Forest Bank

Response
Following a pause in the development of the new Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework due to Covid-19, HMPPS circulated the draft Framework last year with internal and external stakeholders, including the IMB Secretariat and the IMB representatives previously consulted. Further operational engagement was necessary following that consultation. The feedback received has been considered and, where appropriate, adjustments to the new Framework have been made. The Framework is currently going through the necessary clearance processes and will be published as soon as those processes are concluded. The Framework aims to ensure that property is handled with efficiency, care and respect and that staff and prisoners are clear on the arrangements in place. It provides clear requirements and strengthens guidance on known problem areas. This includes providing stronger guidance to ensure volumetric control limits are respected, so that prisoners do not build up excessive amounts of property.

Response
Reconfiguration is a national project to rebalance the existing adult male estate in the most effective way to increase the number of training places and reduce the depth of imprisonment sentenced men experience being held in reception prisons. The re-role of HMP Manchester served to counter an imbalance within the overall estate of having too few category B training places, and the courts it served were transferred to HMP Forest Bank which was already functioning as a reception prison. Although there were initial challenges, the benefit to both HMPs Forest Bank and Manchester has been the opportunity to focus resources on less cohorts of prisoner and provide a more bespoke service with targeted rehabilitative interventions for the men in their care. Safety and security are of paramount importance. The prison has proactively worked to address these teething problems and has been further supported by a reduction in the operating capacity by 200 for a period of time. This reduction has now started to return with 96 places back online and the stability of the prison continues to be closely monitored as it settles into holding a larger reception cohort. The issue of Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) at HMP Forest Bank is part of a wider operating landscape during the timeline of the IMB report. Any prisoner with links to OCGs will be identified as such, regardless of their role and the extent to which they were involved. HMPPS takes robust steps to manage the security and potential public safety issues related to this group of prisoners. This includes managed transfers across the estate and active work to disrupt attempts to engage in criminal activity. Since the time of the IMB report steps have been taken to address the issues raised, including the recruitment of more custodial staff and some physical structural improvements to mitigate security risks.’

Response
Reconfiguration is a national project to rebalance the existing adult male estate in the most effective way to increase the number of training places and reduce the depth of imprisonment sentenced men experience being held in reception prisons. The re-role of HMP Manchester served to counter an imbalance within the overall estate of having too few category B training places, and the courts it served were transferred to HMP Forest Bank which was already functioning as a reception prison. Although there were initial challenges, the benefit to both HMPs Forest Bank and Manchester has been the opportunity to focus resources on less cohorts of prisoner and provide a more bespoke service with targeted rehabilitative interventions for the men in their care. Safety and security are of paramount importance. The prison has proactively worked to address these teething problems and has been further supported by a reduction in the operating capacity by 200 for a period of time. This reduction has now started to return with 96 places back online and the stability of the prison continues to be closely monitored as it settles into holding a larger reception cohort. The issue of Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) at HMP Forest Bank is part of a wider operating landscape during the timeline of the IMB report. Any prisoner with links to OCGs will be identified as such, regardless of their role and the extent to which they were involved. HMPPS takes robust steps to manage the security and potential public safety issues related to this group of prisoners. This includes managed transfers across the estate and active work to disrupt attempts to engage in criminal activity. Since the time of the IMB report steps have been taken to address the issues raised, including the recruitment of more custodial staff and some physical structural improvements to mitigate security risks.’