Recommendation 1
What plans does the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) have to address the chronic staffing shortages in healthcare?
Source · IMB Annual Report
Frankland
AI-generated report summary 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.
Year: 2022
Published: 26 May 2023
Type: Prison · Cat High Security, Training
Population: 825
Recommendations: 9
Key concerns
Positive findings
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 5 | — |
| Prisoner assaults | 23 | — |
| Assaults on staff | 12 | 5 |
| Use of force | 138 | 158 |
| Drug finds | 45 | 120 |
Positive findings
AI-generated summaryThe 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.
Key concerns
The chronic staffing shortages in healthcare.
The long-overdue tracking and tracing of property.
Illicit drugs getting into the estate.
Days lost in workshops because of on-going heating issues.
The demands on resources resulting from an increasing older age range population.
HMP Frankland’s provision for pharmacy on the lower older wings is not fit for purpose.
Actions are needed to improve the complaints response times.
What plans are in place to replace or repair kitchen equipment so that the provision is not affected?
Waiting times for dental appointments were a particular concern.
The room allocated to the mental health team is too small, and there are insufficient rooms for team members to meet with prisoners.
The lack of an appropriate environment for prisoners diagnosed with dementia.
Maintaining levels of stability in the MPU in relation to both violence and self-harm.
Recommendations
Recommendation 2
We would again ask the Minister to look into the tracking and tracing of property. This is long overdue.
Recommendation 3
How are illicit drugs getting into the estate?
Recommendation 4
Days are still being lost in the workshops because of on-going heating issues. Why has this problem not been resolved?
Recommendation 5
How does the Prison Service plan to cope with the demands on resources resulting from an increasing older age range population?
Recommendation 6
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?
Recommendation 7
What further action can be taken to prevent illicit drugs/items getting into the estate?
Recommendation 8
What actions are in place to improve the complaints response times?
Recommendation 9
What plans are in place to replace or repair kitchen equipment so that the provision is not affected?
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 |
Related inspections & investigations
Safety 3
· Respect 3
· Activity 3
· Release 3
Brian Heron · Natural causes
Gordon Preece · Natural causes
Sharon Butcher · State Custody related deaths
Other reports for Frankland
Population 813
· Concerns
· Concerns
Population 840
· Concerns
Population 816
· Self-harm 461
· Concerns