Source · IMB Annual Report

Swaleside

Year: 2023 Published: 8 Sep 2023 Type: Prison · Cat B Population: 828 Recommendations: 17 Key concerns Positive findings

HMP Swaleside experienced an unprecedented year of staff shortages, severely impacting the regime and humane treatment of prisoners with restricted time out of cell. Despite these challenges, the Board commends the SLT and staff for implementing an improving regime, which saw a decline in violence and self-harm incidents. Key concerns remain around staff retention, the poor state of facilities, long segregation times, inadequate resettlement support, and the high number of deaths in custody.

Safety statistics

Incidents during reporting year

Indicator	This year	Previous
Deaths in custody	10	7
Prisoner assaults	231	138
Assaults on staff	214	234

Positive findings

The Board commends the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), officers, detached duty officers, service providers and administrative staff for their efforts to implement an improving regime despite severe staffing challenges. Prisoner-on-prisoner violence and self-harm cases have fallen steadily during the year, and serious assaults have shown a steady decline. The introduction of airport-style x-ray machines has improved security, and restricting sugar purchases has reduced illegal alcohol brewing. Health provision has improved since Oxleas took over, and prisoners' mental well-being appears to be improving with regime enhancements. Blossoms provides good social care. Swaleside is one of the best performing prisons in the LTHSE for education course starts and completions, with an 89% pass rate, and the library service has expanded.

Key concerns

17 items

Staffing Repeated The Board remains concerned about the retention and recruitment of staff. 29 experienced officers from Swaleside were recruited directly by the Border Agency during the year and numbers were also lost to the police and civil service. These other agencies offer better employment terms than HMPPS for all levels and grades of staff. The result is that Swaleside has been compelled to hire expensive agency staff and transfer in detached duty officers from other prisons on higher pay and bonuses, as well as paying their hotel bills. Some detached staff do not seem to have the same level of commitment to supporting and engaging with prisoners as local staff. The prison also has to encourage officers to work long hours of overtime. In the Board’s view it is a false economy to maintain such a sharp differential between the terms and conditions of HMPPS staff and those of other agencies.

Regime/Time Out of Cell The humane treatment of prisoners is questionable given regime restrictions for most of the year, especially given the lack of meaningful activity and the confinement of prisoners to their cells for long periods.

Estate/Conditions Repeated The refurbishment of showers throughout the establishment should be completed, with necessary funding provided. The identified faults with recently installed showers should be remedied as a matter of urgency.

Segregation Repeated The length of time spent in CSRU by a number of prisoners remains far too long and far exceeds normal recommendations. An effective means of reducing this time should be sought as a matter of urgency.

Resettlement/Release The Employability Hub is not yet functioning as it should. New prisoners are not receiving appropriate induction and the Board is very concerned that prisoners are being released from prison without proper support.

Regime/Time Out of Cell Repeated The Board remains concerned about the impact of the recently introduced Offender Flow and Allocation system. Swaleside is a category B trainer in the LTHSE but is now receiving younger prisoners with shorter sentences. This is detrimental to the stability of the prison and the well-being of older, longer sentenced prisoners. The change should be re-examined and the benefit examined against its detrimental impact.

Safety Repeated The Board shares the concerns expressed by the SLT that there have again been deaths in custody during the year. A thorough investigation is being conducted by the LTHSE into the causes. However, a national investigation is perhaps required to establish either commonality of cause irrespective of prison type and to highlight specific issues relating to particular establishments.

Substance Misuse However, drugs, especially spice, continue to be an issue

Resettlement/Release The Board remains very concerned at the situation of IPP prisoners. Courses and programmes should be made available to them so that they can have the opportunity to demonstrate that they are no longer a danger to the public.

Food/Catering Repeated The continued reliance of HMP Standford Hill on the kitchen at Swaleside for the preparation of its food continues to cause major issues, as has been stated for several years. The stalled installation of kitchens at HMP Standford Hill should be restarted urgently and be completed without further delay.

Estate/Conditions Repeated GFSL has improved the rate at which out-of-action cells are brought back into use. However, far too many cells remain unusable.

Staffing Keywork has been a major casualty of staff shortages and is currently restricted to only the most vulnerable prisoners. As the regime improves, the Board would urge the Governor to extend Keywork to all prisoners as a matter of urgency and encourage wing staff to engage more with prisoners.

Equality/Diversity Facilities for female officers are inadequate and it is not acceptable that they have to share locker rooms with male staff. This needs to be addressed, especially as there are now many female officers working in the prison.

Equality/Diversity A range of equality and access issues, including in-cell technology only in English, laptops inappropriate for visually impaired, lift issues, kitchen menus only in English, no in-cell telephony for healthcare, no Pagan or Rastafarian Chaplain, limited corporate worship for some religions, issues with some wings getting to visits due to staff, and skewing of enhanced status in favour of white prisoners.

Staffing Repeated The Board has raised before the inadequacy of basic apprentice officer training and believes that training must at least result in them knowing what to expect when they arrive at their establishment. Support for new officers has improved considerably at Swaleside, especially with the introduction of the mentoring system. However, this is no substitute for proper basic training.

Equality/Diversity Repeated The inequality of opportunity for prisoners convicted of sexual offences (PCOSOs) and vulnerable prisoners still needs to be addressed, despite progress made in that direction.

Mental Health Repeated The Board remains concerned regarding the mental health of prisoners who have suffered long-term lockdown. This is evidenced by the high number of ACCT cases, self-harm cases and violent incidents. The first indications from the recent improvement in regime are positive. However, the necessity for increased psychology and psychiatric services still needs to be assessed.

Recommendations

17 items · 10 repeated

#	Recommendation	Addressee
1	Indeterminate sentences for Public Protection (IPPs) were abolished in 2012 with the government stating that they were “not defensible”. However, the change did not apply to prisoners who were already serving IPP sentences, and this left them in limbo with little hope of release. The Board are concerned that the Government has rejected the call from the Justice Select Committee to resentence IPP prisoners and reduce the licence period from 10 to five years. This is neither decent nor humane and the Board would urge the Minister to review the department’s response to the Justice Select Committee’s report.	Ministry of Justice
2	The Board remains concerned about the retention and recruitment of staff. 29 experienced officers from Swaleside were recruited directly by the Border Agency during the year and numbers were also lost to the police and civil service. These other agencies offer better employment terms than HMPPS for all levels and grades of staff. The result is that Swaleside has been compelled to hire expensive agency staff and transfer in detached duty officers from other prisons on higher pay and bonuses, as well as paying their hotel bills. Some detached staff do not seem to have the same level of commitment to supporting and engaging with prisoners as local staff. The prison also has to encourage officers to work long hours of overtime. In the Board’s view it is a false economy to maintain such a sharp differential between the terms and conditions of HMPPS staff and those of other agencies. Repeated Response Although some progress in recruitment has been noted, there has been a continued outflow of staff which has more than offset any benefit and a continued reliance on detached duty staff. The situation has recently improved by the transfer out of prisoners allowing the closure of two wings. This change has resulted from the action taken following the enquiry into excessive deaths in custody.	Ministry of Justice
3	The refurbishment of showers throughout the establishment should be completed, with necessary funding provided. The identified faults with recently installed showers should be remedied as a matter of urgency. Repeated Response Showers, even recently refurbished showers, continue to evidence problems relating to poor drainage and lack of ventilation.	HMPPS
4	The Board shares the concerns expressed by the SLT that there have again been deaths in custody during the year. A thorough investigation is being conducted by the LTHSE into the causes. However, a national investigation is perhaps required to establish either commonality of cause irrespective of prison type and to highlight specific issues relating to particular establishments. Repeated Response A thorough investigation involving senior LTHSE staff from all relevant disciplines has taken place over the past year. This has resulted in several practice changes and, as noted above, a real reduction in Operational Capacity allowing better use of staff.	HMPPS
5	The length of time spent in CSRU by a number of prisoners remains far too long and far exceeds normal recommendations. An effective means of reducing this time should be sought as a matter of urgency. Repeated Response No change in this has been noted, although there is an occasional success in moving prisoners between establishments. However, this often results in a move from one CSRU to another.	HMPPS
6	The Board remains concerned about the impact of the recently introduced Offender Flow and Allocation system. Swaleside is a category B trainer in the LTHSE but is now receiving younger prisoners with shorter sentences. This is detrimental to the stability of the prison and the well-being of older, longer sentenced prisoners. The change should be re-examined and the benefit examined against its detrimental impact. Repeated Response The change to the Offender Flow System continues to cause problems. It is conceivable that the recent transfer out of mainly Cat C and Cat D prisoners will improve the situation. Hopefully this will allow the key role of the establishment in dealing with longer term B Cat prisoners but this remains to be confirmed.	HMPPS
7	The continued reliance of HMP Standford Hill on the kitchen at Swaleside for the preparation of its food continues to cause major issues, as has been stated for several years. The stalled installation of kitchens at HMP Standford Hill should be restarted urgently and be completed without further delay. Repeated Response There has been no change to this situation which continues to require urgent consideration.	HMPPS
8	The Board has raised before the inadequacy of basic apprentice officer training and believes that training must at least result in them knowing what to expect when they arrive at their establishment. Support for new officers has improved considerably at Swaleside, especially with the introduction of the mentoring system. However, this is no substitute for proper basic training. Repeated Response Whilst there has been little change in the basic training provided to new recruits, within the establishment there is a much improved support network in place. This approach provides a ‘buddying’ system and the availability of experienced staff to provide help and encouragement.	HMPPS
9	The inequality of opportunity for prisoners convicted of sexual offences (PCOSOs) and vulnerable prisoners still needs to be addressed, despite progress made in that direction. Repeated Response There has been a concentration of available work (especially DHL Canteen) for the PCOSOs but little other change to available support.	HMPPS
10	The Board remains concerned regarding the mental health of prisoners who have suffered long-term lockdown. This is evidenced by the high number of ACCT cases, self-harm cases and violent incidents. The first indications from the recent improvement in regime are positive. However, the necessity for increased psychology and psychiatric services still needs to be assessed. Repeated Response This situation continued to deteriorate in the early part of the year, due to the regime restrictions. Recent improvements to allow more time for work and education may improve this situation. A meaningful reduction in self-harm has been noted.	HMPPS
11	Gov Facility Services Limited (GFSL) has improved the rate at which out-of-action cells are brought back into use. However, far too many cells remain unusable. Repeated Response GFSL are aware of the urgency to bring damaged cells back into use and the situation has improved.	HMPPS
12	Keywork has been a major casualty of staff shortages and is currently restricted to only the most vulnerable prisoners. As the regime improves, the Board would urge the Governor to extend Keywork to all prisoners as a matter of urgency and encourage wing staff to engage more with prisoners.	Governor / Director
13	As the regime gradually improves with the implementation of the Core Day programme, the Board would urge the Governor to ensure that more prisoners are provided with meaningful work and education in line with their sentence plans.	Governor / Director
14	The Board remains very concerned at the situation of IPP prisoners. Courses and programmes should be made available to them so that they can have the opportunity to demonstrate that they are no longer a danger to the public.	Governor / Director
15	The Employability Hub is not yet functioning as it should. New prisoners are not receiving appropriate induction and the Board is very concerned that prisoners are being released from prison without proper support.	Governor / Director
16	We are pleased to note that in-cell technology has now been installed throughout the prison. This is bringing improvements for prisoners and for the operation of the prison. However, the Board is concerned by the abuse of the technology by some prisoners.	Governor / Director
17	Facilities for female officers are inadequate and it is not acceptable that they have to share locker rooms with male staff. This needs to be addressed, especially as there are now many female officers working in the prison.	Governor / Director

Applications to the IMB

Category	Current	Previous
Accommodation (including transfers)	45	38
Discipline	52	19
Equality	101	19
Fairness	171	22
Healthcare	100	25
Meals	61	27
Other	129	24
Property	254	44
Regime	145	31
Requests	186	45
Safety	39	19
Staff	72	26
Visits	17	2
Work / Education	11	2

Related inspections & investigations

15 Dec 2025 HMIP · Urgent Notification

11 Sep 2023 HMIP · Announced Safety 2 · Respect 2 · Activity 2 · Release 2

— PPO fatal incident Charles Stevens · Other non-natural

— PPO fatal incident Stephen Finnigan

— PPO fatal incident Thomas Ruggiero · Self-inflicted

— PPO fatal incident Scott Napier

6 Feb 2025 PPO fatal incident Peter Turner · Natural causes

24 Mar 2026 PFD Thomas Ruggiero · State Custody related deaths

8 Aug 2024 PFD Sean Davies · Suicide (from 2015)

24 Jan 2022 PFD Idris Habib · State Custody related deaths | Mental Health related deaths

13 Jul 2015 PFD Douglas Birch · State Custody related deaths

Other reports for Swaleside

2025 Published 14 Oct 2025 Population 922 · Concerns

2024 Published 30 Aug 2024 Population 900 · Concerns

2022 Published 19 Jul 2022 Population 1,038 · Self-harm 860 · Concerns

2021 Published 3 Sep 2021 Population 989 · Concerns

2020 Published 5 Aug 2020 Population 1,083 · Concerns

Report details

Establishment: Swaleside
Type: Prison · Cat B
Report year: 2023
Published: 8 September 2023
Responsible body: HMP Swaleside
Recommendations: 17
MoJ rating (2024/25): 1 — Serious concern

Population

Population	828
CNA (designed for)	1,111 75%

Service providers

Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Outlook

Education

Milton Keynes College

Facilities Management

Gov Facility Services Limited (GFSL)

Healthcare

Oxleas

Social Care

Blossoms

Source links

IMB report page → imb.org.uk →