Source · IMB Annual Report
Huntercombe
Year: 2022
Published: 20 Jun 2023
Type: Prison · Cat C
Population: 469
Recommendations: 7
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP Huntercombe returned to a full regime in 2022, and the Board commended staff for their work. However, significant concerns remain, particularly regarding the ongoing detention of foreign nationals beyond their sentence expiry due to Home Office delays in processing deportation orders. The prison also faces challenges with an antiquated heating system, water ingress in healthcare, reduced education provision due to staffing, and issues with inter-prison property transfers.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 0 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 96 | — |
| ACCT cases opened | 96 | 100 |
| Prisoner assaults | 57 | 40 |
| Use of force | 53 | — |
Positive findings
The Board was pleased to see a return to a normal regime and prisoners engaging in meaningful activity. Staff were commended for their work in helping prisoners progress. Healthcare provision saw a seamless handover to a new head, and sharing of health information with prison staff improved. The resettlement team made good progress in developing support for prisoners. There was a reduction in outstanding complaints, for which the prison was commended.
Key concerns
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
the ongoing incarceration of men who have passed their sentence expiry date and are held under immigration powers (IS91s), who remain under convicted criminal conditions.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
the Board has witnessed an ever-increasing number of foreign national prisoners (FNPs) transferred to HMP Huntercombe without a deportation order (DO), without which removals under the ERS cannot be facilitated.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
the lack of triaging of all FNPs by the Home Office prior to their arrival at HMP Huntercombe, and thus many arriving already past their ERS date, remains a matter of grave concern to the Board.
Estate/Conditions
facilitate the upgrading of the antiquated heating and hot water systems, repeated breakdowns of which not only cause inconvenience but cause frustration and resentment towards prison staff and senior management.
Healthcare
urgently replace the part of the healthcare facility which has water ingress and is therefore not a suitable working environment.
Education/Purposeful Activity
review the education contract in order to reinstate popular and worthwhile courses into the curriculum (paragraph 7.1.1) and to enable the full information, advice and guidance (IAG) level 4 diploma and City and Guilds course to recommence. (paragraph 7.1.4)
Other
Repeated
there remain significant issues about property transfers between prisons.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | the Board has witnessed an ever-increasing number of foreign national prisoners (FNPs) transferred to HMP Huntercombe without a deportation order (DO), without which removals under the ERS cannot be facilitated. At the end of the reporting year, only 76 men from a roll of 469 had had a DO issued. Repeated | Other | |
| 2 | the lack of triaging of all FNPs by the Home Office prior to their arrival at HMP Huntercombe, and thus many arriving already past their ERS date, remains a matter of grave concern to the Board. Repeated | Other | |
| 3 | the ongoing issue of FNPs who have passed their conditional release date (CRD) and are held as IS91 under immigration powers. The Board has noted no improvement in this matter since first reporting it in our report of 2020. Repeated | Other | |
| 4 | To facilitate the upgrading of the antiquated heating and hot water systems, repeated breakdowns of which not only cause inconvenience but cause frustration and resentment towards prison staff and senior management. | HMPPS | |
| 5 | To urgently replace the part of the healthcare facility which has water ingress and is therefore not a suitable working environment. | Governor / Director | |
| 6 | To review the education contract in order to reinstate popular and worthwhile courses into the curriculum (paragraph 7.1.1) and to enable the full information, advice and guidance (IAG) level 4 diploma and City and Guilds course to recommence. (paragraph 7.1.4) | Governor / Director | |
| 7 | there remain significant issues about property transfers between prisons. Repeated | HMPPS |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 4 | 12 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 0 | 1 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 0 | 3 |
| Equality | 0 | 1 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 5 | 4 |
| Food and kitchens | 3 | 2 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 23 | 26 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 4 | 17 |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 5 | 3 |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 15 | 13 |
| Property within this establishment | 12 | 15 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 9 | 3 |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 32 | 13 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 45 | 29 |
| Transfers | 4 | 1 |
Other reports for Huntercombe
Report details
- Establishment
- Huntercombe
- Type
- Prison · Cat C
- Report year
- 2022
- Published
- 20 June 2023
- Responsible body
- Huntercombe
- Recommendations
- 7
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 3 — Good
Population
| Population | 469 |
| Operational capacity | 480 |
Service providers
Careers information, advice and guidance
ACORN
Drug and alcohol recovery
Midland Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Education
Milton Keynes College
General maintenance
Gov Facility Services Ltd
Healthcare
Practice Plus Group
Mental health
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust