Low Newton

Response
I appreciate the Board’s concerns about the use of segregation facilities in the female prison estate and thank you for drawing this to my attention. Following the imprisonment of a female in the segregation facility at HMP/YOI Low Newton for over two months, a review of the circumstances around the treatment of the prisoner is currently taking place. Lessons learned and any best practice established will be shared across the female estate when this review is completed. The Board is invited to obtain details of the outcome of the review from the Governor when complete.

Response
Regarding prisoner releases on Fridays, this Government has supported the Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act which enables vulnerable offenders to be released up to two days early, where a release date falls on a Friday or before a bank holiday. This will ensure access to crucial resettlement support before weekend service closures. It achieved Royal Assent in June 2023 and will become operational following publication of the policy framework which is currently under development.

Response
Capital Investment CCTV It is acknowledged the current CCTV system no longer meets the needs of the establishment. Parts are difficult to obtain for outdated cameras and recording equipment, resulting in cameras having to be repaired with reconditioned parts. An Estates Investment Proposal (EIP) bid is submitted every year and the outcome for this years’ submission is awaited. In the meantime, the prison will continue to repair and maintain the existing CCTV system. The introduction of new generation body worn cameras will further mitigate in the meantime. Segregation Unit There was an issue with the heating in the two cells last winter. This has now been resolved with the replacement of the particular faulty element and there are currently no known issues with the heating. Healthcare Unit A feasibility study was commissioned in early 2022 however funding was not confirmed. The study had to account for other projects in the pipeline for any proposed works as this would affect capacity assessments. The project would have to consider installing equipment that is compatible with the existing system. If the projects were to proceed, the systems installed into healthcare would also require upgrading. None of the pipeline projects were approved. Education Facilities The Governor progressed several Additional Works Requests in 2022 for improved education facilities. As funding was unavailable, scoping and Requests For Quotes were suspended. Across the prison estate, demands for maintenance are much greater than the available funding. Therefore, once a bid for a project is received, HMPPS has to prioritise works very carefully to make best use of that funding, focusing on risk to life and risk to capacity and decency.

Response
Female Drugs Search Policy and Equipment HMPPS only has legal permission to scan adult male prisoners where there is intelligence or reasonable suspicion that they are internally concealing contraband. In the 2021 Prisons Strategy White Paper, HMPPS committed to explore a range of intelligence-led and physical counter measures, including the potential use of cutting-edge X-ray body scanners, to protect vulnerable staff and ensure the safety of our prisons. Whilst there are no x-ray body scanners in the women’s estate, the estate does benefit from a range of other security equipment. This includes baggage scanners, metal detecting archways, hand-held metal detectors and drug detection dogs. The women’s estate also benefits from equipment such as trace detection machines which is used to prevent drugs being conveyed into the estate through prisoner mail.

Response
Prisoner Transportation Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) are contractually required to return prisoners by the establishment’s Latest Reception Time. Specific contract performance measures are in place to monitor the return journey of women dealt with by the court, focusing the contractor to transport those women within two hours of their court appearance. The dispersed nature of the female estate requires the contractor to effectively manage their fleet, however there may be occasions when late court sittings together with longer distances required for females, coupled with traffic conditions or adverse weather, that the contractor encounter on route that has a detrimental impact on arrival times. The escorts are required to ensure that the receiving prisons are informed of delays and agreement is sought in advance for the safe receipt of any late arrivals. PECS continue to monitor all aspects of the contractors' performance and where it fails to meet the agreed levels it is raised with the contractor for improvement. Despite the intermittent late arrivals of women into the establishment, HMP/YOI Low Newton has systems in place to ensure the prisoners are appropriately cared for. This consists of trained staff, nurses and mentors, including a dedicated young person mentor, who are fully trained and reliable in the processes of admitting the prisoners. All prisoners are screened through reception and seen by a nurse where all their needs are identified and signposted or dealt with. In the event of an out-of-hours admission (after 20:45hrs) the prison has a process in place where the Night Orderly Officer together with an assistant and the nurse will admit the prisoner(s) and ensure immediate needs are met and provided with essentials. The full reception process is then completed the following morning. Prisoners also receive enhanced levels of observation throughout the night. HMP/YOI Low Newton also monitors the quality of the reception process and is exploring the introduction of a feedback form for new receptions. The reception team are fully aware of the need for this process to be of the highest standard, and that processes are fully met and are not rushed.

Response
The prison has tried throughout the year to maximise key worker contact despite staffing pressures. The prison has been able to maintain a relatively high level of key worker coverage, but staffing shortages continue to hold back full implementation.