Prison
Cat Reception and Resettlement Prison
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Durham
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 13 March 2024
HMP Durham, a Reception and Resettlement Prison for adult and young adult men, holds a significant population of unsentenced prisoners (75.6%). The past year has seen a notable increase in self-harm incidents (596) and total assaults (340), including those on staff (77), alongside 8 deaths in custody. Despite these challenges, 92% of prisoners report feeling safe, and the Board commends staff de-escalation techniques and efforts to reduce illicit item supply.
Positive Findings
The Board believes HMP Durham has maintained safety as a key priority, a view supported by 92% of prisoners. Improvements have been noted in the induction process, and staff consistently impress with their de-escalation techniques and the use of body worn video cameras. The prison is proactive in minimising drug supply. Positive support for prisoners and their families is provided by NEPACS, and the kitchens offer an excellent service. Relations between staff and prisoners are generally good, and significant improvements have been made in prisoner consultation through focus groups, ensuring satisfactory treatment for transgender, non-binary, and gender-fluid prisoners. The Chaplaincy provides outstanding support for foreign national prisoners, and healthcare staff are highly praised when present. The ISU offers good support for patients, and the DART team has provided valuable interventions despite staffing issues, leading to a reduction in healthcare complaints. The library staff and Offender Management Unit are also commended for their hard work and implementation of best practices.
Key Concerns
Overcrowding
Repeated
The Board has raised, annually, concerns about the levels of overcrowding and its impact on the dignity of prisoners, but we have received answers offering no hope of improvement. This reporting year, the situation is further exacerbated by the necessity of mixing vulnerable and Mains prisoners on the same wing, due to overcrowding on the vulnerable prisoners’ wing. How does the Minister intend to restore dignity to prisoners and ensure the safety of both vulnerable and Mains prisoners?
Resettlement/Release
What plans does the Minister have to make tangible and rapid improvements in the availability of accommodation for the planned release of prisoners leaving prison?
Resettlement/Release
What plans does the Minister have to support issues that are faced by HMP Durham in the availability of accommodation for the unplanned releases from the courts?
Safety
Prisoners arriving late in the day, en masse, present major issues in processing through reception and often results in healthcare assessments not being carried out. The Board sees this as a major risk. What can be done to smooth out the arrival of prisoners to HMP Durham?
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Last reporting year, the Board raised the issue of A wing refurbishment, a project initiated at the beginning of November 2022 and still live today. What does the Prison Service intend to do to speedily improve the fabric of A wing and generally improve accommodation across the wing?
Equality/Diversity
What plans does the Prison Service have to improve the number of accessible cells for ageing or disabled prisoners?
Staffing
Why are vetting processes taking so long? The delay has resulted in some successful candidates for healthcare positions taking other posts whilst awaiting clearance.
Staffing
How does the Prison Service hold to account contractors for education, healthcare, mental health services and drug-treatment support to ensure they have sufficient staff to deliver the contract?
Other
What penalties have been imposed when third-party providers have failed to meet their contractual commitments?
Healthcare
Repeated
How will you ensure that all prisoners arriving at reception receive screening by healthcare staff before being moved to the first night centre?
Segregation
Repeated
What do you intend to do to improve the induction process for prisoners located in the segregation unit (SACU) who have failed the body scanner search in reception?
Healthcare
How will you ensure that all healthcare staff in reception have access to SASH (suicide and self-harm) and PER (person escort record) documents?
Safety
Repeated
How will you reduce the level of open and post ACCT documents that present with omissions/administrative errors?
Safety
How will you ensure there are sufficient trained ‘Listeners’ in, and distributed across, the prison, and that they are given access to prisoners requesting support?
Estate/Conditions
How will you ensure that cells are adequately furnished and that new receptions have access to bedding and clothing?
Staffing
How will you ensure there are sufficient staff in the prison to maintain the regime and ensure wings such as SACU and I wing are not placed in patrol state because of staff shortages?
Healthcare
What plans will be put in place to achieve an improved and sustained delivery of “secondary health screening within 7 days”?
Healthcare
What plans will be implemented to reduce the level of "did not attend" for healthcare appointments?
Regime/Time Out of Cell
There has been a continued issue throughout the year of wing staff allocating work to prisoners before final approval has been given. How will you stop this?
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing pressures have significantly impacted the prison, leading to areas like Healthcare, the hospital wing, I wing, and the Segregation Unit frequently entering 'patrol state' due to shortages. Staff vacancies are widespread across general nursing, mental health services, pharmacy, and the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Team, with senior leadership and mental health teams particularly affected. These issues act as a barrier to maintaining a regular regime and have negatively impacted key worker compliance. The Board also noted concerns about delays in vetting processes, which have caused successful healthcare candidates to seek employment elsewhere, and questions the accountability of contractors for staffing levels in education, healthcare, mental health, and drug treatment services.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision at HMP Durham is severely impacted by staff vacancies across all areas, including general nursing, the hospital wing, mental health services, pharmacy, and the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Team (DART). Vacancies within the senior leadership and mental health teams have forced staff to act up, and staffing shortages frequently lead to healthcare facilities entering 'patrol state,' disrupting the regular regime. Prisoners express significant frustration over long waiting times for mental health and dental appointments, with dental waits currently around 165 days (23.57 weeks). The Board noted concern about the decline in secondary medical screening within seven days of reception for new arrivals and issues with medical screening for late arrivals. The prison's dated design also presents challenges in supporting disabled prisoners. Despite these issues, the mental health unit (ISU) provides good support, and the DART team has delivered a range of interventions, contributing to a reduction in healthcare complaints this year, although medication and prescriptions remain the most common complaint theme.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison's regime has not returned to pre-Covid-19 levels, with staffing pressures frequently leading to wings, including the Segregation Unit and I wing, being placed in 'patrol state,' where prisoners are locked down with no movement. Regime curtailments due to staff shortages and issues with roll call delays have had a negative impact on work attendance and caused frustration among the prisoner population. A prisoner survey revealed comments such as '23hrs a day banged up is too much and will only lead to trouble as we’re bored,' highlighting concerns about purposeful activity. Engaging remand prisoners in meaningful activity remains a challenge as it is not mandatory for them, and the backlog of personal learning plans persists. Education also faces challenges from staff shortages and course cancellations.
Recommendations (20)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 7
Governor / Director: 10
5 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board has raised, annually, concerns about the levels of overcrowding and its impact on the dignity of prisoners, but we have received answers offering no hope of improvement. This reporting year, the situation is further exacerbated by the necessity of mixing vulnerable and Mains prisoners on the same wing, due to overcrowding on the vulnerable prisoners’ wing. How does the Minister intend to restore dignity to prisoners and ensure the safety of both vulnerable and Mains prisoners? (4.1.7/5.1.1)
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Response
Although not desirable, accommodating two prisoners in a cell designed for one remains necessary in order to accommodate all in custody until the prison population growth slows. There are no current plans to alter the prisons operational capacity to facilitate maintenance projects. In respect of CSRA (cell sharing risk assessment), HMP Durham fully applies the appropriate policy.
Recommendation 2
What plans does the Minister have to make tangible and rapid improvements in the availability of accommodation for the planned release of prisoners leaving prison? (7.5.3)
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
What plans does the Minister have to support issues that are faced by HMP Durham in the availability of accommodation for the unplanned releases from the courts? (7.5.3)
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
Prisoners arriving late in the day, en masse, present major issues in processing through reception and often results in healthcare assessments not being carried out. The Board sees this as a major risk. What can be done to smooth out the arrival of prisoners to HMP Durham? (4.1.2/6.2.2)
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Last reporting year, the Board raised the issue of A wing refurbishment, a project initiated at the beginning of November 2022 and still live today. What does the Prison Service intend to do to speedily improve the fabric of A wing and generally improve accommodation across the wing? (5.1.4)
HMPPS
Estate
Response
There are no plans to reduce the population of HMP Durham to allow refurbishment.
Recommendation 6
What plans does the Prison Service have to improve the number of accessible cells for ageing or disabled prisoners? (5.1.6)
HMPPS
Equality
Recommendation 7
The Board understands that within the soon-to-be-implemented “Joint Care & Separation Units Standard Framework”, it is not mandatory for the prison to evidence compliance with the six principles of the framework. Why? (5.2.9)
HMPPS
Segregation
Recommendation 8
Why are vetting processes taking so long? The delay has resulted in some successful candidates for healthcare positions taking other posts whilst awaiting clearance. (6.1.2)
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 9
How does the Prison Service hold to account contractors for education, healthcare, mental health services and drug-treatment support to ensure they have sufficient staff to deliver the contract? (6.1.2/6.3.2/6.6.1/7.1.4)
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 10
What penalties have been imposed when third-party providers have failed to meet their contractual commitments? (6.1.2/6.3.2/6.6.1/7.1.4)
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 11
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How will you ensure that all prisoners arriving at reception receive screening by healthcare staff before being moved to the first night centre? (4.1.2/6.2.2)
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Response
Data will be reported and scrutinised daily with regards to the number of prisoners requiring and receiving first night health screening. This will be reported at the daily morning briefing and any gaps will be looked into to gain an understanding of what has happened to delay the process and to ensure this is then immediately followed up. The prison will trial a twilight shift which will allow greater time for the completion of some tasks in the reception area on a busy evening and support staff staying later in the prison to deliver key tasks such as enabling the healthcare team to deliver first night screening. The Governor will meet monthly with the Director of Operations for Spectrum to review progress against key deliverables, discuss and resolve enabling issues, and appropriately challenge performance gaps. The Governor will meet quarterly with the health commissioner to review areas of good practice and issues in relation to the delivery of health. This meeting will support the ability to directly challenge contractual issues which impact on the delivery of care to prisoners. The Governor will chair the local Health Delivery Board, where an amended agenda will encourage the open and transparent sharing of performance data from prison and health services and enable delivery issues to be resolved.
Recommendation 12
Repeated
Prev. addressed
What do you intend to do to improve the induction process for prisoners located in the segregation unit (SACU) who have failed the body scanner search in reception? (4.1.6)
Governor / Director
Segregation
Response
This will be managed via a number of measures including: Data will be reported and scrutinised daily with regards to the number of prisoners requiring and receiving inductions. This will be reported at the daily morning briefing and any gaps will be looked into to gain an understanding of what has happened to delay the process and to ensure this is then immediately followed up. The secreted items policy is updated to reflect the requirement for an initial induction. A B4 supervising officer will be allocated to and deployed to manage the segregation unit on a daily basis, drawing this resource from elsewhere in the residential profiles and providing a more consistent managerial presence which will support assurance processes. The prison will trial a twilight shift which will allow greater time for the completion of some tasks in the reception area on a busy evening and support staff staying later in the prison to deliver key tasks such as the initial induction/first night information.
Recommendation 13
How will you ensure that all healthcare staff in reception have access to SASH (suicide and self-harm) and PER (person escort record) documents? (4.2.4)
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 14
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How will you reduce the level of open and post ACCT documents that present with omissions/administrative errors? (4.2.8)
Governor / Director
Safety
Response
We will seek direct support in the training of B4 case co-ordinators for HMP Durham from the National Safety Team. We will provide local support and guidance to managers to enable awareness of requirements to review ACCT documents and sign when completed. We will identify a B4 supervising officer role to undertake ACCT QA checks in healthcare. We will ring fence the safety team as far as is possible to enable more time for assurance. The Governor will review the staffing of the safety team, placing a non-operational colleague into the role of Head of Safety will prevent loss of hours to duty governor roles, and allow greater focus on safety as a whole. In addition, replacing the analyst role with a hub manager, will increase the scope of work that can be completed in this area and free up the time of the officer group to deliver face to face contact with prisoners. We will maintain staffing levels in the B4 supervising officer group to support delivery of tasks.
Recommendation 15
How will you ensure there are sufficient trained ‘Listeners’ in, and distributed across, the prison, and that they are given access to prisoners requesting support? (4.2.13)
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 16
How will you ensure that cells are adequately furnished and that new receptions have access to bedding and clothing? (5.1.8 - 5.1.11)
Governor / Director
Estate
Recommendation 17
How will you ensure there are sufficient staff in the prison to maintain the regime and ensure wings such as SACU and I wing are not placed in patrol state because of staff shortages? (5.2.4/6.3.14/6.5.3)
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 18
What plans will be put in place to achieve an improved and sustained delivery of “secondary health screening within 7 days”? (6.2.3)
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 19
What plans will be implemented to reduce the level of "did not attend" for healthcare appointments? (6.2.6)
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 20
There has been a continued issue throughout the year of wing staff allocating work to prisoners before final approval has been given. How will you stop this? (7.2.5)
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Durham
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
30 Apr 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 3
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.