Prison
Cat B
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Preston
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 26 October 2023
HMP Preston, a Category B reception prison, continues to face challenges common to Victorian establishments, including chronic overcrowding (670 population vs. 433 CNA). Staffing levels are effectively low due to sickness and training, impacting key worker provision and regime. While some areas like self-harm incidents have reduced and in-cell phones installed, significant concerns remain regarding reception facilities, prisoner property management, and adequate budget for essential equipment. The Board made several recommendations to address these and other issues related to regime, family engagement, and staffing.
Positive Findings
The Board welcomes that self-harm incidents were the lowest in the past four years. Improvements to showers have continued, and mental health care is available seven days a week. The completion of in-cell telephone installation has reduced conflict and violent incidents. A new personal laundry system is being implemented. Healthcare provision generally meets community timescales, and the in-house mental health team is fully staffed. Education courses received a 96% satisfaction rating, and the Employment Hub and Support Hub for releasees are well-regarded and actively supported by external partners.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The inadequacies of reception remain a concern. The purchase of the adjacent museum remains the only viable option to remedy to this situation, and to relocate the Offender Management Unit from its dilapidated temporary building.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The property of prisoners is not always treated with the respect it deserves. Those prisoners who move about the prison estate do not necessarily have their property moved with them the same day. This leaves to prisoner’s distress, and loss of property. More investment is needed particularly in the transport facilities.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
To adjust the prisons’ budget, so that minor capital items could be purchased during the year to ensure that more money is not spent on hiring essential items than the cost of purchasing them.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Time out of cell for those prisoners not in work or education should be increased.
Resettlement/Release
To provide more family engagement in preparation for prisoner’s release.
Staffing
The key worker programme should be increased so as to operate at its designed level.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The recent pay rise has improved recruitment, allowing HMP Preston to recruit above target establishment. However, high levels of sickness, detached duty, and new staff undergoing initial training mean the prison is effectively understaffed. This has severely reduced key worker sessions and led to the suspension of the Time4Change programme. The probation contingent in the Offender Management Unit has also drastically reduced from six or seven officers to two.
Healthcare
Healthcare services are provided by Spectrum Community Health CIC, with staffing levels approaching full complement despite vetting delays. Urgent care needs are seen on the same day, and emergency calls are responded to immediately. The in-house mental health team is fully staffed and provides a seven-day service, though a waiting list exists. While there were no excessive waits for mental health transfers, transferring care to community mental health teams (CMHTs) is challenging, especially for homeless individuals or when CMHTs dispute clinical diagnoses, sometimes leading to last-minute gate sections.
Regime & Daily Life
Following the end of Covid-19 restrictions, the prison has worked to re-establish a more unrestricted regime, aiming for increased time out of cell and purposeful activity. However, staff shortages frequently lead to lockdowns, particularly on F and G wings. Prisoners not engaged in work or education currently receive only one hour of domestic or exercise time daily, which the Board believes needs improvement. All prisoners receive gym sessions weekly, with basic level prisoners getting one, standard two, and enhanced three sessions per week.
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 | 12 | 9 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 5 | 5 | — |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 3 | 3 | — |
| Equality | 4 | 1 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 12 | 9 | |
| Food and kitchens | 9 | 0 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 30 | 17 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 38 | 19 | |
| Miscellaneous | 37 | 27 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 4 | 5 | |
| Property within the establishment | 22 | 13 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 15 | 4 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 17 | 9 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 21 | 17 | |
| Transfers | 7 | 1 |
Recommendations (6)
Other: 2
HMPPS: 1
Governor / Director: 3
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The inadequacies of reception remain a concern. The purchase of the adjacent museum remains the only viable option to remedy to this situation, and to relocate the Offender Management Unit from its dilapidated temporary building.
Other
(minister)
Estate
Recommendation 2
The property of prisoners is not always treated with the respect it deserves. Those prisoners who move about the prison estate do not necessarily have their property moved with them the same day. This leaves to prisoner’s distress, and loss of property. More investment is needed particularly in the transport facilities.
Other
(minister)
Regime
Recommendation 3
Repeated
To adjust the prisons’ budget, so that minor capital items could be purchased during the year to ensure that more money is not spent on hiring essential items than the cost of purchasing them.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 4
Time out of cell for those prisoners not in work or education should be increased.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 5
To provide more family engagement in preparation for prisoner’s release.
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 6
The key worker programme should be increased so as to operate at its designed level.
Governor / Director
Staffing