Prison
Cat Cat C, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Swinfen Hall
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 14 September 2023
HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall, a Cat C training prison and YOI, reported a prisoner population of 614 at the end of April 2023. The Board observed positive movement towards increased prisoner support and a shared vision from the Governor and SLT, particularly in developing work opportunities. However, significant concerns remain regarding the restricted regime, with many prisoners experiencing 23-hour lock-ups, inadequate provision of basic items, and a persistent lack of sufficient secure mental health spaces leading to long transfer waits. The report also highlights issues with overloaded Offender Management Unit staff affecting prisoner progression, an understaffed Business Hub, and inconsistent quality in handling prisoner complaints and property issues.
Positive Findings
The Board noted positive movement in the prison's focus on increasing support for every prisoner, with the Governor and SLT sharing a vision for future improvements, including providing work places for up to 85% of the population. Individual Challenge, Support, and Intervention Plans (CSIPs) were well-documented and targeted, and the aftercare following a death in custody was exemplary. The use of prisoners as peacekeepers and the Keep the Peace strategy significantly reduced violence, and the prison's ethos on equality and diversity has improved. A new four-band incentives scheme motivated positive behaviour, the library now offers sessions to all wings, and good practice cases ensured prisoners moving to approved premises met staff in advance, with no prisoner released homeless despite lacking formal funding.
Key Concerns
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
A regime that requires 23 hours a day to be spent in cell for many has been a continued concern.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The provision of basic items (such as toilet covers, toilet rolls, and curtains) and access to property in a reasonable timeframe has been a continued concern.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Access to purposeful activity remains limited for many prisoners, despite some improvements, hindering their progression and resettlement.
Staffing
Repeated
Probation Prison Offender Managers (POMS) are carrying excessive caseloads of up to 90 prisoners, when usually tasked with 60, adversely affecting OASys reports and interaction with OMU staff, leading to significant delays (up to 5 months).
Mental Health
There are serious concerns over the availability of appropriate mental health support for those in need who should be placed in NHS secure mental health units, leading to seriously mentally ill prisoners being held in prison, especially in segregation units, and long waiting times for approved transfers.
Staffing
Repeated
The Business Hub is understaffed and does not have the resources necessary to keep up with demand for essential prisoner services (PIN credit, approval of telephone numbers, property, canteen purchases, finance, complaints, IMB applications).
Complaints/Property
The quality and fairness of complaint responses vary significantly, with approximately 40% either left unanswered or receiving responses lacking the seriousness deserved. Issues include illegible handwritten replies and staff signatures.
Healthcare
Repeated
The Board is not confident that the out-of-hours GP service will carry out night visits, which remains a concern from the previous year.
Healthcare
Repeated
Dentistry continues to be a particular concern, as increased initial appointments paradoxically lead to a greater backlog of required treatment.
Resettlement/Release
Swinfen Hall, as a Cat C training prison, lacks formal funding and resources to adequately support prisoners on direct release, leading to concerns about resettlement planning, especially for those less than 10 months from release who cannot transfer to a resettlement prison.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The first six months of the year were challenging due to a shortage of uniformed staff, leading to restricted regimes and reliance on detached duty staff. This also impacted staff continuity and relationships with prisoners, causing irritation. Concerns were raised about male staff reluctance to provide care in ACCT documents, which the prison addressed with training. By the year's end, communication improved, wing closures reduced, and the staff group became more settled, improving relationships.
Healthcare
The Board has serious concerns over the availability of appropriate mental health support and secure mental health units, leading to seriously mentally ill prisoners being held in prison. While other aspects of healthcare are generally satisfactory with good access to urgent medical care, ongoing treatment faces variable waiting times exacerbated by increased demand. Dentistry is a particular concern due to a paradoxical effect where more initial appointments lead to a greater backlog for ongoing treatment. The out-of-hours GP service's provision for actual night visits remains a concern.
Regime & Daily Life
Due to staff shortages, a restricted regime was common, with many prisoners experiencing 23-hour lock-ups, especially at weekends. This caused frustration, although the regime and time out of cells during the core week improved for most prisoners later in the year. Basic humane requirements, such as the supply of toilet covers, toilet rolls, and curtains, were not consistently met, frustrating both prisoners and staff. Despite this, the Governor aims to provide workplaces for up to 85% of the population in the coming year.
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 | 7 | 6 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 9 | 0 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 7 | 8 | |
| Equality | 0 | 1 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 14 | 18 | |
| Food and kitchens | 2 | 3 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 14 | 8 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 5 | 15 | |
| Miscellaneous | 1 | 5 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 6 | 23 | |
| Property within the establishment | 37 | 36 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 20 | 9 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 23 | 33 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 22 | 15 | |
| Transfers | 26 | 37 |
Recommendations (9)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 5
5 repeated
Recommendation 1
Can the Minister liaise with other departments to create a detailed and funded plan for sufficient spaces in secure mental health units to reduce the number of seriously mentally ill being held in prison, especially in segregation units?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 1
Will the prison service set and monitor national, publicly shared, targets for educational and training outcomes in young offender institutions, backed by professionally informed practice and proper data analysis?
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What action will be taken to improve the internal processes for the reception and onward delivery of prisoners’ property within Swinfen Hall?
Governor / Director
Property
Recommendation 2
Will the Minister explain how provision can be increased to ensure that waiting times for approved transfers to secure hospitals are reduced?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 2
Will the prison service set and monitor effectively high-quality targets, and appropriate penalties, in third-party contracts for education, training and vocational skill delivery?
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What action will be taken to improve the handling of the clothing parcel process from initial application to safe delivery of the parcel?
Governor / Director
Property
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What action will be taken to reduce the backlog of OASys reports that impacts negatively on outcomes for prisoners?
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. addressed
What action will be taken to improve the detection of weapons in the prison?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
When will the Business Hub be fully resourced such that it can function adequately? (see para 6.7)
Governor / Director
Staffing