Safety
The arrival and management of SCAs in the STHF area severely compromised safety for the SCA men, for existing detainees and for staff. Overcrowding on arrival and truncated health assessments were particularly evident and created unacceptable pressures.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The situations described later in this report relating to the use of the domestic visits hall on the arrival of significant numbers of SCA were neither fair nor humane.
Mental Health
We remain concerned that people who are mentally unfit for detention are still being detained. Furthermore, for some detainees, the IMB feels that failings of the detention engagement team (DET) to engage effectively may have contributed to feelings of frustration and powerlessness, potentially leading to incidents of self-harm. We do not believe that the immigration detention estate (IDE) should be expected to take responsibility for those who are mentally or physically unfit for detention.
Complaints/Property
The ongoing lack of engagement by DET remains one of our biggest concerns. The Board considers that the lack of face-to-face, or even, in many cases, basic telephone assistance is unfair.
Mental Health
Repeated
The Board continues to observe detainees arriving at the centre with severe mental health issues, often exacerbated by overly-long periods of detention. We suggest that, as last year, this highlights shortcomings with the detention gatekeeping process.
Resettlement/Release
The Board is concerned about the number of detainees recognised as particularly vulnerable to harm in detention and placed on the adults at risk (AAR) register, specifically those at level 3 (the highest level), who remain in detention for prolonged periods of time with no imminent chance of removal. We do not believe that their lengthy detention is fair.
Segregation
The repeated use of the CSU to house detainees with severe mental health conditions for prolonged periods of time is not fair.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The Board repeats its concern from previous years that too many detainees are held for unacceptably long periods of time with no chance of imminent removal. Although fewer detainees were held for extended periods in 2021, there are still too many, with the worst example being 815 days.
Resettlement/Release
The Board observed little progress in 2021 with the time taken to find suitable bail accommodation for detainees once bail had been granted in principle. In a number of cases the Board observed an apparent lack of constructive communication between the Home Office and Probation Service, leading to extended periods of time for time served foreign national offenders (TSFNO) detainees within the IDE.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
During the course of 2021, issues relating to heating and ventilation remained to the fore, with different units experiencing problems with temperatures in rooms and communal areas. We reiterate that we believe that a major investment is required to resolve the issue.
Food/Catering
Food does, however, remain the source of a small, but vociferous, number of verbal and written complaints to members of the Board. It also came up on nine separate occasions during DCC meetings. The menus unfortunately ceased including photos of food, thus making it more difficult for detainees whose first language is not English to understand what was being offered.