Prison
Cat YOI / local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Low Newton
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 29 August 2023
HMP/YOI Low Newton is a well-managed women's prison that successfully adapted its regime post-Covid. While praised for its safe environment, estate improvements, and dedicated staff, it is significantly hampered by staff shortages, impacting regime delivery and key worker scheme consistency. The Board highlights concerns regarding funding for essential facilities, the management of complex prisoners, and the need for improved transport arrangements and oversight of disciplinary processes.
Positive Findings
The IMB describes HMP/YOI Low Newton as a well-run establishment that successfully managed the post-Covid transition. It maintains a reasonably safe environment for prisoners and staff, with vigilant oversight and positive use of ACCTs. Significant improvements have been made to the estate, and the prison offers satisfactory meal provision and well-administered segregation. The key worker scheme is achieving fair coverage, and the prison actively promotes learning opportunities and new healthcare initiatives.
Key Concerns
Mental Health
For over two months in the reporting period, the segregation facility at Low Newton was used to house a prisoner with substantial behavioural difficulties who had been transferred from another prison because of problems there, and in turn was then moved from Low Newton to a third prison; this was a process which caused great difficulty for all involved. A better way of helping prisoners in this position needs consideration.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
More flexibility on Friday release of prisoners is needed, pending new legislation.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
There remain obvious further capital funding needs, including enhanced CCTV, a wellbeing clinic, heating in the segregation unit and capital investment in the education facilities. Prioritisation for funding should be accurate.
Substance Misuse
Reconsideration of drugs search policy and equipment in the women’s estate is needed.
Other
Prisoner transport arrangements need to be changed in a cost-effective manner so that women prisoners intended for Low Newton are not disadvantaged by late arrivals.
Staffing
Repeated
The key worker scheme needs to continue to be prioritised against competing staff demands.
Segregation
The Board needs to work with the prison to have better oversight of adjudications, as well as GOOD reviews held in the safety and support unit.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Low Newton faces significant challenges due to high staff turnover since 2020 and persistent shortages, which have led to staff redeployments to other prisons and increased workload strain. This often results in wing lockdowns, impacting the daily regime and hindering the full implementation and effectiveness of key initiatives like the key worker scheme. Despite these pressures, staff-prisoner relationships are generally positive.
Healthcare
The Board has increased interaction with healthcare staff, who are implementing new screening templates and engaging in collaborative initiatives, including a PRAMS group for pregnant women. However, the unit experiences staffing shortages, relying on agency workers, and plans for a new wellbeing unit are on hold due to funding issues. While physical healthcare provision for things like radiography is good, waiting times for dental (6 weeks) and GP appointments (2 weeks) are a concern, and the mental health team, though doing good work, is often understaffed, leading to a focus on crisis management over long-term treatments.
Regime & Daily Life
Post-Covid, Low Newton has implemented a new, more controlled regime, based on prisoner feedback, which is designed to reduce bullying and violence while allowing sufficient activity. This approach has generally worked well. However, consistent implementation is frequently jeopardized by ongoing staff shortages, often leading to wing lockdowns for portions of the day and restricting prisoners' time out of cell.
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 | 0 | 1 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 0 | 0 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 4 | 1 | |
| Equality | 0 | 0 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 2 | 3 | |
| Food and kitchens | 1 | 0 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 9 | 10 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 2 | 4 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 22 | 2 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 7 | 3 | |
| Property within the establishment | 1 | 5 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 8 | 5 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 1 | 2 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 2 | 9 | |
| Transfers | 6 | 0 |
Recommendations (7)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 2
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
For over two months in the reporting period, the segregation facility at Low Newton was used to house a prisoner with substantial behavioural difficulties who had been transferred from another prison because of problems there, and in turn was then moved from Low Newton to a third prison; this was a process which caused great difficulty for all involved. What consideration is being given to a better way of helping prisoners in this position?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health / Safety
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
When is more flexibility on Friday release of prisoners likely to result from new legislation?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Response
The probation service has given two presentations to local IMBs about this issue, which continues to arise for some prisoners. The Board understands that progress on the related issue of release taking place on Fridays is dependent on legislation.
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Although Low Newton has benefited from capital funding in several areas recently, there remain obvious further needs, including enhanced CCTV, a wellbeing clinic, heating in the segregation unit and capital investment in the education facilities. What can be done to ensure that prioritisation for funding is accurate?
HMPPS
Estate / Safety / Healthcare / Education
Response
The prison management is aware of deficiencies and sought funding. No funding was made available in the 2022-23 financial year.
Recommendation 4
Is there a need for reconsideration of drugs search policy and equipment in the women’s estate?
HMPPS
Substance Misuse / Safety
Recommendation 5
How can prisoner transport arrangements be changed in a still cost-effective manner so that women prisoners intended for Low Newton are not disadvantaged in comparison with male prisoners going to other establishments?
HMPPS
Regime / Operations
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How can the key worker scheme continue to be prioritised against competing staff demands?
Governor / Director
Staffing / Regime
Response
The prison has tried throughout the year to maximise key worker contact despite staffing pressures. The prison has been able to maintain a relatively high level of key worker coverage, but staffing shortages continue to hold back full implementation.
Recommendation 7
How can the Board work with the prison to have better oversight of adjudications, as well as GOOD reviews held in the safety and support unit?
Governor / Director
Complaints / Segregation
Other IMB Reports for Low Newton
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.