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Huntercombe

AI-generated report summary 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.

Year: 2022 Published: 20 Jun 2023 Type: Prison · Cat C Population: 469 Recommendations: 7 Key concerns Positive findings
Original IMB report page ↗ Ministerial response · 4 Aug 2023 ↗

Safety statistics

Incidents during reporting year
IndicatorThis yearPrevious
Deaths in custody0—
Self-harm incidents96—
ACCT cases opened96100
Prisoner assaults5740
Use of force53—

Positive findings

AI-generated summary
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

7 items
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

7 items · 4 repeated

Recommendation 1

Addressee: Other — minister

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 Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Resettlement

Recommendation 2

Addressee: Other — minister

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 Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Resettlement

Recommendation 3

Addressee: Other — minister

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 Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Resettlement

Recommendation 4

Addressee: HMPPS

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.

Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Estate

Recommendation 5

Addressee: Governor / Director

To urgently replace the part of the healthcare facility which has water ingress and is therefore not a suitable working environment.

Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Healthcare

Recommendation 6

Addressee: Governor / Director

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)

Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Education

Recommendation 7

Addressee: HMPPS

there remain significant issues about property transfers between prisons.

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Other

Applications to the IMB

CategoryCurrentPrevious
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

2025 Published 22 Jul 2026 Population 491 · Self-harm 73 · Concerns
2024 Published 27 Jun 2025 Population 491 · Self-harm 63 · Concerns
2023 Published 5 Jul 2024 Population 470 · Concerns
2021 Published 22 Jun 2022 Population 447 · Self-harm 100 · Concerns
2020 Published 6 Aug 2021 Population 420 · Self-harm 115 · Concerns