Resettlement/Release
What measures are planned to address the backlog in the provision of offending behaviour programmes? What is being done in order to minimise the detrimental effect on men awaiting courses prior to parole board hearings while at the same time ensuring that public safety requirements are met?
Other
Repeated
Why are the Prison Service and its contractors unable to manage the efficient and secure movement and storage of prisoners’ property, particularly during transfers? The loss of personal items causes a great deal of frustration and unhappiness for the individuals concerned that often detracts from their ability to settle. The costs to the Prison Service in replacing lost items must be significant.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
What can be done to ensure that men arriving at Channings Wood late on a Friday receive the same level of support during the reception process as those arriving during the working week?
Safety
The Board has registered its concern over this temporary gap in Listener provision.
Equality/Diversity
The Board has noted an overrepresentation of black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) prisoners on CSIPs in the final months of the report and welcomes the investigation into this by the equality team.
Staffing
Repeated
The Board remains concerned that the lead equalities officer has been unable to fulfil that role to their own satisfaction this year as a result of regular redeployment to cover for absence in other parts of the prison. The Board has noted the loss of equalities officer time in previous reports and is disappointed that the situation has not improved.
Estate/Conditions
Prisoners appreciate the quality of the new LB9 units, though they have commented on the lack of recreation space provided, which the Board acknowledges but also notes that LB9 is a short-term solution pending the wider expansion of the prison site.
Healthcare
there was a waiting list for doctors’ appointments due to the reduced availability of GPs.
Mental Health
Repeated
the time taken for mental health hospital transfers from the day of referral to actual transfer was, in September 2020 and February 2021, much longer than the target of 28 days.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The provision of specialist support to men with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) is also a concern to both managers and the Board... the recruitment of an LDD specialist to be a priority.
Resettlement/Release
Pressures caused by staffing issues and an imbalance in offender flows (an excess in the resettlement need over the training function) have hindered offender management in custody (OMiC) to the extent that managers told the Board that ‘it has all gone slightly wrong’.
Resettlement/Release
Accommodation has remained a major concern... The Board’s survey indicated that in the three-month period since June, 57% of prisoners who responded had settled accommodation to go to, 39% did not know where they would go, while two stated they would become homeless intentionally. The provision of accommodation on release will remain a high priority for the Board’s monitoring.