Onley

There is an urgent need for increased capacity in one particular area: category D (open) prisons. There is also a need to increase this capacity in London and the south east. Far too many prisoners at HMP Onley are a very long way from their homes and families and this makes resettlement much harder for these prisoners.

I acknowledge the Board’s comments about capacity shortages in the open prison estate. HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) recognises this concern which has been impacted by the closure of several accommodation blocks no longer meeting the statutory fire safety standards. This has been managed in the open estate by replacing some of these places, particularly in the South, with existing temporary accommodation (as part of Covid-19 contingency measures), and in other sites, with new temporary accommodation. As part of the ongoing long-term programme to deliver 18,000 additional prison places, HMPPS is currently assessing which sites may be suitable for expansion of the open estate.

There needs to be a prompter allocation of recategorised prisoners to an appropriate location. Both category C prisoners needing a category B space and prisoners granted category D status can wait a considerable time to be transferred.

In terms of recategorisation, progressive transfers of prisoners, as stated in the response to the Board dated 3 June 2020, these are subject to space in the appropriate part of the prison estate becoming available and the speed of transfers reflects this constraint. Locally at HMP Onley, staff have continued to work closely with HMPPS Population Management Team throughout the pandemic to transfer men to open conditions.

The Board has been advised that the need for intimate partner violence courses is an East Midlands wide issue. If a suitable training provider can be found, the introduction of an appropriate course should be considered. Additional staff may be required to run the training.

The types of accredited programmes and amount delivered are continuously kept under review taking into consideration of the population demand both nationally and locally. As the Board are aware, there are two accredited programmes which specifically target partner related violence; these are Building Better Relationships (BBR) and Kaizen-Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). HMPPS is working to identify priority individuals to access such programmes and targeting delivery to prisoners who are due to be released or have a parole hearing during 2021 (to aid sentence progression). Delivery of community based accredited programmes are being undertaken through a Prioritisation Framework (PF). On release, individuals will be able to access accredited programmes in the community, if they are assessed as suitable in accordance with the PF. Staff at HMP Onley manage intervention course requirements by conducting a regular needs analysis and provide courses most suitable. If an individual’s sentence plan indicates a need for a course not delivered at HMP Onley, a move to a suitable prison is facilitated as soon as practicable.

Urgent attention should now be given to the funding of windows in wings A – H, which are no longer fit for purpose and have been mentioned in this report for several years.

The Governor has made a conscious effort over the past three years to replace many of the perspex window panels. A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Estates investment proposal bid has been approved to replace the windows that are in a poor state of repair and are not to a modern standard. This is now awaiting funding allocation and will be then added to the MoJ projects programme of work. Meanwhile, staff will continue to complete repairs as they are reported onsite via Planet FM.

Ways should be explored as to how to retain good long-standing officers in HMPPS. We see all too often good officers leaving to pursue careers outside HMPPS due to better progression and increased salaries. These losses unfortunately lead to more new, inexperienced officers at HMP Onley. As mentioned in last year’s report, increasing the local pay allowance to that in London might help to support the recruitment and retention of prison officers and help the Governor manage attrition.

Very little new recruitment took place during the pandemic and the move to the 15-month Custody and Detention apprenticeship was also paused. It has taken time to recover from this. HMP Onley is currently classified as being one of the ‘very difficult’ to recruit to prisons, with job applications received in lower volumes than those seen in 2019. Work around improving the prison officer staffing level position at HMP Onley continues. The MoJ Resourcing Team will discuss the recruitment challenges with the Governor and explore collaborative ways to successfully reach out to candidates. To help boost application volumes to the required level, HMP Onley is one of 14 prisons to receive intensive marketing and attraction support. The Custody and Detention apprenticeship is now being rolled out in phases which involves much more practical skills development in the classroom and then more learning in the workplace. Although the London pay allowance is in recognition of the generally higher cost of living in or commuting into London which are not generally applicable to national locations including HMP Onley. Over the Board’s reporting period the prison experienced retention rates that were better than the cited average. This along with the excellent Prison Officer Entry Level Training Mentoring Team and Apprentice Coach led to a more experienced staff group which correlated with reduced violence levels. It is noted that with the reopening of the economy and as new prisons open or expand within close vicinity to HMP Onley, staff retention will be monitored closely. Like the Board, HMPPS wants prison officers to stay and progress their careers. Induction processes have been improved to ease transition into the job, provide care and support for staff and offer additional training. These measures are part of ongoing work directly with Governors to address local issues and ensure experienced staff and new recruits remain in the service. Additionally, work to develop clear career paths and professionalise the service continues, and this should provide development and promotion opportunities for experienced staff. This will aid motivation and offer greater reliance across the system, with new staff being supported and mentored, longer direct contact time with prisoners through key work and with extra staff greater confidence in working in a safe, decent and secure environment.

As we exit this, HMP Onley must focus on its purpose as a training and resettlement prison. It is vital that more industries become involved with the prison to assist the men to gain vocational qualifications.

Ways should be found to increase the number of prisoners attending workshops and education and improve the percentage of prisoners engaged in meaningful activities/education which provide them with either a qualification or a skill on release.