Prison
Cat D
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Springhill
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 22 May 2024
HMP Springhill, an open Category D prison, faced significant challenges in 2023, primarily driven by a substantial increase in its population to 330. The Board highlighted deteriorating infrastructure, a persistent rat infestation, and widespread staff shortages impacting healthcare, education, and resettlement efforts. While some safety metrics like self-harm remained low, assaults rose, and concerns persist regarding accommodation quality, prisoner pay, and the effectiveness of the complaints system, hindering the prison's core resettlement purpose.
Positive Findings
Levels of self-harm and use of force remained low, and absconds were at a six-year low. The Board was impressed with the quality of new arrival induction sessions. Significant improvements were made in diversity and inclusion initiatives, including new forums and an increase in staff SASH training. Communication with healthcare improved through a patient engagement lead and the popular wellbeing hut. Education course completion rates remained high, and the kitchen achieved high rankings for budget control and food quality. The work of chaplains was well-appreciated.
Key Concerns
Safety
Growth in the roll has come with a rise in men belonging to organised criminal gangs (OCGs).
Substance Misuse
Technical issues led to the suspension of voluntary drug testing (VDT) in July; by the year-end, the problems had not been resolved.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated problems with the fire alarm system in at least two of the huts led to an investigation, which raised questions about whether the entire system was fit for purpose and should be replaced.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The quality of accommodation for the majority of men in the older huts remains very poor, with the whole estate suffering from building leaks and equipment breakdowns, including now in some of the new pods.
Estate/Conditions
The prison suffered from a major rat infestation, which persisted for much of the year.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
In the context of ever-rising prices, there was no pay award this year for prisoners.
Complaints/Property
Although there was a rise in the number of complaints, some men are reluctant to complain, believing it will prejudice them.
Healthcare
The paucity of data continues to hamper the Board’s ability to effectively assess the provision of healthcare and the health complaints system.
Healthcare
Continued staff shortages led to a reduction in some healthcare services and more than half of patients rated the GP service as poor/very poor.
Resettlement/Release
The core purpose of the prison - resettlement - and the aim of most men to get out to work in the community - sits in tension against current guidance to have only a third of men in full-time employment (FTE).
Staffing
Staff shortages in the offender management unit (OMU) contribute to men not being boarded within the target date of 8-12 weeks from arrival, with many waiting for considerably longer.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Places available in education have not kept pace with the rising roll, while continuing staff shortages have meant advertised courses have not run and classes have been cancelled.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Men are channelled into on-camp work even when there are not enough available jobs, resulting in underemployment, which is sometimes severe.
Resettlement/Release
The prison’s Employment Advisory Board (EAB) was disbanded in April.
Resettlement/Release
Only between 34% and 60% of men were employed or in education six weeks after release, which are low numbers for a prison whose key purpose is resettlement.
Other
Poor living conditions, rat infestation, low pay, delays in boarding, frustrations in accessing suitable outside jobs and staff vacancies have all contributed to an erosion of morale among both the men and the staff.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Issues with outside probation that are delaying some men’s access to ROTL have worsened and spread beyond the London area.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Levels of pay for men not in full-time work have fallen well behind price increases and the Governor’s ability to award meaningful local pay rises.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
The failure of complaints to be responded to in the requisite time, especially those involving transfers from other prisons, continues to be an issue.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison faced ongoing staff shortages, particularly in the Offender Management Unit (OMU) and Activities, impacting prisoner boarding and job provision. A high turnover of staff, including the retirement of experienced officers and recruitment of younger staff, led to concerns about the erosion of a supportive culture. Staff vacancies also contributed to a reduction in some healthcare services and affected staff morale alongside poor living conditions and low pay.
Healthcare
The Board continues to be hampered by a paucity of data, limiting effective assessment of healthcare provision and the health complaints system. A patient survey indicated that while most men felt their healthcare needs were met, over half rated the GP service as poor/very poor, and staff shortages led to service reductions. Communication has improved through a patient engagement lead, health champions, and a wellbeing hut. Concerns were raised about high numbers of secondary care hospital appointment cancellations and issues with the healthcare complaints process.
Regime & Daily Life
As an open prison, men are generally free to move around the grounds during the day but confined to huts/pods at night. The core resettlement purpose is challenged by guidance limiting full-time employment to a third of the roll, with actual numbers at around a quarter. Men are often channelled into on-camp work, leading to severe underemployment. Gym sessions and sports hall activities were periodically cancelled due to heating system failures, impacting purposeful activity. Prisoner pay has fallen significantly behind price increases, contributing to low morale.
Applications to the IMB
Prisoners can apply to their IMB about any aspect of their treatment. This table shows application counts by category.
| Category | Current | Previous | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (including transfers) | 11 | 11 | — |
| Canteen/Money/Pay | 17 | 6 | |
| Other | 10 | 9 | |
| Property | 2 | 2 | — |
| Staff issues/Treatment/Assault | 12 | 7 |
Recommendations (13)
Other: 1
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 9
9 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The quality of accommodation for the majority of men in the older huts remains very poor: the ability of the prison to function efficiently and to effectively prepare men for life outside is repeatedly hampered by the generally decaying infrastructure, the breakdown of old equipment and low wages. As in our last report, the Board asks again when the Minister plans to make the appropriate investment in Springhill, as opposed to short-term funding, to ensure the prison is able again to achieve the standards it met in the past and for which it has been justly praised?
Other
(minister)
Estate
Response
Recognition that more needs to be done to improve accommodation but demands for maintenance are higher than funds available.
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
For the last two years, the Board has reported on issues with outside probation that are delaying some men’s access to ROTL. The problems have worsened and have spread well beyond the London area. When will they be addressed?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Response
The problem is caused by resourcing pressures; it is a nationwide issue and HMPPS (HM Prison and Probation Service) is working hard to resolve these pressures.
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
For men not in full-time work, levels of pay have fallen well behind price increases and the Governor’s ability to award meaningful local pay rises. What plans does the Prison Service have to address this issue?
HMPPS
Regime
Response
HMPPS acknowledges inflationary pressures affecting canteen items. While the Governor of HMP Springhill has made adjustments to some local pay scales, the overall prisoner pay budget remains the same.
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Men continue to contact the Board about the failure of complaints to be responded to in the requisite time, especially those involving transfers from other prisons. What plans are there to improve (digitise) the current system?
HMPPS
Complaints
Response
Under the Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework, introduced in September 2022, it is the role of Governors to ensure management checks are undertaken to ensure prisoners’ property is handled correctly.
Recommendation 5
Working closely with the new Governor to fulfil its statutory role.
Governor / Director
Other
Recommendation 6
Keeping abreast of the new Education, Skills and Work initiative to ensure the harmonisation/close integration of education, on-camp and off-site work to enable the prison to deliver on its resettlement goals (7.2.1, 7.2.2 and 7.3.1).
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Less underemployment of men working on camp and an increase in external jobs connected to post-release job opportunities (7.2.3).
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
Positively, a new post of Head of Education, Skills and Work was created mid-year to address these concerns, but it’s too early to assess its impact.
Recommendation 8
A rise in the numbers of men able to access education and the range of courses offered continuing to meet short-term demand and enhance post-release job opportunities (7.1.1, 7.1.3 and 7.1.5).
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Monitoring the newly formed Education Advisory Board (EAB) to connect men on ROTL with jobs that are sustainable on release (7.2.10) and the capacity of Activities to provide sufficient job opportunities to offer to men seeking FTW (7.2.6).
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Response
The EAB was disbanded in April.
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Staff training on complaints responses continuing to be a priority area (5.7.1 and 5.7.3 and 7.1.11)
Governor / Director
Complaints
Response
More SASH training taking place. There are some staff shortages in the Business Hub, which deals with complaints.
Recommendation 11
OMU staffing problems being addressed to enable it to again achieve its 8-12 week targets for sentence plan and offender assessment system (OASys) processes to be completed (7.3.5 and 7.3.7 and 7.3.8).
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 12
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Monitoring any new initiatives rolled out to enable the prison to better scrutinise the impact and quality of healthcare delivery and the health complaints system (6.1.3, 6.1.4 and 6.1.10).
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Response
Partially achieved. Still no access to healthcare data.
Recommendation 13
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The improvements to the effectiveness of the prison’s Diversity and Inclusion D and I) mandate in delivering necessary change being sustained and the re-establishment of the external scrutiny of all discrimination incident reporting forms (DIRFs) (5.4.2 and 5.4.4).
Governor / Director
Equality
Response
Major advances made, but external monitoring of DIRFs not continued.