Prison
Cat high security
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Whitemoor
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 6 October 2023
HMP Whitemoor, a high-security prison, operated at a reduced capacity of 315 due to electrical upgrades, against an operational capacity of 458. Staff shortages significantly impacted purposeful activity and time out of cell, contributing to prisoner frustration and perceived stagnation in progression. Key concerns include a notable number of staff assaults, issues with illicit drugs, long waits for dental care and secure mental health beds, and frozen prisoner pay against rising canteen prices. The Board highlighted the need for funding for basic estate improvements and a review of the Dispersal System's impact on progression.
Positive Findings
The Board notes improved collaboration between NHS England, the Directorate of Security, and Whitemoor in speeding up treatment for mentally ill prisoners. Recruitment and training of new staff improved, including the establishment of a local training unit. Improvements to food provision were made by raising the daily allowance and increasing catering staff. Whitemoor remained a generally settled prison, and improvements were seen in reception procedures and ACCT plan management. The Business Hub received commendation for its analysis of complaints, and the Board welcomed increased activity by Shannon Trust to help prisoners with limited reading skills. Arrangements for video links for parental consultation sessions were also positive.
Key Concerns
Safety
Whitemoor remained a generally settled prison but there were four serious assaults on staff. Much of the lower-level violence and indiscipline reflected problems some newer officers had in enforcing boundaries as regimes became more open.
Substance Misuse
More needed to be done to suppress Illicit drugs.
Other
Prisoners’ pay had remained frozen since 2016, since when prices charged for goods from the canteen had increased by 50%.
Segregation
The Segregation Unit held too many men who could not or would not relocate, so that those held genuinely for their own care and protection received less care and support than would otherwise have been possible.
Healthcare
Access to GP and nursing services was in line with the community. Seeing the dentist remained very difficult. Mental health services were limited by staff shortages, but the main problem was the absence of psychiatry cover.
Mental Health
Men with mental health problems had long waits for beds in secure hospitals, usually spent in the Segregation Unit.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Time out of cell was limited. Too often prisoners lacked a predictable regime to optimise use of their time, including to contact families.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Education classes and workshops were often closed, though when they opened many prisoners lacked enthusiasm to return.
Resettlement/Release
Some prisoners perceived little prospect of progressing, seeing their need in terms of formal courses. The process of first adapting to the reality of a long custodial settlement, including understanding how they got there, usually relied on guidance from key workers and offender managers who, because of lockdowns and staff shortages thy had less contact time with prisoners than was prescribed.
Resettlement/Release
Will the Minister give hope to prison communities, including staff, by acknowledging the extent to which prisoners can benefit from rehabilitative work that prepares them to return to the world outside as better members of society?
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Will the Prison Service reflect whether the Dispersal System remains the best way to hold prisoners in appropriate levels of security, treating all category B prisoners at Whitemoor as needing greater restrictions than their nominal peers elsewhere in the long-term prison estate, and limiting their sense of progression?
Estate/Conditions
Will the Prison Service also give priority to funding works, including showers, that help meet standards of basic decency and safety?
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Will the Governor further develop Whitemoor’s residential areas to allow enhanced prisoners who want to live in a peaceful, settled community to do so, enabling them to enjoy more time out of cell and to progress?
Other
Will the Governor seek ways of increasing prisoners’ pay rates in line with public sector scales to help compensate for substantial price increases?
Board Commentary
Staffing
Whitemoor faced continuing staff shortages, making it hard to return to pre-Covid normality. At the end of the reporting year, there were 239 officers against a complement of 282, with around 110 daily detail gaps due to long-term sickness, maternity leave, and other factors. While recruitment and training improved, with bespoke coaching introduced, some newer staff struggled with open regimes and enforcing boundaries. Key worker sessions resumed but were inconsistently delivered due to fragmented regimes and staff reallocations.
Healthcare
Access to GP and nursing services was generally in line with community provision, but seeing a dentist remained exceptionally difficult. Mental health services were hampered by staff shortages, with a significant absence of psychiatric cover identified as the main problem. Men needing secure hospital beds faced long waits, often spending this time in the Segregation Unit, though cooperation between Security Directorate and NHS was growing. Healthcare appointments saw a high number of no-shows.
Regime & Daily Life
Time out of cell and purposeful activities were significantly curtailed throughout the year due to staffing shortages, contributing to prisoner frustration. Closures of residential wings worsened over the year, with specialist units particularly affected. An individual prisoner could expect only four purposeful activity sessions a week. Segregated men faced a punishing regime, having to choose between a shower or a phone call during their minimum 30 minutes of daily open-air exercise.
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 | 0 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 3 | 0 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 14 | 0 | |
| Equality | 4 | 3 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 2 | 0 | |
| Food and kitchens | 5 | 3 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 14 | 3 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 19 | 3 | |
| Miscellaneous | 16 | 0 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 9 | 3 | |
| Property within the establishment | 5 | 2 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 15 | 0 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 8 | 12 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 14 | 8 | |
| Transfers | 3 | 0 |
Recommendations (5)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 2
Recommendation 1
Will the Minister give hope to prison communities, including staff, by acknowledging the extent to which prisoners can benefit from rehabilitative work that prepares them to return to the world outside as better members of society?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
Will the Prison Service reflect whether the Dispersal System remains the best way to hold prisoners in appropriate levels of security, treating all category B prisoners at Whitemoor as needing greater restrictions than their nominal peers elsewhere in the long-term prison estate, and limiting their sense of progression?
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 3
Will the Prison Service also give priority to funding works, including showers, that help meet standards of basic decency and safety?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 4
Will the Governor further develop Whitemoor’s residential areas to allow enhanced prisoners who want to live in a peaceful, settled community to do so, enabling them to enjoy more time out of cell and to progress?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 5
Will the Governor seek ways of increasing prisoners’ pay rates in line with public sector scales to help compensate for substantial price increases?
Governor / Director
Other
Other IMB Reports for Whitemoor
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
5 Dec 2022
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 2
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.