Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Ashfield
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 12 December 2023
HMP Ashfield, a Category C training prison for sex offenders, maintained a largely safe and secure environment with low violence and drug incidents, and an improved healthcare staffing situation during the reporting year. The Board observed positive staff-prisoner relationships and robust keywork. However, key concerns persist regarding lengthy delays in ministerial decisions on parole for IPP prisoners, the recurring problem of prisoner property loss during transfers, and the inability of the prison to provide accurate accounts for the Prisoner Trust Fund. The Board also noted that recent changes to prisoner movements have caused dismay, making the prison feel more restrictive.
Positive Findings
The Board observed HMP Ashfield maintains a very safe and secure environment with infrequent disruptive or violent behaviour and rare illicit drug detection. ACCT cases are well managed, and self-harm incidents, though similar to last year, are mostly of low severity. Accommodation and catering standards are very good, with high hygiene. Healthcare staffing has improved, leading to a more integrated service beneficial to prisoners, with most waiting times being equivalent or better than community services. Education attendance is high, and the prison is funding its own resettlement services, with interventions ensuring prisoners receive offending behaviour programmes. Staffing levels for PCOs are generally good, and keywork is well managed and robustly assured. The Board commends the various forums for their active role in planning events to promote understanding and tolerance, contributing to a harmonious atmosphere. Chaplaincy provides a commendably high level of service and emotional support.
Key Concerns
Resettlement/Release
Delays in the Secretary of State’s decision-making process with regard to confirming or rejecting parole board recommendations for open conditions for Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) and life-sentenced prisoners. On average, it has taken eight months for a decision to be received.
Other
Repeated
Despite numerous assurances over a number of years that the loss of prisoner property during transfer from prison to prison will be addressed, no significant progress has been made, and it remains a serious issue.
Healthcare
With the large number of elderly prisoners in the custodial estate (particularly in prisons such as Ashfield), cases of dementia and terminal illness requiring 24-hour care are increasing. The specific needs of these prisoners cannot be adequately met in normal prison conditions.
Other
Repeated
The Board remains concerned at the inability of the prison to produce accurate income and expenditure accounts for the PTF, despite repeated requests for this information. The fund is designated solely for the improvement of prisoner facilities and services not covered by the Serco contract and is generated entirely from the surplus made from prisoner telephone calls and purchases from the prison shop. The prevailing prisoner view is that these charges are higher than in other prison establishments.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The implementation of the local incentives policy (IP) scheme, covering all aspects concerned with general behaviour management, is perceived, when compared to the national policy, as less incentivising and more disciplinary.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The Board acknowledges that recent changes to how prisoner movements are conducted have been necessary whilst dilapidation work has been undertaken, and to align HMP Ashfield more closely with security requirements. However, these changes have caused dismay amongst longer-stay prisoners who had earned their category C status some time ago by demonstrating a good level of behaviour and self-discipline and who now regularly comment that the establishment increasingly feels like a category B prison.
Estate/Conditions
Accommodation and catering standards have continued to remain very good, with high standards of hygiene and decoration, though there are ongoing problems with some showers and in-cell wash basins considered by the IMB as unhygienic due to peeling paint and mould. Dilapidation and deep clean work is, however, scheduled to address these concerns.
Healthcare
The exception to this is the optician service, with a waiting list of over 92 in June 2023.
Healthcare
The high level of medical and social care required by two seriously ill prisoners highlighted the problems caused by the lack of an in-patient care facility at Ashfield, or a suitable regional HMPPS specialist facility to which they could be transferred.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The Board continues to have concerns about the number of education and training sessions cancelled, even if the problem is in part mitigated by the employment of two non-specialist cover supervisors.
Staffing
Repeated
It is unfortunate, however, that the Equalities PCO has often to cope with less practical support from colleagues than she needs, and this can sometimes result in delays before key action points can be delivered and issues resolved. A clear example of this is the disappointingly poor level of attendance by officer “champions” at the scheduled monthly forums’ meetings (as evidenced by attendance statistics shared at DEAT meetings. Despite repeated assurances over the last couple of years that this matter would be addressed, it remains ongoing.
Equality/Diversity
The data presented at DEAT meetings was not as comprehensive and much of it was of questionable relevance as there had been only minimal attempt in most cases to analyse it in terms of the impact of various policies and procedures on the different protected characteristic groups. Moreover, the rapidity with which data had been presented at meetings had given prisoner representatives insufficient time to digest it or raise any pertinent questions.
Complaints/Property
While the Board appreciates that the prison has been successful in reducing complaints, the Board would value more recorded detail about all the complaints, in terms of who they are from and what has been done about them. Further breakdown would also help to uncover and hopefully rule out any deeper equality and diversity issues with regard to different protected characteristics. As they stand, the focus in responding to complaints can seem over-quantitative rather than qualitative. The Board would hope, too, that, in the prison’s recent drive to reduce formal complaints, prisoners have not become wary of making them. Written responses to formal complaints seen by the Board vary considerably in quality.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Ashfield experienced significant senior management changes during the year. Overall prison custodial officer (PCO) staffing levels have been very good, often exceeding complement, partly to support HMP Fosse Way. However, a challenge is the high proportion of inexperienced PCOs (around 46% with three years or less experience), which can lead to inconsistency in behaviour management. Healthcare staffing, a concern in the previous year, significantly improved, with primary care fully staffed by April 2023 and only one mental health vacancy by June 2023.
Healthcare
Healthcare staffing, previously a concern, significantly improved by the end of the reporting year, with primary care fully staffed and only one mental health vacancy. The new contract introduced a full-time Head of Healthcare and more Ashfield-only staff, leading to better integration with prison staff and joint wellbeing initiatives. While most ancillary service waiting times are comparable to community services, the optician service has a notable waiting list of over 92 in June 2023. A key issue remains the lack of an in-patient care facility at Ashfield for seriously ill prisoners requiring 24-hour care.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime at Ashfield has seen changes that have led to prisoners, especially long-term residents, feeling it is becoming more akin to a Category B prison rather than its designated Category C status. These tighter movements were partly due to dilapidation work requiring scaffolding and an aim to align with security requirements, causing dismay among prisoners. While education attendance is high, the Board remains concerned about the number of cancelled education and training sessions, and the department operated without a Head of Learning and Skills for about four months.
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) | 45 | 38 | |
| Correspondence (including legal) | 0 | 0 | |
| Discipline/adjudication | 0 | 0 | |
| Family | 0 | 0 | |
| Healthcare | 17 | 21 | |
| Other | 34 | 33 | |
| Property | 10 | 13 | |
| Release on temporary licence | 0 | 0 | |
| Segregation | 3 | 2 | |
| Total | 109 | 107 |
Recommendations (6)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 3
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
Why, after parole boards have recommended that life sentenced and IPP prisoners convicted of sexual offences be transferred to open conditions, is it taking such a lengthy period of time for these to be confirmed or rejected by the Secretary of State for Justice? What assurances can the Minister give that this can be reduced in the near future?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Despite numerous assurances over a number of years that the loss of prisoner property during transfer from prison to prison will be addressed, no significant progress has been made, and it remains a serious issue. What additional practical actions to those already identified are being taken by HMPPS to address this?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 3
With the large number of elderly prisoners in the custodial estate (particularly in prisons such as Ashfield), cases of dementia and terminal illness requiring 24-hour care are increasing. The specific needs of these prisoners cannot be adequately met in normal prison conditions. What plans does the Prison Service have for addressing this issue through the creation of specialist custodial centres?
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board remains concerned at the inability of the prison to produce accurate income and expenditure accounts for the PTF, despite repeated requests for this information. The fund is designated solely for the improvement of prisoner facilities and services not covered by the Serco contract and is generated entirely from the surplus made from prisoner telephone calls and purchases from the prison shop. The prevailing prisoner view is that these charges are higher than in other prison establishments. The Board asks yet again, therefore, for transparency and accountability in the case of this fund and for accurate accounts to be produced.
Governor / Director
Other
Recommendation 5
Can the Director give an assurance that the implementation of the most recently revised IP scheme will be subject to rigorous, ongoing monitoring to ensure that it is closely aligned with the philosophy and practice of the national incentives scheme and it is applied consistently and that it will be subject to a further review in June 2024?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 6
In order to retain prisoner goodwill and compliance, can the Director provide reassurance that the rationale for any permanent changes is discussed with prisoners and their concerns are taken into consideration? Any changes need to be clearly communicated to all prisoners.
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Ashfield
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
9 Oct 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 4
Activity: 1
Release: 4
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.