Overcrowding
Most men had to share a 12 x 8 feet cell with another prisoner. This cell has been for the last year their shared bedroom, toilet, dining room and living room, in which many often spent 23 hours a day having to tolerate an unimaginable lack of privacy. It is no surprise that applications to the IMB about accommodation almost tripled compared to last year. It is extremely fortunate that the installation of in-cell phones coincided with the start of the pandemic. Additional channels became available on in-cell TV which was also helpful. The operational capacity of the prison was reduced to 1000 in September. One wing was decanted and refurbished and now looks very good, but these small cells should not house two men. There is nothing that the management team at Pentonville can do about the overcrowding. The operational capacity should be reduced further to allow for single occupancy of the cells.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Renovation of a few shower rooms took place, but some shower rooms are still in an appalling state: damaged floors, mouldy ceilings, partitions falling apart and offering almost no privacy, and recurring fly infestations. There are insufficient showers for the number of prisoners at Pentonville. This led the management to investigate the installation of field showers, but the plumbing logistics proved to be too complicated. The heating has been problematic for years at Pentonville and it reached crisis point in February. It failed on various wings and some men were left without any heating or hot water for the best part of 10 days at a time when the weather was at its coldest.
Mental Health
The mental health team is comprised of mental health nurses, a psychiatric social worker, forensic psychiatrists and a part-time occupational therapist. They work in tandem with the wellbeing centre where, in normal times, staff provide a range of group work (including support for those with anger management needs, those hearing voices, and peer support). However, these group sessions were not permitted during lockdown. The pandemic has dramatically reduced mental health provision for prisoners. The care has, in part, moved from therapeutic (helping prisoners to improve) to basic monitoring (trying to ensure patients do not get worse).
Safety
Repeated
For most of this year, up to 18 VPs were located outside the VPU, amid the general population. Reduced transfers out due to Covid-19, court delays and insufficient space in the prison estate exacerbated this overspill. It is unrealistic to expect that VPs housed outside the self-contained unit can be fully protected. Their safety was a serious concern to the Board and prison management, particularly following an influx of volatile prisoners onto this wing in June. In the last six months VPs frequently complained about abuse, threats, being spat at, having urine thrown at them, and assault. Some of their families were threatened. Several men complained that their food had been contaminated; investigations by the Board could not confirm or rule this out.
Safety
Repeated
Young adult violence numbers remain too high, and notwithstanding the innovative Time4Change programme, much more is needed to engage this population.
Substance Misuse
Repeated
More drugs dogs have been working this year than last, although there have still been gaps in cover, and there was no mandatory drug testing (MDT) during the reporting period.
Safety
Backlog in Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) reports and inquests for deaths, meaning Pentonville is unable to act on independent recommendations and potentially delaying improved outcomes for vulnerable prisoners.
Safety
Repeated
Variable quality of ACCT documents, an issue not effectively resolved since HMIP's February 2020 visit, and the Challenge, Support and Intervention Plan (CSIP) not being fully embedded with all staff.
Source wording under review
Complaints/Property
Lack of timeliness of internal prison communication regarding prisoners’ sentence management, generating anxiety among prisoners.
Other
Repeated
Issues with prisoners’ property continued to be a concern during this reporting year. The number of applications concerning property within the prison went up by 20% to 60, and in spite of the much-reduced number of movements in and out of the prison the number of applications about property during transfer or in another establishment only decreased slightly on last year, from 29 to 27. Complaints about property were the highest of any single category during the year. The impact of loss of property on prisoners must be hard at any time, but especially during the isolation and boredom experienced during the pandemic. The Board heard of delays in the searching and issuing of property at reception due to drug issues, especially impregnated clothing, partly due to a lack of drug dog cover. By March this had improved somewhat due to a scanner being taken from visits. Another fairly common problem was legitimate property that had been sent in by family or friends being delayed getting up to the wings. Applications about property being lost on transfer included one involving the loss of a mobile phone which contained evidence the prisoner needed for his trial, causing him much distress.
Equality/Diversity
Disproportionate representation of 18-24-year-olds, Muslim, Black, and mixed ethnicity prisoners in use of force incidents and adjudications.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
How well are prisoners progressed towards successful resettlement? With limited access to work and education, and the absence or curtailing of other group activities, progress toward resettlement was, inevitably, compromised.
Safety
Repeated
Use of BWVCs has improved but remains an issue. The number of cameras being drawn daily has increased steadily since April 2020. March 2021 saw a big increase, with an average of 32 of 47 active cameras being drawn daily. They are being switched on more often during incidents but there are still many occasions on which they are not activated, despite the Governor continuing to reinforce to staff how important this is.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Work opportunities for VPs have been historically poor but during lockdown a small number of VPs continued to work in prison industries and bin parties (7.2). Education has always been limited due to lack of space and was further reduced by Covid-19 restrictions (7.1). Like many other prisoners this year, VPs complained of not having enough to do.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The new Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) policy has not been implemented due to Covid-19, and the basic level was used disproportionately and contrary to national guidance for much of the year.
Source wording under review
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Vermin is still an issue at Pentonville despite a three-month program of eradication.
Other
There has been a shortage of kit all year. There is not always enough clothing for all the new prisoners and the replacement system for clothing and bedding is not working. This is especially difficult for those prisoners who cannot rely on their friends and family to send clothing to them.
Food/Catering
Repeated
The IMB continues to receive many complaints about the quality and quantity of prisoners' food. These complaints peaked when the food started being served at cell doors in containers rather than at serveries.
Segregation
Repeated
The care and separation unit (CSU) remains very tired and in urgent need of further major renovations, with cells often out of use due to damage, and radios/distraction packs not always available.
Substance Misuse
However, continued lax supervision of the medication queues by prison officers for much of the reporting year meant that opiate substitutes become a tradeable substance. Fortunately, towards the end of the reporting year the pharmacists refused to dispense unless officers were present, and supervision consequently improved.