Ranby

Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) vehicle fleet is designed to carry the number of prisoners it is intended for, together with their property in line with the volumetric limit which is currently governed by Prison Service Instruction 12/2011 – Prisoners’ Property. As part of the planning for the new PECS contract, which commenced in August 2020, property limits on transportation were reviewed with Ministry of Justice Policy and it was agreed that the new vehicle fleet would provide increased capacity to facilitate an additional half bag of property for consumables to the limit of 7.5kg. Whilst it is the responsibility of the sending prisons to forward on any excess property a prisoner has accumulated to the receiving prison as soon as possible, the new Prisoners’ Property policy framework will provide greater direction and standardisation on a national basis and has been designed with procedural justice at its core. It strengthens guidance on known problem areas such as volumetric control and seeks to ensure prisoners’ property is managed efficiently, effectively, consistently and with care and respect. The introduction of digitally recorded Person Escort Records will also enable better tracking of property in transit with PECS suppliers and will assist with investigating the few complaints PECS receives about lost property.
Following the pause in the development of the new Prisoners’ Property policy framework due to Covid-19 mentioned in the previous response to the Board, feedback received from IMB members has been considered alongside the comments received from other stakeholders, and comments from subsequent operational engagement. HMPPS has now circulated the draft framework with internal and external stakeholders, including the IMB Secretariat and the IMB representatives previously consulted, and the large number of comments received are being considered. As a result, the framework is expected to be published early in 2022.

Further to last year’s response, it is acknowledged that further improvement is necessary and HMP Ranby continues to work with colleagues in the open estate to ensure that paperwork relating to any adjudication charge for an alleged disciplinary offence follows the individual prisoner during or after transfer as this is not currently always the case. Where a prisoner has concern that this will have impacted their recategorisation to a higher security category, the Prisoner Complaints Policy Framework remains available to make representations.

Regarding the Board’s continued concern for those prisoners being released to homelessness, it is recognised that offenders face significant barriers to securing suitable accommodation which HMPPS cannot tackle in isolation. These barriers are often linked to their lack of access to necessary funds, availability of local authority housing supply, as well as the affordability and access to the private rented sector. Since October 2018, HMPPS has had a duty to refer anyone at risk of homelessness to the Local Housing Authorities, who hold statutory responsibility for housing. To strengthen the responsibilities of prison and probation staff to make effective, timely referrals, HMPPS implemented ‘The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017: Duty to Refer (England only)’ policy framework on 1 July 2021. The policy framework also outlines the process supporting the Offender Pathway in Wales.
The Board will hopefully be reassured to note that the Homeless Prevention Teams set up to oversee the Covid Emergency Scheme have been retained as a permanent feature to continue to develop relationships with local authorities and other strategic partners in order to embed and expand housing options for prison leavers. Housing Specialists are also being introduced in twenty resettlement prisons to support Heads of Reducing Reoffending to be more strategic in their response to reducing homelessness, including working in partnership with Commissioned Rehabilitative Services, Homelessness Prevention Teams, and Local Authorities. In addition, over £20 million is being invested to launch a new service, providing up to 12 weeks of basic temporary accommodation for prison leavers who would otherwise be homeless. The service was initially launched in July 2021 within five probation regions and will support around 3,000 offenders in its first year.
Although at an early stage, following the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Companies unifying to become the Probation Service in June 2021, Commissioned Rehabilitative Service (CRS) providers in the pre-release phase will be delivering key resettlement interventions. All eligible cases will receive support prior to release and for accommodation this will be delivered by suppliers based in the areas to which they will return. As well as preparing people for release, CRS providers will undertake activity to close down tenancies at the start of someone’s sentence where this is required or maintain their housing arrangements where appropriate and possible.
Regarding releases on Home Detention Curfew (HDC), it remains the case that accommodation must be approved. Prisoners with no fixed abode cannot be released on HDC or if the address is deemed inappropriate. Bail Accommodation and Support Services provision within the Yorkshire and Humberside region continues to meet referral demand and HMP Ranby has continued to release all those eligible who can provide a suitable address or where suitable secure accommodation can be found for them. Although there was no suspension to the HDC scheme, it is recognised that there can be delays, however, HMP Ranby assesses some of the highest numbers of prisoners eligible for HDC across the prison estate.