Recommendation 1
Recommendation (the Board's words)What plans does the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) have to address the chronic staffing shortages in healthcare?
Source text verified
Independent Monitoring Boards annual report
Frankland
Report year 2022
Published 26 May 2023
Type Prison, category High Security, Training
Population 825
Responsible body HMP Frankland
9 recommendations
Original IMB report page ↗ Ministerial response, 5 Jul 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 Frankland, a high-security training prison, has operated near its 852 capacity. The Board noted positive developments including staff efforts to maintain safety, the continuation of social video calls, and strong educational engagement. Key concerns include chronic healthcare staffing shortages, persistent issues with property tracking, the ingress of illicit drugs, and the impact of heating problems on workshop availability.
Positive findings
Summary written by this site (AI-generated)The Board welcomed the continuation of beneficial pandemic strategies, such as social video calls. They were satisfied with staff efforts to maintain a safe and humane environment, and noted improvements in healthcare complaint resolution through the PALS line. Education and purposeful activity thrived with peer mentor involvement, Koestler Awards success, and a well-resourced library service. Strong partnerships and well-organised visits further supported prisoners, and the IMB commended the prison's support for their monitoring activities.
Recommendations
- Recommendation 1Addressed to Ministry of Justice
- Recommendation 2Addressed to Ministry of Justice
- Recommendation 3Addressed to HMPPS
Key concerns
- Key concern 1Staffing
- Key concern 2Other
- Key concern 3Substance Misuse
Recommendations 9 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 2
Recommendation (the Board's words)We would again ask the Minister to look into the tracking and tracing of property. This is long overdue.
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Recommendation 3
Recommendation (the Board's words)How are illicit drugs getting into the estate?
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Recommendation 4
Recommendation (the Board's words)Days are still being lost in the workshops because of on-going heating issues. Why has this problem not been resolved?
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Recommendation 5
Recommendation (the Board's words)How does the Prison Service plan to cope with the demands on resources resulting from an increasing older age range population?
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Recommendation 6
Recommendation (the Board's words)HMP Frankland’s provision for pharmacy on the lower older wings is not fit for purpose. Does the Prison Service have a solution to this critical situation?
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Recommendation 7
Recommendation (the Board's words)What further action can be taken to prevent illicit drugs/items getting into the estate?
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Recommendation 8
Recommendation (the Board's words)What actions are in place to improve the complaints response times?
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Recommendation 9
Recommendation (the Board's words)What plans are in place to replace or repair kitchen equipment so that the provision is not affected?
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Key concerns 12 items
Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.
Key concern 1
The chronic staffing shortages in healthcare.
Key concern 2
The long-overdue tracking and tracing of property.
Key concern 3
Illicit drugs getting into the estate.
Key concern 4
Days lost in workshops because of on-going heating issues.
Key concern 5
The demands on resources resulting from an increasing older age range population.
Key concern 6
HMP Frankland’s provision for pharmacy on the lower older wings is not fit for purpose.
Key concern 7
Actions are needed to improve the complaints response times.
Key concern 8
What plans are in place to replace or repair kitchen equipment so that the provision is not affected?
Key concern 9
Waiting times for dental appointments were a particular concern.
Key concern 10
The room allocated to the mental health team is too small, and there are insufficient rooms for team members to meet with prisoners.
Key concern 11
The lack of an appropriate environment for prisoners diagnosed with dementia.
Key concern 12
Maintaining levels of stability in the MPU in relation to both violence and self-harm.
Safety statistics
Incidents during the reporting year.
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 5 | not recorded |
| Prisoner assaults | 23 | not recorded |
| Assaults on staff | 12 | 5 |
| Use of force | 138 | 158 |
| Drug finds | 45 | 120 |
Population
| Population | 825 |
| Operational capacity | 852 |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 9 | 1 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 10 | 6 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives, sanctions | 4 | 9 |
| Equality | 4 | 8 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 5 | 7 |
| Food and kitchens | 7 | 10 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 13 | 21 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 15 | 17 |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 90 | 21 |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 4 | 17 |
| Property within this establishment | 22 | 12 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 12 | 4 |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 18 | 15 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 52 | 13 |
| Transfers | 13 | 12 |
Report details
- Establishment
- Frankland
- Type
- Prison, category High Security, Training
- Report year
- 2022
- Published
- 26 May 2023
- Responsible body
- HMP Frankland
- Recommendations
- 9
- MoJ rating (2025/26)
- 3, Good
Service providers
| Service | Provider |
|---|---|
| Counselling support | Mind |
| Dental services | Burgess & Hyder Dental Services |
| Facilities maintenance, cleaning and other small works | Amey plc |
| Healthcare (nursing, therapy, pharmacy, GP, clinical substance misuse) | Spectrum Community Health CIC |
| Learning and skills development | Milton Keynes College |
| Mental health services | Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Foundation Trust |
| Non-clinical substance misuse | Humankind |
| Peer support (Listeners) | Samaritans |
| Prisoner escort services | GEOAmey |
| Security support | Durham Police |
| Visitors' centre/family support | North East Prison After Care Society (NEPACS) |