Overcrowding
Ongoing pressure on HMP Forest Bank to make space for the large number of prisoners arriving from court each weekday so that prisoners do not need to be diverted to other prisons outside the area.
Mental Health
Repeated
The transfer of prisoners to hospital under the Mental Health Act does not occur within Department of Health guidance timescales, leading to detrimental impact on prisoners’ mental health.
Healthcare
Lack of adequate resourcing to provide for a staffed inpatient unit and further therapeutic services as part of the new healthcare contract.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Ofsted, who inspected Forest Bank’s provision of education, skills, and work at the same time as HMIP’s inspection in February 2022, found that Forest Bank’s provision for education in every area was inadequate. It further found that education was not a priority for senior prison leaders and managers who had not aligned their curriculum to meet the changing needs and demographics of the prison population or to meet local skills needs. The content of the curriculum was far too narrow to provide prisoners with the breadth of knowledge, skills and behaviour that would be useful for their next steps.
Safety
Levels of violence, particularly in-cell violence, remain too high, and young adults (18-25) are disproportionately involved.
Source wording under review
Estate/Conditions
Shower facilities are currently at a poor standard, the drainage is poor, and they appear generally dirty. The shower rooms have a screen near the main entrance but no sectioned cubicles, therefore there is insufficient privacy for prisoners.
Staffing
It has been reported by staff that the key worker scheme that started in such a positive manner is continuing to struggle due to ongoing staff shortages. Staff report they have 10 to 22 prisoners each who they need to support with key work. Each session should take place weekly for 45 minutes. The timeframe includes supporting the prisoner with several areas including self-harm, relationships, mental health and education and includes a write-up. Staff say they find it extremely difficult to carry out quality, person-centred key work sessions as it is often in addition to their primary duties. Several prisoners who were asked about key work either could not identify who their key worker was or could not recall their last session.
Complaints/Property
The Board continues to work with other IMBs to resolve property issues created by transfers. Missing property within the prison is also an ongoing issue, with regular complaints from prisoners that property goes missing when they are moved from their wing to the segregation unit.