Prison
Cat B, C, local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Winchester
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 31 August 2023
HMP Winchester made steady progress in a challenging environment, marked by improved staff numbers and a positive shift in culture, yet persistent issues with its Victorian infrastructure and overcrowding remain. While self-harm incidents decreased overall, the number of individuals involved increased, and prisoner-on-prisoner assaults rose. Healthcare experienced staffing shortfalls affecting GP and dental waiting times, and activity placements remained inadequate for the population. Key concerns include the dilapidated estate, resettlement support, and delays in critical infrastructure projects.
Positive Findings
HMP Winchester continues to make steady progress under a determined senior leadership team and improved staffing levels. Staff confidence and competence are growing, leading to more coaching and informal relationships with prisoners, which has helped reduce prison disorder. Healthcare services are comparable to or better than community provisions despite initial staffing pressures. Family services have expanded, offering more support to prisoners. The conversion of the old CSU to house enhanced status wing workers is a commendable improvement, and the dedicated CSU staff have led to better outcomes. An encouraging 20.7% of prisoners found employment within six weeks of release, consistently above the comparator group.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The poor physical environment and dilapidated Victorian infrastructure continues to pose significant challenges to prisoners, officers, and maintenance, with major issues remaining unaddressed.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
There are insufficient work or education placements available (295 for the population), which is too low and limits purposeful activity.
Resettlement/Release
Support for prisoners, particularly remand prisoners, to find housing on release is an ongoing concern, leading to significant numbers being released homeless.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The much-delayed construction of the new Care and Separation Unit (CSU) has run into further difficulties and delays, with no confirmed completion date.
Safety
Repeated
The finance for the modernised CCTV system and the necessary cameras, connectivity, and software has not yet been approved and installed, despite being identified as a need.
Other
There has been no significant improvement in the handling and management of prisoner property, either on transfer or within the prison, leading to frequent complaints.
Overcrowding
Repeated
Overcrowding remains an ongoing problem, with many cells originally designed for one prisoner now housing two, and issues arising from cellular confinement on ordinary wings.
Staffing
Repeated
System non-compliance by staff remains an ongoing concern and leads to issues and delays on the ground.
Safety
While the total number of self-harm incidents decreased overall, there has been an increase in the number of prisoners who repeatedly self-harm.
Safety
Assaults on other prisoners have increased over this reporting period.
Healthcare
The longest waiting times for a dental appointment ranged up to 19 weeks (close to five months) in March 2023.
Staffing
The chaplaincy service remains understaffed when compared with similar establishments with lower populations, placing pressure on the team.
Board Commentary
Staffing
HMP Winchester is gradually benefiting from increased prison officer recruitment, with 186 on roll and 164 operational, and a robust pipeline of new recruits. The attrition rate is decreasing, down to 6.73% in March 2023. Staff confidence and competence are growing, leading to more positive interactions and reduced disorder. However, the chaplaincy service remains understaffed, placing pressure on the team in a near-capacity prison, and staff non-compliance with systems remains a concern.
Healthcare
Healthcare, provided by Practice Plus Group, faced significant staff shortages initially, running at 45.9% of full complement, which impacted service delivery. Routine GP appointments experienced one-month waiting times due to inconsistent cover, and routine mental health referrals did not always meet the five-day target. Dental waiting times remained a concern, with longest waits reaching 19 weeks, though average waits improved to three to four weeks by year-end. Despite challenges, the mental health caseload stood at 34 in March 2023.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison has begun returning to pre-pandemic norms with the resumption of association and freeflow, and increased staff numbers have allowed for greater availability of education, workshops, and other activities. However, overcrowding remains an issue, with many cells designed for one now housing two. Inconsistent record-keeping and regime delivery persist for prisoners on cellular confinement on ordinary wings. Critically, only 295 work or education placements are available, which is too low for the prison's population.
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 | 21 | 35 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 5 | 3 | |
| Confidential access request | 0 | 2 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 3 | 7 | |
| Equality | 5 | 7 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 28 | 13 | |
| Food and kitchens | 5 | 3 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 52 | 63 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 39 | 35 | |
| Miscellaneous | 17 | 16 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 20 | 17 | |
| Property within the establishment | 34 | 26 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 18 | 12 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 50 | 30 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 27 | 30 | |
| Transfers | 10 | 7 |
Recommendations (7)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 2
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
What support can be provided to help remand prisoners with release planning as they are not eligible for probation services?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
Given the issues associated with the Victorian infrastructure of the prison, what alternative provisions are being considered for the increasing numbers of elderly and disabled prisoners?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 3
Repeated
When will the much-delayed construction of the new CSU restart?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
When will the finance be approved for the modernised CCTV system and when will the necessary cameras, connectivity and software be installed?
HMPPS
Safety
Response
A £1.1 million project to replace the CCTV site-wide has received financial approval for implementation 2023-24.
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What is the timetable for repairing/replacing defective/dilapidated fabric and when will the required finances be approved?
HMPPS
Estate
Response
A number of projects to improve the fabric (boilers, showers, fire safety) have been or are being delivered.
Recommendation 6
When will key-working be fully up and running?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 7
What is the plan to improve the service to resettle prisoners?
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Other IMB Reports for Winchester
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
23 Oct 2024
Urgent Notification
7 Oct 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 1
Respect: 1
Activity: 1
Release: 3
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.