Independent Monitoring Boards annual report

Berwyn

Report year 2023 Published 9 Aug 2023 Type Prison, category B, C, Reception, Remand Population 1,823 Responsible body HMP Berwyn 7 recommendations

Original IMB report page ↗ Ministerial response, 4 Oct 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 Berwyn faced staffing shortages and a more challenging prisoner cohort, impacting regimes and increasing violence in early 2023, despite overall reductions in self-harm and staff assaults. The Board noted positive staff-prisoner relationships, comprehensive resettlement services, and strong education/work provisions. However, significant concerns remain regarding healthcare (medication restrictions, mental health transfers, appointment attendance), estate maintenance, and the need for improved staff training and activity for vulnerable groups.

Positive findings

Summary written by this site (AI-generated)

The Board observed positive relationships between staff and prisoners. Resettlement services are comprehensive, with numerous accredited education and training courses and a hub providing advice. 33.7% of eligible prisoners were in employment six weeks post-release, exceeding the national benchmark. Accommodation is spacious, light, and clean, and the CSU unit is well-managed. HMP Berwyn is assessed as a leading education and work provider, significantly reducing the OASys backlog. Most prisoners leaving were optimistic about their future.

Recommendations

Recommendation 1Addressed to HMPPS
Recommendation 2Addressed to HMPPS
Recommendation 3Addressed to HMPPS

All 7 recommendations

Key concerns

Key concern 1Healthcare
Key concern 2Mental Health
Key concern 3Safety

All 13 key concerns

Recommendations 7 items · 1 repeated

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 1

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Healthcare

Recommendation (the Board's words)

Prisoners from England are not allowed to access medication which has not been approved by Betsi Cadwaladr (Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board), the local healthcare provider. Regarding medication for mental health issues in particular, this causes distress.

Source text verified

Recommendation 2

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Mental Health

Recommendation (the Board's words)

The Board is concerned about the waiting times for seriously mentally unwell prisoners to be transferred to secure psychiatric hospitals, due to a lack of beds.

Source text verified

Recommendation 3

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Safety

Recommendation (the Board's words)

The Board is concerned that out of area transfers cause difficulties for prisoners, who are far from their families, and for the prison, particularly because these prisoners are not known to the prison. This huge increase in prisoner churn makes it difficult to locate many prisoners safely, especially those who are not part of the regular prison population cohort.

Source text verified

Recommendation 4

Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Staffing · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation (the Board's words)

As the prison population ages, we would like to see training for staff on recognising and dealing with dementia and other age-related needs.

Government response (as published)

Detailed neurodiversity guidance has been issued. A wing for older prisoners has been opened. A support group, the Cameo group, and the wing for older prisoners appear to be functioning well. As there are many recently recruited staff members, they will take time to adjust to the needs of older prisoners.

Source text verified

Recommendation 5

Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Healthcare

Recommendation (the Board's words)

The Board would like to see measures to improve attendance at medical appointments.

Source text verified

Recommendation 6

Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Regime

Recommendation (the Board's words)

The Board is concerned about the number of adjudications which cannot continue because paperwork has not been correctly completed.

Source text verified

Recommendation 7

Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Education

Recommendation (the Board's words)

The Board would like to see more programmes for people with learning difficulties.

Source text verified

Key concerns 13 items

Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.

Key concern 1

Healthcare

Prisoners from England are not allowed to access medication which has not been approved by Betsi Cadwaladr, causing distress, particularly for mental health issues.

Key concern 2

Mental Health

The Board is concerned about the waiting times for seriously mentally unwell prisoners to be transferred to secure psychiatric hospitals, due to a lack of beds.

Key concern 3

Safety

Key concern 4

Staffing · Repeated from a previous year

There is a need for staff training on recognising and dealing with dementia and other age-related needs as the prison population ages.

Key concern 5

Healthcare

Measures are needed to improve attendance at medical appointments, as DNA and CNA rates continue to rise.

Source wording under review

Key concern 6

Complaints/Property

The Board is concerned about the number of adjudications which cannot continue because paperwork has not been correctly completed.

Key concern 7

Education/Purposeful Activity

More programmes are needed for people with learning difficulties, as too few are accessing support.

Key concern 8

Estate/Conditions

Legacy issues with the heating system and peeling plaster in cells persist, and laundry machine repairs can take up to eight weeks.

Source wording under review

Key concern 9

Safety

Post-incident debriefs and use of force documentation are not always fully completed or on time.

Source wording under review

Key concern 10

Substance Misuse

However the Board has noted that some initiatives, such as the new drug recovery wing, are taking some time to function effectively, and high expectations have not been met so far.

Key concern 11

Resettlement/Release

There are a large number of IPP prisoners in HMP Berwyn – 57 in February 2023. In February 2023, to support the men affected by the government’s decision to reject the Justice Select Committee’s recommendation for a resentencing exercise, IPP prisoner forums have been held monthly – so far attended by 11 men, who engaged well. They said that unlike other prisoners they do not have milestones, and that staff do not realise the effect negative entries for minor misdemeanours can have on their sentence.

Key concern 12

Education/Purposeful Activity

However the Board is concerned that within this figure approximately 60% attended the morning session and 80% the afternoon session.

Key concern 13

Staffing

Shortages of operational staff and probation officers, and the OMU and complaints department remaining seriously understaffed, lead to restricted regimes and overdue complaints.

Source wording under review

Safety statistics

Incidents during the reporting year.

Indicator	This year	Previous
Deaths in custody	3	not recorded
Self-harm incidents	941	1,622
ACCT cases opened	578	811
Prisoner assaults	356	376
Assaults on staff	109	216

Population

Population	1,823
Operational capacity	2,000

Applications to the IMB

Category	Current	Previous
Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions	44	54
Canteen, facility list, catalogues	17	6
Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions	14	28
Equality	10	10
Finance, including pay, private monies, spends	13	19
Food and kitchens	8	5
Health, including physical, mental, social care	43	110
Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions	64	48
Miscellaneous	43	97
Property during transfer or in another facility	32	28
Property within the establishment	59	60
Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell	20	22
Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation	57	96
Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying	78	72
Transfers	50	34

Report details

Establishment: Berwyn
Type: Prison, category B, C, Reception, Remand
Report year: 2023
Published: 9 August 2023
Responsible body: HMP Berwyn
Recommendations: 7
MoJ rating (2025/26): 2, Concern

Service providers

Service	Provider
Education	Novus Cambria
Healthcare	Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Visits	Barnardo's

Berwyn

Summary

Positive findings

Recommendations

Key concerns

Recommendations 7 items · 1 repeated

Key concerns 13 items

Key concern 1

Key concern 2

Key concern 3

Key concern 4

Key concern 5

Key concern 6

Key concern 7

Key concern 8

Key concern 9

Key concern 10

Key concern 11

Key concern 12

Key concern 13

Safety statistics

Population

Applications to the IMB

Report details

Service providers

Related inspections and investigations

HMIP inspection, 27 Jan 2025

HMIP inspection, 23 May 2022

Other reports for Berwyn