Maidstone

The Board has operated significantly below its recommended complement of 13 members since 2020. At the end of this reporting year, the Board had only four members, two of whom remained within their induction period. This position was significantly worse than that of some Boards serving smaller or less complex establishments in the region and constrained the Board’s ability to fulfil its statutory monitoring role. Direct monitoring was particularly constrained in high-priority areas such as reception, education, vocational training, and resettlement (see section 8). The Board therefore asks the Minister to review the fairness and consistency of Board complement (the maximum number of members on Board allocations) across the estate and to direct the Secretariat to provide prioritised and effective support for recruitment and retention in persistently under-strength Boards such as HMP Maidstone.

What action is being taken to support the establishment of a dedicated drug strategy lead at HMP Maidstone, recognising the benefits this would bring by strengthening strategic oversight of, and accountability for, the prison's drug strategy (see sections 4.5 and 6.6)?

Can the Digital Prison Service (DPS) platform be updated to include a clear and visible alert identifying prisoners and detained people who require translation support, enabling effective communication and equitable access to services (see sections 4.1, 5.4 and 7.3)?

What action is being taken to address staffing and wider operational pressures in foreign national prisons arising from the high number of prisoners subject to immigration enforcement, particularly in relation to offender management capacity, sentence planning, and progression through the prison estate (see section 7.3)?

What plans are in place to ensure category C foreign national prisons have access to accredited offence-focused and risk reduction programmes for prisoners with language barriers and those convicted of sexual offences (see section 7.3)?

Staffing shortages, alongside increasing levels of trauma-related need and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), are reported to have contributed to significant delays in access to high-intensity psychological intervention. What action will be taken to improve capacity and reduce waiting times (see section 6.3)?

Given the national shortage of medium- and high-secure mental health beds, what measures are being taken to support compliance with the statutory 28-day transfer requirement under the Mental Health Act (see section 6.3)?