steps are being taken to ensure that prisoners attend their allocated purposeful activity and, if returned, or refusing to attend, that there is consistency in the action taken?
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Recommendation 13
Recommendation (the Board's words)What security measures are being implemented to limit the number of illicit items found on the premises?
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Recommendation 14
Recommendation (the Board's words)What steps are being taken to safely reinstate the ROTL programme?
Source text verified
Key concerns 27 items
Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.
Key concern 1
The Board is concerned about the number and range of illicit items found in the prison. Drugs seem to be available on most houseblocks.
Key concern 2
A high proportion of operational staff have less than one year’s service and staff shortages mean they have little support.
Key concern 3
There are a number of design faults, eg, low mobility cells on each wing cannot be occupied for safety reasons, air flow on the landings is poor and the original gym location was unsuitable.
Key concern 4
The application of the incentives scheme has been inconsistent, with enforcement dependent on the confidence and knowledge of staff on duty.
Key concern 5
The Board received many complaints from prisoners about the quality, quantity, and range of choices for food. There have been instances when the Board has observed food shortages and occasionally some prisoners going without meals.
Key concern 6
The canteen system, serviced by DHL, has been a major cause for concern, including the standard and shortage of items, and delays in prisoners receiving refunds.
Key concern 7
There has been inconsistent management of the segregation unit, with a regime which did not clearly distinguish between rights and privileges. Damage to cells in the unit resulted in one third being out of action at the end of the year.
Key concern 8
There is little evidence of key worker support, and the roll-out is behind schedule.
Key concern 9
Only one of the two medication hatches has been commissioned on each houseblock, leading to delays of up to two hours and regime disruption.
Key concern 10
Wheelchairs are not always available, and no maintenance system for the wheelchairs is in place.
Key concern 11
Education provision had a slow start due to difficulties in recruiting tutors and a lengthy clearance process. Some vocational workshops were not equipped, and some had insufficient power supply.
Key concern 12
The allocation procedure has been problematic, and prisoners were not always allocated an appropriate course in line with their resettlement plan. A recent survey indicates 23% of prisoners did not choose the course they are on.
Key concern 13
Attendance in vocational workshops and education averaged at 56%, partly due to inconsistencies in penalising non-attendance.
Key concern 14
The Head of Education has raised serious concerns about the safety of staff in his department.
Key concern 15
Vocational training provision is behind schedule which has limited work opportunities for prisoners.
Key concern 16
Original and revised Key Working targets have not been met.
Key concern 17
ROTL has been suspended.
Key concern 18
Intervention programmes have not been delivered as anticipated.
Key concern 19
What plans are there to ensure that design omissions in this new design prison are addressed in future builds?
Key concern 20
Staffing, equipment, and facilities were not all in place when the prison opened, and discrepancies remain. How can this situation be avoided in the future?
Key concern 21
The Board is concerned that many prisoners were transferred to Five Wells with the promise of an experience that was not available on arrival. This caused problems for prisoners and staff and affected their progression. What steps can be taken to prevent this happening in the future?
Key concern 22
A significant number of prisoners transferred to Five Wells were not suitable for what the prison had to offer. What steps can be taken to minimise this practice?
Key concern 23
Key work support has been eroded by staffing shortages and operational requirements. What steps are being taken to ensure prisoners get the support they need?
Key concern 24
Loss of property (particularly for inter-prison transfers) is problematic and creates anxiety for prisoners and extra work for staff. What immediate steps are being taken to address this?
Key concern 25
How will the prison improve the canteen system? The Board considers the distribution and processing of missing items and refund process unworkable, time consuming and not fit for purpose.
Key concern 26
What action can be taken to address concerns about the Prisoner Led Initiative (PLI) activities? The Board considers that whilst much of the work has had a positive impact, there are serious concerns (expressed by both prisoners and staff) about the methods of recruitment, selection, management, and supervision of some individuals.
Key concern 27
The Board’s rota reports have highlighted that inconsistencies and frequent changes in regime have undermined the running of the houseblocks, with some staff feeling unsupported and lacking the confidence to enforce where necessary. What action will be taken to remedy this?
Safety statistics
Incidents during the reporting year.
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 2 | not recorded |
Population
| Population | 1,200 |
| Operational capacity | 1,680 |
| Time out of cell | 8.4h/day |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 13 | not recorded |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 23 | not recorded |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 9 | not recorded |
| Equality | 0 | not recorded |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 21 | not recorded |
| Food and kitchens | 12 | not recorded |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 18 | not recorded |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 23 | not recorded |
| Miscellaneous | 45 | not recorded |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 43 | not recorded |
| Property within the establishment | 40 | not recorded |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 10 | not recorded |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 22 | not recorded |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 15 | not recorded |
| Transfers | 3 | not recorded |
Report details
- Establishment
- Five Wells
- Type
- Prison, category C
- Report year
- 2023
- Published
- 12 September 2023
- Responsible body
- HMP Five Wells
- Recommendations
- 14
- MoJ rating (2025/26)
- 3, Good
Service providers
| Service | Provider |
|---|---|
| Accommodation Support | Interventions Alliance |
| Education and Skills Provider | Weston College |
| Employment Services | Ingeus |
| Financial Assistance / Benefit Payments | Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) |
| Health and Social Care Charity (Life Skills Courses) | Change Grow Live |
| Health and Wellbeing Programmes | Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire |
| Identification and Banking Assistance | New Futures Network |
| Local Authority | North Northamptonshire Council |
| NHS-commissioned Healthcare Provider | Practice Plus Group Ltd |
| Personal Wellbeing Services (Post-release) | Nacro |
| Prison Food Contract | Aramark |
| Probation Services | Probation Service |
| Visitor Centre Services | HALOW |