Key concerns 23 items
Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.
Key concern 1
Staffing · Repeated from a previous year
The continued staff shortages have overshadowed all aspects of prison life.
Key concern 2
Regime/Time Out of Cell · Repeated from a previous year
At the time of writing much of the prison remains on restricted regime, with most prisoners being locked up for half a day every day.
Key concern 3
Estate/Conditions · Repeated from a previous year
Accommodation in L wing, HCC, E wing and the segregation unit is outdated and would benefit from refurbishment and modernisation. Some of the wings have leaking roofs and, as reported year on year by the IMB, are not satisfactory.
Key concern 4
Estate/Conditions · Repeated from a previous year
Accommodation fabric and decency checks (AFDCs) have been of variable quality, with some cells not cleaned before the arrival of new prisoners.
Key concern 5
Staffing · Repeated from a previous year
The useful key worker programme continues to be curtailed due to staff shortages.
Key concern 6
Safety · Repeated from a previous year
Levels of self-harm in the prison population remain high.
Key concern 7
Mental Health
The mental health team is overstretched.
Key concern 8
Safety · Repeated from a previous year
Prisoner-on-prisoner assaults are too frequent and there has been an increase in gang-related assaults on the wings involving multiple individuals.
Key concern 9
Equality/Diversity · Repeated from a previous year
Current inductions are confusing to some new prisoners, particularly foreign national prisoners. Use of the language line and other facilities for translation is limited.
Key concern 10
Overcrowding · Repeated from a previous year
As reported for many years, the prison is overpopulated and toilet facilities in doubled-up cells lack essential privacy.
Key concern 11
Equality/Diversity · Repeated from a previous year
There are currently seven foreign national prisoners at Norwich whose sentences have expired. One is a man convicted of shoplifting, who has remained in custody for two years after his sentence expired. His continued detention is neither fair nor humane.
Key concern 12
Healthcare
The low number of prison staff means that many GP and dentistry appointments are cancelled. There are issues with the delivery of medication.
Key concern 13
Resettlement/Release · Repeated from a previous year
There is no funding for accredited interventions and offending behaviour programmes (OBPs) and there is nothing for long-term sentenced prisoners and those serving imprisonment for public protection sentences (IPPs) to help demonstrate a reduction in risk.
Key concern 14
Equality/Diversity
Foreign national prisoners struggle to use the [video call] system and there are no instructions available in foreign languages to assist their families in setting up these calls.
Key concern 15
Mental Health · Repeated from a previous year
Delays in finding suitable outside secure mental health facilities lead to prisoners being held for long periods in segregation facilities.
Key concern 16
Food/Catering
Serveries on the main site (A, B and C wings) were not monitored appropriately by staff. IMB members routinely observed that some prisoners took extra food... Servery orderlies and staff confirmed that there were often insufficient meals for all the prisoners, as food had gone astray due to lack of supervision.
Key concern 17
Regime/Time Out of Cell · Repeated from a previous year
Due to issues with Whitemoor laundry service, it was frequently reported to the Board, and confirmed by officers, that there had been no clothing or bedding exchange.
Key concern 18
Segregation · Repeated from a previous year
The segregation unit building is no longer up to standard.
Key concern 19
Mental Health · Repeated from a previous year
The Board is concerned that prisoners with mental health issues continue to be held in the segregation unit as there is no other suitable place of safety should they be violent and disruptive.
Key concern 20
Segregation · Repeated from a previous year
Some prisoners are in the segregation unit for long periods of time, repeatedly being signed up for extended periods in the unit by the prison group director (PGD).
Key concern 21
Regime/Time Out of Cell · Repeated from a previous year
There is little to occupy the segregated prisoners except for limited in-cell education packs, access to a radio, and regular access to the library trolley at mealtimes and distraction packs. There are no gym facilities and exercise is offered daily in two small bare yards.
Key concern 22
Complaints/Property
Complaint forms are not freely available on all landings and have only just become available in foreign languages.
Key concern 23
Other · Repeated from a previous year
The management of property, in particular transfers between establishments, is poor and cannot be deemed to be treating prisoners in a reasonable manner. Property losses feature among the highest concerns for prisoners.