Prison
Cat women's local, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Eastwood Park
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 14 March 2024
HMP/YOI Eastwood Park, a closed local prison for women, faced significant challenges in staffing, self-harm, and the management of complex mental health needs during the reporting year. Despite positive recruitment efforts and a new regime increasing time out of cell, the Board highlighted concerns regarding delays in mental health transfers, a substantial rise in use of force, and the under-utilisation of new facilities. The report also commended improvements in social visits and property management, while calling for better support for remand and short-sentence prisoners and more reliable resettlement data.
Positive Findings
The Board observed positive recruitment strategies which led to marked improvements in staffing levels towards the end of the reporting year. The Cherry Blossom Unit (CBU) was completely refurbished, resulting in improved environment and care for prisoners and staff. Investment in social visits facilities created a more welcoming environment, and the 'Visiting Mums' project offered valuable family support. The management and delivery of property worked well, and the healthcare service undertook a successful high-intensity test and treat programme for hepatitis C. Good de-escalation techniques were used effectively by staff during incidents.
Key Concerns
Mental Health
Repeated
Women with mental health issues and complex needs continue to have delays in transferring to a secure hospital due to a national shortage of hospital beds.
Staffing
The fluctuating staffing levels continue to have a detrimental impact on the prisoners’ wellbeing and rehabilitation.
Safety
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is required to give clear guidance to all prisons to define the criteria for the Use of force, distinguishing between low-level guidance and more restraining techniques.
Resettlement/Release
The provision for remand and short-sentence prisoners needs to be reviewed to offer education and additional life skills in preparation for resettlement.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The activities centre was not used to capacity.
Safety
Self-harm incidents had risen by 128% compared to the previous year, with a small number of women contributing to a large proportion of incidents.
Safety
Use of force incidents rose substantially to 517 this year, remaining very high.
Resettlement/Release
The One Women’s Centre, a pilot project aiming to co-ordinate resettlement support, was unable to secure funding and ceased to function.
Estate/Conditions
The number of outstanding minor maintenance jobs with Gov Facilities Services Limited (GFSL) remained at 181.
Equality/Diversity
There was a shortage of larger underwear sizes and poor availability of chest binders.
Food/Catering
Meals were high in carbohydrates and prisoners complained about increasing weight.
Safety
Checks of Personal Evacuation and Emergency Plans (PEEP) showed lists of PEEP prisoners did not match available plans and staff were unable to find information, which could be fatal in an emergency.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Some prisoners were unable to attend services as escorts were unavailable due to a restricted regime.
Equality/Diversity
Confusion about the calling of Eid-al-Fitr and catering for the festival was more ad hoc than it should have been due to internal communication issues.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Library attendance was restricted by lack of operational staff.
Resettlement/Release
Finding accommodation for release continued to be the biggest challenge for the resettlement teams.
Resettlement/Release
The absence of reliable and consistent data on the housing status of those released continued to frustrate the IMB’s attempts to measure progress.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Positive recruitment strategies aimed to increase staff capacity, reducing vacancies from 17.5% below target in January 2023 to 5% below target by October. However, acute staff shortages earlier in the year made the restricted daily regime unreliable and negatively impacted prisoner-staff relationships. In May 2023, there were 110 staff with 24 vacancies, and staff morale was noted as the lowest the IMB had ever witnessed. As staffing levels improved, the quality and numbers of key work sessions also improved.
Healthcare
Healthcare faced significant pressure due to a high number of self-harm incidents and women with complex mental health needs. Practice Plus Group is the primary provider, with AWP responsible for mental health and substance misuse services. Main concerns raised by prisoners included waiting times for GP/dental services and delays in receiving prescribed medication, although the IMB was not generally concerned about appointment waiting times. There were serious issues, including two deaths in custody, and while efforts were made to expedite mental health transfer referrals, these were impeded by a national shortage of hospital beds.
Regime & Daily Life
Time out of cell was severely restricted from October 2022 to January 2023 due to staff shortages. Following this, a new regime was implemented which gradually increased education, work, video social visits, and other activities. As staffing levels rose, a near-normal regime returned, with a new core day dramatically increasing unlock time across the establishment. An updated staff profile, shift pattern, and full Regime Management Plan were launched in August 2023, including evening unlock for women with Enhanced level status.
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 laundry, clothing, ablutions | 53 | 37 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 8 | 6 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 6 | 6 | — |
| Equality | 6 | 7 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 8 | 13 | |
| Food and kitchens | 10 | 17 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 71 | 66 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 25 | 43 | |
| Miscellaneous | 8 | 6 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 0 | 5 | |
| Property within the establishment | 46 | 121 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 13 | 13 | — |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 15 | 12 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 28 | 45 | |
| Transfers | 2 | 0 |
Recommendations (8)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 2
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Women with mental health issues and complex needs would be better treated in the health system rather than the criminal justice system. Women with complex needs continue to have delays in transferring to a secure hospital. Are there plans to address this concern?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 2
Are there plans to improve probation services so that women with short sentences are not sent to prison but given community orders to prevent them losing their homes and families, as happens in many cases?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Could additional support and funding be considered for prisoners on remand and with short sentences to offer them education and additional life skills in preparation for resettlement?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
The fluctuating staffing levels continue to have a detrimental impact on the prisoners’ wellbeing and rehabilitation. Could the Prison Service reassure us that staffing concerns will be addressed when there are extreme pressures and demands put on the establishment?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 5
Is the expansion for HMP Eastwood Park still on course to be completed by 2025?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 6
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is required to give clear guidance to all prisons to define the criteria for the Use of force. There is a need to distinguish between low-level guidance and more restraining techniques.
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 7
The Board is concerned about the provision for remand and short-sentence prisoners. Could this be reviewed to offer education and additional life skills in preparation for resettlement?
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. addressed
When will the activities centre be fully utilised?
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Eastwood Park
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.
Prevention of Future Deaths Reports
Coroner PFD reports issued to this establishment.