Source · IMB Annual Report
Stocken
Year: 2022
Published: 15 Nov 2022
Type: Prison · Cat C
Population: 1,019
Recommendations: 9
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP Stocken generally provides a safe and humane environment, with strong efforts in safer custody and no deaths in custody this year. However, the Board highlights significant challenges including chronic understaffing across various departments, persistent delays in staff vetting, and a critical shortage of secure mental health provision, leading to unsuitable placements within the prison. Issues with prisoner transfers, including incomplete assessments and uncontrolled property, and a lack of category D prison places continue to hinder progression and resettlement efforts. The performance of the education provider is also a key concern.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 0 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 232 | — |
| Prisoner assaults | 51 | 45 |
| Assaults on staff | 42 | 64 |
Positive findings
The Board finds HMP Stocken to be a safe environment, where prisoners are generally treated fairly and humanely, and physical health needs are well catered for. The safer custody team's commitment was recognised in a recent audit, and the reception process continues to work effectively. There were no deaths in custody this year, and a STARS course for self-harmers showed positive results with a significant reduction in incidents. The introduction of in-cell telephony has been a major step forward, and the 50/50 regime is working well for both staff and prisoners. The mental health team's morale has improved, leading to better waiting times, and a recent refurbishment of the visits hall has created a more relaxed environment.
Key concerns
Mental Health
Repeated
Urgent consideration should be given to increasing the provision of secure mental health facilities for those who should be in such a facility and not in a prison.
Staffing
The vetting process should be speeded up so that people appointed subject to vetting do not find another job while waiting to be vetted.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
More places should be made available for speedier transfer of category D prisoners out of category C establishments.
Resettlement/Release
Prisoners are being transferred to Stocken without a completed offender assessment system (OASys) assessment, which means that the assessment has to be completed at Stocken, adding pressure on the offender management unit (OMU).
Other
Repeated
Volumetric control of prisoners’ property when transferred is not being enforced and all too often men arrive at Stocken with excess property or their property is sent on (or not) after their transfer, leading to a backlog of property waiting to be security checked or not being received.
Staffing
Staffing numbers need to increase to reduce the impact of a shortage of both officers and administrative staff.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Purposeful activity opportunities, such as structured on wing activity (SOWA), need to increase for men when out of their cells.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The Board has concerns about the performance of PeoplePlus, which is clearly not functioning well with low staff morale and some targets not being met.
Other
The backlog of property in the stores needs to be addressed.
Mental Health
Repeated
Instances are still being seen where men with mental health problems have had to be held in segregation, which is far from ideal, and where they would most certainly be better served in an appropriate secure mental facility.
Segregation
The length of time potential transferees wait in segregation is a concern for the Board.
Resettlement/Release
Transfer of prisoners who have been recategorised to B takes too long and is certainly not within 72 hours.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The shortage of places on offending behaviour programmes also means that it is likely that prisoners who might otherwise have been recategorised and moved to category D conditions cannot progress.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urgent consideration should be given to increasing the provision of secure mental health facilities for those who should be in a such a facility and not in a prison. Repeated | Ministry of Justice | |
| 2 | The vetting process should be speeded up so that people appointed subject to vetting do not find another job while waiting to be vetted. | Ministry of Justice | |
| 3 | More places should be made available for speedier transfer of category D prisoners out of category C establishments. Repeated | Ministry of Justice | |
| 4 | Does the Prison Service feel that it is acceptable that some establishments are allowing the transfer of prisoners without a completed OASys assessment and, if not, how does it propose to ask establishments to rectify this? | HMPPS | |
| 5 | Does the Prison Service feel that it is acceptable that some establishments are not following the rules on volumetric control and if not how does it propose to ask establishments to rectify this? Repeated | HMPPS | |
| 6 | Staffing numbers need to increase to reduce the impact of a shortage of both officers and administrative staff. | Governor / Director | |
| 7 | Purposeful activity opportunities, such as structured on wing activity (SOWA), need to increase for men when out of their cells. | Governor / Director | |
| 8 | The Board has concerns about the performance of PeoplePlus, which is clearly not functioning well with low staff morale and some targets not being met. | Governor / Director | |
| 9 | The backlog of property in in the stores needs to be addressed. | Governor / Director |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 7 | 5 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 7 | 0 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 20 | 10 |
| Equality | 3 | 3 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 16 | 10 |
| Food and kitchens | 0 | 3 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 15 | 25 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 13 | 17 |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 46 | 0 |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 33 | 6 |
| Property within this establishment | 12 | 23 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 34 | 16 |
| Sentence management, including home detention curfew, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 31 | 14 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 49 | 38 |
| Transfers | 23 | 16 |
Related inspections & investigations
16 Jan 2023
HMIP · Unannounced
Safety 4
· Respect 3
· Activity 2
· Release 3
Other reports for Stocken
Report details
- Establishment
- Stocken
- Type
- Prison · Cat C
- Report year
- 2022
- Published
- 15 November 2022
- Responsible body
- HMP Stocken
- Recommendations
- 9
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 3 — Good
Population
| Population | 1,019 |
| Operational capacity | 1,044 |
Service providers
Catering (temporary)
VT Catering
Drug Rehabilitation (Inclusion)
Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust
Education
PeoplePlus
Healthcare and Mental Health
Practice Plus Group
Kitchen Equipment Servicing
Serviceline
Library
Rutland County Council
Voluntary
Samaritans
Workshop (private sector)
DHL