Recommendation 1
A comprehensive reducing reoffending strategy, supported by a detailed action plan that is monitored and updated regularly, should be developed to improve outcomes for prisoners.
Source · IMB Annual Report
Ranby
AI-generated report summary HMP Ranby, a Category C training prison, generally provides a safe environment with satisfactory healthcare, though mental health transfers face significant delays. The Board raised concerns regarding cell sharing, inadequate purposeful activity, and difficulties prisoners face in accessing offender managers. Staffing has improved but retention of new officers is an concern, while the prison struggles to maintain its training role due to overcrowding and a high churn of short-sentence prisoners. The Board’s ability to monitor was impacted by administrative and equipment issues.
Year: 2023
Published: 25 Aug 2023
Type: Prison · Cat C training
Recommendations: 8
Key concerns
Positive findings
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 2 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 425 | — |
| Prisoner assaults | 108 | — |
| Assaults on staff | 54 | — |
Positive findings
AI-generated summaryThe Board found that safety in the prison is generally good, and staff-prisoner relationships are largely respectful. Healthcare services are satisfactory and comparable to public services, with mental health needs generally well cared for. In-cell technology like telephones and laptops have proven valuable. The reception process is efficient and dignified, and staff in the segregation unit and IDTS houseblock show professional and caring approaches. The library is also highly valued and well-run, and family contact and visits appear to be going well.
Key concerns
The Board is still concerned regarding cell sharing, which has been going on for too many years, questioning if it is fair or humane for prisoners to share cells designed for single occupancy, especially given they eat meals and use the toilet in their cells.
Prisoners often have difficulty in accessing their offender manager or indeed knowing who their offender manager actually is, including their Personal Offender Manager (POM) Officer.
Purposeful activity is sometimes poor, and the high churn of short-sentence prisoners means many cannot access or complete courses for rehabilitation or skilled work due to insufficient time or transfer/release.
Source wording under review
There is a sense of helplessness and hopelessness for many IPP sentenced prisoners, especially for those detained for many years after a recall.
Prisoners with severe mental health issues are kept too long in the prison environment and not transferred to appropriate mental health institutions, with very long waiting times in excess of 28 days.
Rehabilitation and release planning could be better, as HMP Ranby appears to be neither a full training prison nor a full resettlement prison at this time, compounded by overcrowding and a high churn of short-sentence prisoners.
Many instances where prisoners have not had refunds from DHL, particularly when coming to HMP Ranby from other prisons, which builds up tensions.
The daily budget for food is currently £2.17 per prisoner, which kitchen staff find difficult to provide a balanced and interesting diet, leading to many complaints about the quality and quantity of food.
Source wording under review
Canteen has also not been delivered in accordance with what was ordered by the prisoner, and delays in refunds adversely affect the attitudes and morale of prisoners, indicating a need for much better contract management at a higher level.
Although there are currently 48 band 3 operational officers in their probationary year (see Staff Matters 3.2),12 staff have left within their first year of service. The Board questions whether the current method of recruitment is satisfactory given 25% have left in the first year? What steps can the Prison Service take to ensure that the numbers of experienced staff are maintained at adequate levels?
Loss of property is one of the biggest issues reported by prisoners during this reporting year. Many times, their belongings seem to go missing during transfers from other establishments. There is often a long wait for prisoners to be reunited with their property. This makes them frustrated and angry with the system. When property is finally deemed as lost it would appear that prisoners are having difficulty in claiming compensation. Does the Prison Service have plans to address this issue in the future?
Many issues become formal complaints (Comp 1 and Comp 1As) which could and should have been dealt with at community level, and responses are still an issue in both timescale and quality.
The Board’s ability to effectively monitor the prison has been significantly impacted by not having the tools for the job, including no clerk available for Board Meetings, non-attendance by Governor, old and unserviceable office equipment, and an unserviceable boiler in the portacabin.
Source wording under review
Recommendations
Recommendation 2
Will the Prison Service outline its plans for aligning the catering budget with the increases in the cost of living?
Recommendation 3
What plans does the Prison Service have to resolve this issue?
Recommendation 4
What steps can the Prison Service take to ensure that the numbers of experienced staff are maintained at adequate levels?
Recommendation 5
What steps can the Prison Service take to address this problem?
Recommendation 6
Will the Prison Service explain why a prisoner returned from a Category D prison on an alleged breach of rules is returned without paperwork or the chance to answer the charges for the return, but the return is posted on p-NOMIS and therefore their record?
Recommendation 7
Does the Prison Service have plans to address this issue in the future?
Recommendation 8
More staff interaction, better information for prisoners to know who their offender manager and personal offender manager are.
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 16 | 15 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 27 | 26 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 7 | 3 |
| Equality | 1 | 9 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 6 | 9 |
| Food and kitchens | 2 | 3 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 12 | 26 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 14 | 34 |
| Miscellaneous | 0 | 0 |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 0 | 47 |
| Property within this establishment | 52 | 54 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 8 | 4 |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 53 | 45 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 33 | 28 |
| Transfers | 18 | 7 |
Related inspections & investigations
Safety 2
· Respect 2
· Activity 2
· Release 2
Timothy Frank · Natural causes
Christopher Walton · Natural causes
Mark Beresford · State Custody related deaths | Mental Health related deaths
Steven May · State Custody related deaths
Other reports for Ranby
· Self-harm 522
· Concerns
· Self-harm 533
· Concerns
· Self-harm 747
· Concerns
· Self-harm 258
· Concerns
Population 1,092
· Self-harm 336
· Concerns
Population 1,092
· Self-harm 624
· Concerns