Prison
Cat C training
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Ranby
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 25 August 2023
HMP Ranby, a Category C training prison, generally provides a safe environment with satisfactory healthcare, though mental health transfers face significant delays. The Board raised concerns regarding cell sharing, inadequate purposeful activity, and difficulties prisoners face in accessing offender managers. Staffing has improved but retention of new officers is an concern, while the prison struggles to maintain its training role due to overcrowding and a high churn of short-sentence prisoners. The Board’s ability to monitor was impacted by administrative and equipment issues.
Positive Findings
The Board found that safety in the prison is generally good, and staff-prisoner relationships are largely respectful. Healthcare services are satisfactory and comparable to public services, with mental health needs generally well cared for. In-cell technology like telephones and laptops have proven valuable. The reception process is efficient and dignified, and staff in the segregation unit and IDTS houseblock show professional and caring approaches. The library is also highly valued and well-run, and family contact and visits appear to be going well.
Key Concerns
Overcrowding
Repeated
The Board is still concerned regarding cell sharing, which has been going on for too many years, questioning if it is fair or humane for prisoners to share cells designed for single occupancy, especially given they eat meals and use the toilet in their cells.
Resettlement/Release
Prisoners often have difficulty in accessing their offender manager or indeed knowing who their offender manager actually is, including their Personal Offender Manager (POM) Officer.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Purposeful activity is sometimes poor, and the high churn of short-sentence prisoners means many cannot access or complete courses for rehabilitation or skilled work due to insufficient time or transfer/release.
Resettlement/Release
There is a sense of helplessness and hopelessness for many IPP sentenced prisoners, especially for those detained for many years after a recall.
Mental Health
Prisoners with severe mental health issues are kept too long in the prison environment and not transferred to appropriate mental health institutions, with very long waiting times in excess of 28 days.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Rehabilitation and release planning could be better, as HMP Ranby appears to be neither a full training prison nor a full resettlement prison at this time, compounded by overcrowding and a high churn of short-sentence prisoners.
Complaints/Property
Many instances where prisoners have not had refunds from DHL, particularly when coming to HMP Ranby from other prisons, which builds up tensions.
Food/Catering
The daily budget for food is currently £2.17 per prisoner, which kitchen staff find difficult to provide a balanced and interesting diet, leading to many complaints about the quality and quantity of food.
Complaints/Property
Canteen has also not been delivered in accordance with what was ordered by the prisoner, and delays in refunds adversely affect the attitudes and morale of prisoners, indicating a need for much better contract management at a higher level.
Staffing
25% of band 3 operational officers (12 out of 48) have left within their first year of service, raising questions about the current method of recruitment and the maintenance of experienced staff levels.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
Loss of property is one of the biggest issues reported by prisoners, particularly during transfers from other establishments, leading to long waits for reunion, difficulty claiming compensation, frustration and anger.
Complaints/Property
Many issues become formal complaints (Comp 1 and Comp 1As) which could and should have been dealt with at community level, and responses are still an issue in both timescale and quality.
Other
The Board’s ability to effectively monitor the prison has been significantly impacted by not having the tools for the job, including no clerk available for Board Meetings, non-attendance by Governor, old and unserviceable office equipment, and an unserviceable boiler in the portacabin.
Board Commentary
Staffing
HMP Ranby is nearly fully staffed after recruitment efforts, with 174 staff engaged in the key worker scheme. However, 12 out of 48 probationary officers left within their first year, raising concerns about recruitment effectiveness and retention of experienced staff. Healthcare's Primary/Admin section is seriously understaffed, with lengthy vetting processes hindering recruitment. Staffing shortages have also led to the cancellation of evening gym sessions since March 2021.
Healthcare
HMP Ranby provides a satisfactory 24-hour healthcare service, comparable to public services, with few prisoner complaints. All new arrivals receive comprehensive health screenings. While mental health issues are generally well-cared for by a dedicated team, there are ongoing concerns about excessively long waiting times, often exceeding 28 days, for transfers of severely mentally unwell prisoners to appropriate facilities, though 4 transfers occurred this year. The Primary/Admin healthcare section faces serious understaffing due to lengthy vetting processes, and non-attendance at some clinics leads to extended waiting times for prisoners.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime is impacted by cell sharing in cells designed for single occupancy, which the Board questions as humane. Purposeful activity is often part-time, limiting opportunities for full-time work and reducing prisoner pay, which they feel does not adequately prepare them for employment. Lack of staff has led to no evening gym sessions since March 2021. The prison generally maintains good standards in residential areas, but overcrowded conditions, including 60 prisoners unable to transfer to Category D, present challenges.
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 | 16 | 15 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 27 | 26 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 7 | 3 | |
| Equality | 1 | 9 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 6 | 9 | |
| Food and kitchens | 2 | 3 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 12 | 26 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 14 | 34 | |
| Miscellaneous | 0 | 0 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 0 | 47 | |
| Property within this establishment | 52 | 54 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 8 | 4 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 53 | 45 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 33 | 28 | |
| Transfers | 18 | 7 |
Recommendations (8)
HMPPS: 7
Governor / Director: 1
Recommendation 1
A comprehensive reducing reoffending strategy, supported by a detailed action plan that is monitored and updated regularly, should be developed to improve outcomes for prisoners.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
Will the Prison Service outline its plans for aligning the catering budget with the increases in the cost of living?
HMPPS
Food
Recommendation 3
What plans does the Prison Service have to resolve this issue?
HMPPS
Complaints
Recommendation 4
What steps can the Prison Service take to ensure that the numbers of experienced staff are maintained at adequate levels?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 5
What steps can the Prison Service take to address this problem?
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 6
Will the Prison Service explain why a prisoner returned from a Category D prison on an alleged breach of rules is returned without paperwork or the chance to answer the charges for the return, but the return is posted on p-NOMIS and therefore their record?
HMPPS
Fairness
Recommendation 7
Does the Prison Service have plans to address this issue in the future?
HMPPS
Complaints
Recommendation 8
More staff interaction, better information for prisoners to know who their offender manager and personal offender manager are.
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Other IMB Reports for Ranby
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.