Recommendation 1
How will the Prison Service support Full Sutton to achieve an increase in the number of workplaces for prisoners, so that the proportion of prisoners in work improves significantly?
Source · IMB Annual Report
Full Sutton
AI-generated report summary HMP Full Sutton, a Category A and B high-security prison, operated with a population of 584 against an operational capacity of 594 at the end of 2023. The Board found it generally calm and well-managed, but tight staffing levels led to widespread rotational lockdowns, impacting purposeful activity and time out of cell. Key concerns include increased self-harm and violence, reduced drug testing capacity, and insufficient work opportunities, alongside delays in property distribution and a psychologist shortfall.
Year: 2023
Published: 17 Jul 2024
Type: Prison · Cat Category A and B men's high security dispersal pri
Population: 584
Recommendations: 5
Key concerns
Positive findings
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 3 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 371 | 208 |
| ACCT cases opened | 167 | — |
| Prisoner assaults | 52 | 31 |
| Assaults on staff | 67 | 39 |
| Use of force | 228 | 195 |
| Drug finds | 51 | — |
Positive findings
AI-generated summaryHMP Full Sutton generally appeared to be a calm prison, with Governors and staff adopting a considered approach to security, safety and prisoner welfare. A decent regime and a generally safe environment were maintained despite staffing challenges. Accommodation is of a good standard and the prison is clean. The introduction of in-cell telephony was welcomed by prisoners, and access to healthcare was generally similar to that in the community. The prison improved its focus on equality and diversity issues, and the chaplaincy team remained active. The provision of education has improved, and the prison had a full complement of qualified facilitators for offender behaviour programmes. Extended family days and social video calls helped maintain family ties.
Key concerns
Tight staffing levels led to continued rotational lockdowns of wings and special units, impacting time out of cell and attendance at education or work.
Source wording under review
There was an increase in the number of incidents of violence between prisoners (from 31 in 2022 to 52 in 2023).
There was an increase in incidents of violence against staff (from 39 in 2022 to 67 in 2023), due partly to prisoner behaviour in the segregation unit.
There was an increase in the number of prisoners who self-harmed, rising from 208 incidents in 2022 to 371 in 2023, involving complex prisoners.
Drug testing capacity remained reduced, with 150.5 drug testing days lost, and higher levels of drug testing could be achieved.
Some work is needed in the shower areas, where flooring is still in poor condition.
The segregation unit held high numbers throughout the year. • There was some disruption by prisoners and dirty protests seen within the segregation unit.
There were delays in searching and distributing prisoners’ property, with some not receiving their property for up to seven weeks.
There remains insufficient work for prisoners to do. • A total of 23% of the prison population who could work are unemployed because there are insufficient activity spaces.
Long-planned woodworking workshops failed to open in 2023 due to national contract and budgetary constrictions.
There was a shortfall in the number of qualified psychologists (seven vacancies), restricting consultancy time in the prison’s discrete units.
The progress in the STEP unit has been hampered by an increase in numbers and rotational lockdowns, affecting its role in the progression programme.
Source wording under review
Recommendations
Recommendation 2
What action is being taken to ensure the woodworking workshops open in 2024 (previously planned to open in 2023)
Recommendation 3
When will there be an increase in the number of workplaces available so that the number of prisoners out of work is substantially reduced?
Recommendation 4
How does the Governor plan to improve the time taken to search and distribute new prisoners’ property and ensure prisoners receive their property in a timely manner?
Recommendation 5
When will there be an increase in drug testing capacity?
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 4 | 9 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 2 | 5 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 17 | 10 |
| Equality | 7 | 10 |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 8 | 4 |
| Food and kitchens | 4 | 3 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 18 | 26 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 10 | 14 |
| Miscellaneous | 31 | 16 |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 6 | 13 |
| Property within the establishment | 12 | 7 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 14 | 10 |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 18 | 4 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 17 | 22 |
| Transfers | 1 | 8 |
Related inspections & investigations
Safety 3
· Respect 3
· Activity 2
· Release 3
Malcolm MacDougal · Other non-natural
Norman Heaton · Natural causes
Peter Wrigglesworth · Natural causes
Ronald Cole · Natural causes
David Howarth · Natural causes
Other reports for Full Sutton
Population 580
· Self-harm 410
· Concerns
Population 577
· Self-harm 494
· Concerns
Population 580
· Self-harm 206
· Concerns
Population 575
· Self-harm 144
· Concerns
Population 579
· Self-harm 125
· Concerns