Lindholme

I acknowledge the Board’s continued concerns about the number of Indeterminate Sentence for Public Protection (IPP) prisoners at HMP Lindholme. My officials have confirmed that at the time of writing HMP Lindholme holds 37 IPP prisoners (a reduction from the 60 IPPs referred to in my predecessor’s response to the Board last year), nine of which have never progressed from closed conditions. These individuals have a complex set of needs with some refusing to engage in their sentence plan/recommended interventions aimed at reducing their risk to the public. Others have completed interventions with limited success and continue to display attitudes / behaviours causing disruption to prison rules and regimes.
Nationally, the most recent IPP published figures across the custodial estate show that the number stood at 1,784 at the end of March 2021. This is reduced from 2,039 at the end of March 2020. This is very good progress considering that the population of unreleased prisoners serving IPP sentences was, at its highest in 2012, over 6,000.
As part of the psychology work stream, consultancy/case file reviews are written on all priority IPP prisoners in custody where they have failed to make any progress after two or more post-tariff parole hearings. This cohort has been expanded to include all short tariff prisoners (less than two years), irrespective of previous hearing outcomes. These reviews reinvigorate cases that are not progressing and, where necessary, with consultation, practitioners agree and identify appropriate individual progression pathways. HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is continuing to monitor the four Progression Regimes located across the country. It may also interest you to note that the IPP licence period differs from licences for other indeterminate sentences in that, after 10-years from first release by the Parole Board, individuals can apply to the Parole Board to have the licence terminated. The minimum 10-year period is not paused or reset if a person is recalled to prison or serves a subsequent sentence for further offences. Those recalled will continue to be reviewed under their IPP sentence in custody until the Parole Board has directed their re-release. They will then remain on IPP licence unless they are successful in applying for their licence to be terminated.

Despite a fall in the national prison population of approximately 5,800 since March 2020, primarily driven by a reduction in inflows from the courts during lockdown, this has meant there has been a reduction in the number of people in prison sharing cells. This has enabled HMPPS’ compartmentalisation strategy to be implemented. HMP Lindholme has continued to operate in excess of its certified normal accommodation level (i.e. its uncrowded capacity) because of regional capacity pressure. HMPPS recognises the concerns raised by the IMB; while these places meet HMPPS standards for crowded accommodation, holding two men in a cell designed for one prisoner to accommodate national population pressures is not desirable. The wider problem of overcrowding in prisons is a longstanding issue that will not be easily addressed. However, HMPPS welcomes the Government’s recent announcement to commit over four billion capital funding to make significant progress in delivering 18,000 additional prison places across England and Wales by the mid-2020s. This includes creating four new prisons over the next six years and expanding another four prisons over the next three years. Construction work is well underway on HMP Five Wells, the new prison at Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, and have started on the site of the former HMP Glen Parva, in Leicestershire. These additional prison places will have a positive impact on lowering the proportion of crowding within the prison estate by providing accommodation that is safe, decent and uncrowded. However, the extent to which the proportion of prisoners held in crowded accommodation will reduce will be dependent on levels of demand in the system.
Latest population projections indicate HMPPS will have significant challenges in dealing with demand once the population returns to pre Covid-19 levels and therefore it is likely that HMP Lindholme will continue to be required to hold prisoners over its uncrowded capacity in the future. However, HMPPS will continue to monitor this position.
Locally at HMP Lindhome, there are no plans to reduce the number of certified double occupancy cells. Privacy curtains are being replaced as they become damaged and this is an on-going process.