Prison
Cat B, local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Hull
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 15 November 2023
HMP Hull, a Category B local prison, reported generally safe conditions with violence rates below benchmarks and commendable staff-prisoner relationships. However, significant concerns persist regarding systemic overcrowding, inadequate double-cell accommodation, and insufficient catering budgets impacting food quality. Healthcare provision has improved following a change in contractors, but challenges remain with GP availability and access to specialist mental health care, alongside staffing shortages in other key areas.
Positive Findings
The Board generally finds HMP Hull to be a safe place, with prisoner on prisoner violence and staff assaults being among the lowest in its benchmarking group. Staff-prisoner relationships are commended, with officers demonstrating detailed knowledge of prisoners, particularly in challenging units like segregation and the wellbeing unit. Healthcare provision has significantly improved following a change in contractors, resulting in fewer prisoner applications related to health. Education screening and resettlement efforts have improved, and the upgrade of industries units is a positive step towards aligning with local employment. The prison has also enhanced its complaint response times.
Key Concerns
Overcrowding
Repeated
Insufficient capacity within the prison estate which continues to see prisoners housed in double cells which are inadequate both in size and design for this purpose and impinge upon the right to privacy and dignity.
Other
Repeated
Prisoners’ property, particularly on transfer, remains a significant issue for the Board.
Food/Catering
Despite a recent uplift in the daily budget allocation per prisoner for catering, the establishment continues to provide additional funding from other budget allocations. Furthermore, prisoners were found to subsiding their diets with their own personal funds. Will the Prison Service be significantly increasing catering budget allocations in response to increased food supplier costs to ensure a healthy and balanced diet can be provided to each prisoner?
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Significant resourcing challenges within the outside Probation Team result in staff being unable to maintain the level of support needed over the final months and after release.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
further work to address the delivery of key worker performance and support for young adults is planned for the next reporting year. The Governor should therefore ensure sufficient focus is provided to ensure traction in both areas delivers better outcomes for prisoners.
Food/Catering
The Governor should ensure all reasonable steps are taken to improve food quality (notably lunch time offering), whilst continuing to work within very restricted budgetary constraints.
Other
The Governor should address and resolve the present issues where many members of the IMB do not have full access to the required IT systems within the establishment.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison's Senior Leadership Team has remained stable. However, significant staff shortages are noted in drug and alcohol rehabilitation services, and the education department experiences high turnover due to staff moving to better-paid school jobs. While key worker delivery has improved, the prison acknowledges more work is needed, and a new strategy is planned. External probation teams also face significant resourcing challenges. The IMB itself operates with limited active members, significantly below its recommended complement.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision at HMP Hull transitioned in August 2022 from City Health Care Partnership, whose contract was terminated due to service failures, to new contractors NHS Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust and Spectrum. This change has led to significant operational improvements and a reduction in prisoner applications regarding healthcare. However, the Board noted periods of up to two weeks without a GP on duty, causing concern for vulnerable prisoners. While mental health consultations occur, access to specialist care remains difficult for some, though the wellbeing unit provides commendable support for those with serious mental health issues.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison has returned to a more normal regime following COVID protocols, with gym and outside exercise resumed. However, significant concerns persist regarding overcrowding, with prisoners frequently held in double cells that are inadequate in size and design, a repeated issue. Food quality, particularly at lunchtime, is problematic, with a lack of healthy options unless prisoners subsidise their diets, attributed to insufficient national funding. The industries unit is undergoing renovation, temporarily limiting available purposeful activity, though existing work roles are seen as purposeful.
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 | 14 | 10 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 2 | 4 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 5 | 5 | — |
| Equality | 15 | 6 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 11 | 1 | |
| Food and kitchens | 3 | 4 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 21 | 32 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 11 | 24 | |
| Miscellaneous | 50 | 17 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 7 | 5 | |
| Property within the establishment | 22 | 18 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 10 | 8 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 8 | 10 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 22 | 25 | |
| Total number of applications | 203 | 173 | |
| Transfers | 2 | 4 |
Recommendations (7)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 3
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Consider the issues of insufficient capacity within the prison estate which continues to see prisoners housed in double cells which are inadequate both in size and design for this purpose and impinge upon the right to privacy and dignity.
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Prisoners’ property, particularly on transfer, remains a significant issue for the Board. How will the prison service put systems in place to resolve these issues?
HMPPS
Property
Recommendation 3
Despite a recent uplift in the daily budget allocation per prisoner for catering, the establishment continues to provide additional funding from other budget allocations. Furthermore, prisoners were found to subsiding their diets with their own personal funds. Will the Prison Service be significantly increasing catering budget allocations in response to increased food supplier costs to ensure a healthy and balanced diet can be provided to each prisoner?
HMPPS
Food
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Significant resourcing challenges within the outside Probation Team result in staff being unable to maintain the level of support needed over the final months and after release. What is the Prison Service doing to address these resourcing challenges?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
As per section 3.4 (progress since the last report) further work to address the delivery of key worker performance and support for young adults is planned for the next reporting year. The Governor should therefore ensure sufficient focus is provided to ensure traction in both areas delivers better outcomes for prisoners.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 6
The Governor should ensure all reasonable steps are taken to improve food quality (notably lunch time offering), whilst continuing to work within very restricted budgetary constraints (see also ‘to the Prison Service).
Governor / Director
Food
Recommendation 7
The Governor should address and resolve the present issues where many members of the IMB do not have full access to the required IT systems within the establishment.
Governor / Director
Other
Other IMB Reports for Hull
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
14 Apr 2025
IRP
17 Jun 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 3
Activity: 1
Release: 3
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.