Prison
Cat B, local, resettlement
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Bristol
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 23 November 2023
HMP Bristol faced significant challenges in the reporting year, marked by an increase in deaths in custody (9), self-harm, and violence, alongside persistent overcrowding at over 50% capacity in single cells. Staffing shortages severely impacted regime delivery, leading to increased time in cell and reduced access to purposeful activity. The Board expressed concern that the HMIP Urgent Notification Action Plan did not adequately address systemic issues such as occupancy levels or substantive staff numbers, hindering effective prisoner care and safety improvements.
Positive Findings
The new reception area improved privacy for interviews, and the first night centre is well run, ensuring over 95% of prisoners are seen by healthcare. The Board observed good support for prisoners and staff after distressing incidents. Cleanliness and decency on wings were maintained, with prisoners actively participating in painting, showing pride in their work. Food quality improved, with prisoners now making much of the food. Segregation staff were noted as helpful, knowledgeable, and interacting well with complex prisoners, and GOoD reviews and adjudications were well conducted. The Board observed good prisoner and staff interactions, and prisoner forums, especially the Prisoner Council, were well-run and offered solutions. Equality and diversity monitoring is active, with prisoner representatives included in meetings. The multifaith team provides good support, and initiatives like the Harmony garden and beekeeping training have been productive. A new Head of Education introduced several positive initiatives, and workshops were impressive, with prisoners working towards NVQs. Efforts to support family contacts, including additional social visits and a refurbished visits hall, were noted. The PACT centre continues to provide a good range of support for prisoners on release.
Key Concerns
Safety
Repeated
Increase in deaths in custody, self-harm and violent incidents.
Safety
More prisoners were on assessment, care in custody teamwork (ACCTs) plans and constant supervision than last year.
Substance Misuse
More frequent incidents of prisoners under the influence due to availability of drugs and illicit prisoner made alcohol.
Overcrowding
Repeated
High levels of overcrowding (over 50% all year) with two prisoners in cells built in Victorian times for one person.
Staffing
Repeated
Staffing levels are below the required levels, often below minimum, affecting consistent regime delivery, leading to more time in cells, cancelled activities, and un-re-established key working.
Mental Health
Repeated
Long waits for prisoners requiring specialist mental health units, with over 50% waiting longer than 28 days and often held in segregation.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Prisoners with physical disabilities cannot access healthcare clinics and some workshops.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Low numbers of prisoners access education and workshop activities due to shortages of prison staff.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Insufficient support for the increasing percentage of remand prisoners in terms of release planning.
Resettlement/Release
Recall prisoners often report a lack of support, housing, and medication problems as key factors in their return to prison.
Safety
Significant delays in answering cell bells, with over 1,000 cell bells taking over 30 minutes to be responded to in June 2023.
Safety
The vulnerable prisoners wing is always full with a waiting list.
Segregation
The segregation unit is often full, with some prisoners spending very long periods (e.g., 130 days) awaiting transfer to specialist mental health units.
Other
Repeated
Persistent property issues both within the prison and during transfers, remaining one of the highest reasons for complaints and IMB applications.
Other
Concerns that the Action Plan following the HMIP Urgent Notification does not address systemic problems, lacks mention of lowering prison occupancy, or increasing substantive staff numbers.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing levels consistently remain below required numbers, at times falling below the minimum necessary for safe operation. This deficit leads to an inconsistent delivery of the daily regime, resulting in frequent activity cancellations and prisoners spending excessive time in their cells. The reliance on detached duty staff and new starters means fewer experienced officers are available, hindering the development of positive prisoner-staff relationships and the effective resolution of issues. Key working, which could mitigate frustrations, has largely not been re-established throughout the year, further impacting prisoner welfare and safety.
Healthcare
A new healthcare provider began in October 2022, but staffing gaps, particularly in medicines management, have caused delays in medication delivery. Healthcare-related applications to the IMB significantly increased, highlighting issues with medication changes, mental health waiting times, and dental care. There are persistent and concerningly long waits for transfers to specialist mental health units, with over 50% of prisoners waiting beyond the 28-day guideline, often held in segregation. Physical disability access to the first-floor healthcare department remains a significant and unresolved problem, despite the delivery of a stair-climber not yet in use.
Regime & Daily Life
Due to persistent staffing shortages, prisoners frequently experience reduced time out of cell, often spending up to 22 hours a day in their cells if activities are cancelled. This directly impacts their access to essential services like education, workshops, and healthcare clinics. The regime is notably more restricted at weekends due to fewer available activities. Despite good facilities, the low numbers of prisoners accessing purposeful activity is a direct consequence of staff unavailability, and key working schemes remain largely un-re-established, limiting daily structure and support.
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 | 5 | 9 | |
| Canteen facility list, catalogues | 10 | 8 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 4 | 9 | |
| Equality | 4 | 5 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 9 | 21 | |
| Food and kitchens | 11 | 9 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 60 | 36 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 11 | 15 | |
| Miscellaneous | 10 | 10 | — |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 25 | 30 | |
| Property within the establishment | 26 | 24 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 7 | 10 | |
| Sentence management, including home detention curfew, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 24 | 28 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 42 | 32 | |
| Transfers | 3 | 0 |
Recommendations (7)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 2
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
The Minister should reduce the current overcrowding at Bristol prison.
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Recommendation 2
The Minister should ensure that Bristol prison has sufficient resources to staff and maintain the prison properly.
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 3
The Minister should increase access to sufficient and appropriate mental healthcare within the prison system.
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Prison Service should reduce the prison roll at Bristol to enable the prison to effectively address the increases in self-harm, violence and deaths in custody.
HMPPS
Safety, Overcrowding
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Prison Service should provide support or increased staffing to enable a full regime at Bristol to be run, thereby giving prisoners access to education, work, activities, sufficient time out of cell and key working.
HMPPS
Staffing, Regime, Education
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Governor should provide the Board with relevant and timely reports and data to inform monitoring.
Governor / Director
Other
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Governor should ensure improved access to healthcare, in terms of physical disability access, improved attendance at clinics and medication delivery.
Governor / Director
Healthcare, Equality
Other IMB Reports for Bristol
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
26 Jul 2023
Urgent Notification
10 Jul 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 1
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 2
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.