Buckley Hall

I acknowledge the Board’s request for the return of the independent adjudicator. As a response to Covid-19 and following public health advice, physical independent adjudication hearings were suspended from 23 March 2020. In order to resume hearings, as an emergency response, 20 laptops were rolled out for shared use across the estate to enable virtual independent adjudications to take place from June 2020. Since then, each prison has now been provided with their own laptop for virtual independent adjudications. I understand that HMP Buckley Hall was unable to use the laptop because there is no connection port in the adjudication room. However, I am pleased to say that the prison has now ordered and is awaiting the appropriate technology required to enable virtual hearings to proceed.

I appreciate the Board’s concerns regarding the number of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP). Covid-19 continues to present a unique set of challenges that we must address to maintain services in custody and the community. HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) remains committed to supporting prisoners serving the IPP sentence in their progression and efforts to reduce their risk to the point where the Parole Board determines that they may be safely released. This commitment is delivered by means of a bespoke and regularly refreshed IPP action plan, which includes initiatives such as case reviews of those who are struggling to progress, delivered by Psychology Services to help identify the most appropriate pathway for each individual. It also includes a work stream that oversees the establishment and delivery of specialist progression regimes, which give prisoners a chance to develop and test their ability to manage their risks and lives in an environment of increasing freedoms and responsibilities. There are a broad range of work streams in the plan, aimed at both the progression towards a safe release, and towards the sustainability of that release, following a positive parole outcome.
The latest published figures show the unreleased IPP population standing at 1,661 at the end of September 2021, a reduction from 1,895 at the end of September 2020. This is good progress considering that the population of unreleased prisoners serving IPP sentences was, at its highest in 2012, over 6,000. It is important to note that as the number of IPP prisoners who have never been released continues to decrease, the proportion of those that remain in prison who committed more serious offences and whose cases are complex grows. As the Board is aware, many of these prisoners are still assessed to pose a high risk of committing further violent or sexual offences and have a complex set of risks and needs, and these must be addressed before the Parole Board can consider release. This is not a simple task and HMPPS continues to work with these individuals to offer them opportunities to reduce their identified risks.

There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring prisoners and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison. Within the context of these often competing operational and logistical demands, the Population Management Unit seeks to ensure that prisoners who have been accepted for transfer are moved as soon as is practical. Swift and efficient transfers between prisons, particularly progressive transfers to open and resettlement prisons, are necessary and desirable because they ensure that space remains within local/reception prisons. They also ensure that prisoners are held in prisons providing an appropriate level of security as well as the appropriate interventions to allow them to progress with their sentence plan.

A Drug Strategy Lead was appointed in 2021 and will lead on driving HMP Buckley Hall’s drug strategy agenda. During the pandemic, services have been affected due to the restrictions in place. However, in October 2021 the establishment moved into Stage 1 of recovery which includes increased support work from the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service team. The prison also recommenced mandatory drug testing from July 2021 onwards.

The importance of having in-cell telephony across the estate is recognised as it allows easier access to family, friends and support frameworks. In-cell telephony installations have continued at pace across the closed estate and HMP Buckley Hall is in scope for implementation. A full survey has been conducted at site and an affordability assessment is currently taking place.

Digital safes are currently in the process of being ordered and installed in each cell to provide safe storage of items, including medication.

The policy regarding the transfer of prisoners’ monies is included in the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Finance Manual which states: ‘13.18.4. Once received into the new caseload, Contracted-Out Prisons will zero the Prison-NOMIS account and credit their finance system with the balance. Private prisons have been instructed to allow prisoners access to their funds upon arrival before receiving the physical funds. The manual transfer of monies must be actioned immediately by pre-signed manual cheque.’ Any prison that is experiencing issues in this area should raise these with the MoJ Financial Governance Team who will take the issues forward.