Prison
Cat C, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Stoke Heath
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 17 October 2023
HMP/YOI Stoke Heath, a Category C training and resettlement prison, experienced an increase in self-harm incidents and near misses, alongside a noticeable rise in illicit items. While overall violence remained low, prisoners spent more time in their cells due to staffing shortages and inadequate purposeful activity, impacting sentence progression. Healthcare provision was generally met, though dental waiting times were long and planned mental health interventions limited. The Board highlighted concerns regarding prisoner property, resettlement support, and the need for more varied education and work opportunities.
Positive Findings
The Board found a generally safe and well-ordered regime with low levels of violence. Healthcare needs were largely met, and significant progress was made in multi-disciplinary team meetings for mental health transfers. The new employment hub is creating more opportunities for prisoners, and in-cell telephony has improved family contact. Management of long-term health conditions and support for neurodivergent prisoners were highlighted as best practice.
Key Concerns
Safety
Self-harm incidents increased by 8% and near misses (very near self-harm fatalities) have doubled.
Substance Misuse
There is a noticeable increase in illicit items, especially drugs.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Staffing shortages and lack of work opportunities/purposeful activity has meant prisoners are spending more time in their cells.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
Prisoner property is still a major source of complaints.
Healthcare
The waiting time for dental health appointments was too long.
Mental Health
Prisoners were getting limited – but safe – mental healthcare support but planned interventions for severe and enduring mental health issues were lacking.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The lack of courses to meet prisoners’ needs mean that some prisoners found it hard to progress their sentences.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
Education and work opportunities are still inadequate with barely half of prisoners engaged in these activities.
Resettlement/Release
The number of prisoners without accommodation on release has risen.
Resettlement/Release
Keeping in touch with their families has proved difficult for some prisoners.
Estate/Conditions
Conditions in the 168 double cells are very basic with a double bunk bed, a washbasin and a toilet that is only screened by a curtain. There is little space for two people to manoeuvre and these cells can be very warm in summer and very cold in winter.
Equality/Diversity
HMP/YOI Stoke Heath facilities for people with disabilities are inadequate. For example, there is restricted access in healthcare and education.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Heating residential areas has been an ongoing challenge for several years, but this work has still not started and will be delayed.
Complaints/Property
The Board is still concerned about the quality and timeliness of some of the prison's replies to complaints. Prisoners have in some cases waited for many weeks before receiving answers which when received were incomplete and/or unhelpful.
Equality/Diversity
Some groups of prisoners, e.g. the very old, very young or those having indeterminate prison sentences, are not represented or their needs provided for sufficiently within the prison.
Board Commentary
Staffing
While staff and prisoner interactions are generally good, the key worker scheme remains under-resourced and not fully effective, despite recent commitment to improve contact. Staffing shortages impact offender management and contribute to prisoners spending more time in cells. Although the prison has its full quota of officers, a significant proportion (26%) are non-effective due to detached duty or sickness, with high turnover (19% new officers, 10% leaving).
Healthcare
Healthcare needs were generally met, with prompt access to doctors and nurses, and excellent management of long-term conditions. Significant progress has been made with weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings for mental health transfers, and learning disability support is robust. However, dental waiting times are excessively long (20 weeks), primary mental health clinics are less frequent due to staff shortages, and there is no occupational therapy worker. Access to healthcare for people with disabilities is also inadequate due to a frequently broken lift.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime is generally structured and well-ordered with low levels of violence. However, staffing shortages and insufficient purposeful activity mean prisoners spend too much time in their cells, with unemployment rates unacceptably high. The current core day is not fit for purpose, causing disruption, particularly to healthcare provision and weekend regimes. The Board recommends 10 hours out of cell on weekdays.
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 | 19 | 7 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 14 | 2 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 12 | 10 | |
| Equality | 5 | 11 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 24 | 20 | |
| Food and kitchens | 13 | 5 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 23 | 54 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 14 | 7 | |
| Miscellaneous | 38 | 33 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 28 | 36 | |
| Property within the establishment | 27 | 25 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 16 | 11 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 37 | 57 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 79 | 49 | |
| Transfers | 54 | 31 |
Recommendations (9)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 4
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
It would be encouraging if men in resettlement prisons could be actively engaged in resettlement activities, i.e. they should spend less time in their cells and more in purposeful work and training for vocational qualifications.
Ministry of Justice
Regime
Recommendation 2
Can the minister provide a clear statement of what society expects from resettlement prisons, together with a list of clear, challenging, measurable targets?
Ministry of Justice
Policy
Recommendation 3
Can the overall HMPPS budget be increased to enable prisoner wages to rise in line with inflation so that they can afford everyday essentials and have less chance of getting into debt?
HMPPS
Welfare
Recommendation 4
Can the prison service provide a clear policy on transference of property between prisons and ensure that it is enacted?
HMPPS
Property
Recommendation 5
Can the process for prisoners to rejoin their community upon release be reviewed, to ensure all prisoners are offered accommodation upon release?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can the key worker role to support offender managers in their work for all prisoners be made a priority in the future?
Governor / Director
Staffing
Response
There has been little improvement to the key worker programme during the year. However, in recent months, there has been a commitment to safeguard more key worker contact with prisoners.
Recommendation 7
Can the prison be creative in finding more places for prisoners to be trained or employed and spend less time in their cells?
Governor / Director
Purposeful Activity
Recommendation 8
Can there be a clear plan of action to address the poor performance of education and training to rehabilitate prisoners back into the community?
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 9
Can prison complaints be answered clearly in a timely manner, by the right person and at the appropriate level?
Governor / Director
Complaints
Other IMB Reports for Stoke Heath
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
9 Jan 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 3
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.