Peterborough (Men)

Response
I note that the Board’s concerns addressed to me for both establishments are the same, centring around suitable accommodation for prisoners on release, and that this issue is repeated from previous years’ reports. Despite the significant challenges, it remains a priority for us to help ensure that offenders, male and female, have somewhere safe and decent to live, which is paramount in helping them to avoid reoffending. We are investing £22m per annum over the remaining life of the Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) contracts to deliver an enhanced Through the Gate resettlement service to people leaving prison to prepare them for release. The current Covid-19 emergency has focussed attention on the significant challenge in this area and the importance of regional partnership working in addressing accommodation needs for those leaving prison. As part of its Covid-19 pandemic response, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has set up seven homelessness prevention taskforces to coordinate the sourcing of accommodation. We have secured up to £8.5 million to support individuals at risk of homelessness on their release from prison for up to eight weeks and help to move on into permanent accommodation. The scheme operated until 31 August and we will utilise the learning gathered during the current Covid-19 emergency to help develop longer-term improvements together with wider reforms to probation services. Strategically, we are working closely across Government to securing suitable accommodation that isn’t directly within our control. HMPPS has developed an Accommodation Framework that sets out its responsibilities, its partners’ responsibilities and duties (including local authorities) and a framework for how to build on success and work together with partners to ensure that offenders are able to access and maintain settled accommodation. HMP/YOI Peterborough continues to work on the local collaborative project between the prison, the regional Sodexo Justice Services CRC and NACRO to provide NACRO-sourced accommodation facilities in Peterborough for both male and female prisoners who otherwise would have been released without accommodation. As mentioned last year, HMPPS has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on implementation of the Duty to Refer, introduced through the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. The most recent Homelessness Reduction Act, Duty to Refer statistics published by MHCLG recorded that prisons and probation providers accounted for a quarter of all referrals made. HMPPS recently completed a review of its overall effectiveness and has refreshed and relaunched the operational guidance for prisons and probation staff to support timely and effective referrals for accommodation.

Response
Long Periods of Segregation (Men) HMPPS appreciates this is a repeated concern and would like to reassure the Board that the prison makes every effort to safely reintegrate prisoners back to normal location and has successfully done so on the majority of occasions. However, sometimes there is no alternative to a transfer and the shortage of suitable spaces elsewhere in the estate can result in longer waiting times than desired. We would like to further assure the Board that although finding suitable spaces can be a challenge, the prison has good working relationships with a number of other establishments and will continue to work as effectively as possible with them and the Population Management Team at headquarters.