HM Inspectorate of Prisons

Following a very positive inspection of Close Supervision Centres (CSCs), which hold some of the most dangerous men in the prison system, Charlie Taylor reflects on the important work being done in CSCs and the stark contrast with conditions on the rest of the estate.

The purpose of CSCs is to remove the most disruptive, challenging and actively dangerous prisoners from ordinary location, and manage them within small and highly supervised units. This protects prisoners and staff and enables an assessment of individual risks to be carried out, followed by work to try to reduce that risk to others. The aim is that those selected for the units eventually return to a normal or more appropriate location if their risk reduces. Healthy establishment scores: 📋 Management of the centres: Good 📈 Progression: Reasonably good 🔒 Safety: Good ⚖ Respect: Good Points to note: 📄 Staff-prisoner relationships were good, with staff exhibiting resilience 📄 Multidisciplinary and individualised support for prisoners was impressive 📄 Conditions across most CSCs for those diagnosed with, or showing traits of, autism or ADHD needed improvement. Notable positive practice (NPP): ✅ Psychologists were a key part of an effective, multidisciplinary working model not often seen in mainstream prisons. They worked closely with key workers, probation officers and other specialist staff to assess and review the progress made by each prisoner and were tenacious in their efforts to engage men on a day-to-day basis. They also supported frontline officers through weekly supervision sessions to build confidence and offer support, which was valued by those we spoke to. ✅ Additional food ingredients were provided each week at Frankland and Whitemoor so that prisoners could cook together, which encouraged them to develop new skills and work alongside others. 🔍 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e-xp5PUQ

HMP High Down is a category C training and resettlement prison holding over 1,150 adult men mainly from the London area. Most were serving long custodial sentences of four years and over. In recent months the population convicted of sexual offences had doubled to 350, about a third of the total population. This independent review of progress followed up on 11 concerns raised at our last full inspection in 2023. One of the concerns was reviewed jointly with Ofsted. We found good progress in two areas of concern, reasonable progress in three, insufficient progress in three and our jointly assessed concern found progress had been insufficient. Points to note: 📄 Positive drug test results and violence remained high, with rising violence 📄 Most prisoner transfers under the Mental Health Act since the last inspection were within recommended timelines 📄 Documents for prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm remained poor. 🔍 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e3EtmCVD

At our 2022 inspection of HMYOI Feltham A, we awarded some of the best healthy establishment test scores achieved in recent years at this west London jail. It was disappointing to return to find there had been a deterioration in standards with levels of violence now the highest of any prison in the country. Healthy establishment scores: 🔒 Safety: Poor ⚖ Respect: Reasonably good 📚 Purposeful activity: Poor 📅 Preparation for release: Reasonably good Points to note: 📄 Rising self-harm and high levels of violence 📄 Incidents of disorder tripled and use of force up 68% 📄 Education block closed 22 Aug to early Sep after serious incident 📄 266 keep-aparts instructions for 84 boys 📄 7 boys separated for over 50 days; 2 for over 100. Notable positive practice (NPP): ✅ Support for children sentenced to life and long sentences was good. This included therapy, one-to-one support and group meetings for children to support each other. ✅  The introduction of vocational training at weekends was an innovative approach to encouraging children to make productive use of their time. ✅ Every child, whether sentenced or on remand, was offered an annual health review and given the opportunity to explore health and well-being issues. 🔍 Read the full report and further examples of NPP here: https://lnkd.in/eSpVmDmu

Werrington is a young offender institution near Stoke-on-Trent, which at the time of this inspection held 83 boys aged between 15 and 18. At this independent review of progress (IRP), we followed up five concerns from our most recent inspection in August 2023 and Ofsted followed up four themes based on their latest inspection. HMI Prisons judged that there was good progress in one concern, reasonable progress in one concern, insufficient progress in two concerns and no meaningful progress in one concern. Ofsted judged that there was reasonable progress in four themes. Points to note: 📄 Fixing staff shortages improved children's daily routine and access to education; but time out of cell could still be just 2hrs 📄 Despite staff injuries, no coaching on how to stop children biting during restraint took place 📄 Safeguarding procedures improved. Notable positive practice (NPP): ✅ The local authority designated officer quality assured all safeguarding referrals each month, which was an additional level of scrutiny to what we usually see. 🔍 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/edDENtRz

HMP Lindholme is a category C training prison in South Yorkshire holding about 900 male prisoners. A former Royal Air Force base, it is spread across a large site with an extensive perimeter wall. At this independent review of progress (IRP), we found good progress in three areas of concern and insufficient progress in four areas. Ofsted found reasonable progress against three of their themes and insufficient progress against two Points to note: 📄 Despite drug use increasing, there had been no funding for enhanced gate security 📄 Lindholme was failing as a training prison; many prisoners remained unemployed and 1/4 had not had key work in 3 months 📄 Cell ventilation and access to healthcare had improved. 🔍 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/egxDFvxw

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Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said: "Overall, the outcomes at Harmondsworth were the worst that HMI Prisons has found in its IRC inspections." Read his full foreword in the article below ⬇

This was a very disappointing inspection of Harmondsworth, the Mitie Care and Custody-run immigration removal centre (IRC) next to Heathrow airport. Standards had fallen further since our critical inspection in 2017 and it was particularly concerning that our healthy establishment scores for both safety and respect had declined from not sufficiently good to poor. Overall, the outcomes at Harmondsworth were the worst that HMI Prisons has found in its IRC inspections. Healthy establishment scores: 🔒 Safety: Poor ⚖ Respect: Poor 📚 Purposeful activity: Not sufficiently good 📅 Preparation for release: Not sufficiently good Points to note: 📄 Despite numerous suicide attempts, the IRC did not implement repeated recommendations from 'near miss' investigations, e.g. removing ligature points 📄 Self-harm prevention work poor 📄 Staff shortages with many lacking the experience to manage poor behaviour 📄 2/3 detainees had felt unsafe and assaults had more than doubled since 2017 📄 Drug use had become an increasingly serious problem and measure to prevent supply were weak 📄 Most detainees lived in dirty, poorly ventilated, badly maintained and often dilapidated accommodation. Notable positive practice (NPP): ✅ There was some commendable though limited use of restorative practice in the form of mediation. ✅ A new patient engagement help desk, established to answer detainees’ queries about any aspect of the service, was a positive initiative which had been well received by detainees. 🔍 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/euq-g4QU

The Isle of Man is a distinct jurisdiction from England and Wales, and we therefore inspect the island’s prison at the invitation of the Isle of Man authorities. The prison at Jurby is a modern institution that opened in 2008. At the time of this visit there were 132 prisoners, 10 of whom were women held on the separate D wing. This represented a 50% increase in the prison population since our full inspection, in March 2023. At this independent review of progress (IRP) we followed up 13 concerns from our most recent inspection in March 2023. HMI Prisons judged that there was good progress in four concerns, reasonable progress in five concerns, insufficient progress in two concerns and no meaningful progress in two concerns. Points to note: 📄 Inappropriate use of 'special' unfurnished cells in segregation unit ceased 📄 Plans to link vocational training to employment opportunities needed implementing 📄 Promising initiatives to strengthen family ties in 📄 New arrivals waited up to 3 days for most property. Notable positive practice (NPP): ✅ A well-being self-help pack was given to those who needed the support of ACCT case management. Information in the pack explained techniques and exercises that prisoners could use to understand better and control their feelings of distress. ✅ Prison leaders worked well in collaboration with partner agencies to strengthen family ties and improve support for school-aged children with imprisoned parents, with teachers attending the prison to gain a better understanding. 🔍 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e8evszXP