Prison
Cat B, C, Reception, Remand
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Berwyn
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 9 August 2023
HMP Berwyn faced staffing shortages and a more challenging prisoner cohort, impacting regimes and increasing violence in early 2023, despite overall reductions in self-harm and staff assaults. The Board noted positive staff-prisoner relationships, comprehensive resettlement services, and strong education/work provisions. However, significant concerns remain regarding healthcare (medication restrictions, mental health transfers, appointment attendance), estate maintenance, and the need for improved staff training and activity for vulnerable groups.
Positive Findings
The Board observed positive relationships between staff and prisoners. Resettlement services are comprehensive, with numerous accredited education and training courses and a hub providing advice. 33.7% of eligible prisoners were in employment six weeks post-release, exceeding the national benchmark. Accommodation is spacious, light, and clean, and the CSU unit is well-managed. HMP Berwyn is assessed as a leading education and work provider, significantly reducing the OASys backlog. Most prisoners leaving were optimistic about their future.
Key Concerns
Healthcare
Prisoners from England are not allowed to access medication which has not been approved by Betsi Cadwaladr, causing distress, particularly for mental health issues.
Mental Health
The Board is concerned about the waiting times for seriously mentally unwell prisoners to be transferred to secure psychiatric hospitals, due to a lack of beds.
Safety
Out of area transfers cause difficulties for prisoners (far from their families) and for the prison (difficult to locate and house complex prisoners, contributing to increased violence).
Staffing
Repeated
There is a need for staff training on recognising and dealing with dementia and other age-related needs as the prison population ages.
Healthcare
Measures are needed to improve attendance at medical appointments, as DNA and CNA rates continue to rise.
Complaints/Property
The Board is concerned about the number of adjudications which cannot continue because paperwork has not been correctly completed.
Education/Purposeful Activity
More programmes are needed for people with learning difficulties, as too few are accessing support.
Estate/Conditions
Legacy issues with the heating system and peeling plaster in cells persist, and laundry machine repairs can take up to eight weeks.
Safety
Post-incident debriefs and use of force documentation are not always fully completed or on time.
Substance Misuse
High expectations for the new drug recovery wing have not yet been met, and some initiatives are taking time to function effectively.
Resettlement/Release
IPP prisoners express concerns regarding the lack of milestones and the impact of negative entries for minor misdemeanours on their sentence progression.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Attendance at work/education, especially morning sessions, remains a concern, with approximately 60% attending morning sessions versus 80% in the afternoon.
Staffing
Shortages of operational staff and probation officers, and the OMU and complaints department remaining seriously understaffed, lead to restricted regimes and overdue complaints.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Progress has been adversely affected by shortages of operational staff and probation officers, and the OMU and complaints department remain seriously understaffed. While more staff have been recruited, retention is low, and local recruitment plans have not been fully enabled by HMPPS. Many new, young prisoner officers are comprehensively trained, but require time to develop skills for older or vulnerable prisoners.
Healthcare
The prison has no in-patient healthcare provision, and there are frequent complaints about medication being stopped or substituted due to local healthcare provider (Betsi Cadwaladr) approval policies. This issue, especially for mental health medication, causes distress and can lead to self-harm or violence. Attendance at medical appointments (DNA/CNA) continues to rise, and increasing frailty and dementia are particular concerns. Waiting times for transfers to secure psychiatric hospitals for seriously mentally unwell prisoners are also problematic due to a lack of beds.
Regime & Daily Life
For much of the reporting period, HMP Berwyn was under Covid restrictions, leading to complaints about lack of association and time out of cell. Since early 2023, a fuller exercise regime and association have been reintroduced, and time out of cell has improved. While gyms are fully operational and activity places are allocated, attendance at work and education, particularly morning sessions, remains a concern, with only 66.9% attendance.
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 | 44 | 54 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 17 | 6 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 14 | 28 | |
| Equality | 10 | 10 | — |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 13 | 19 | |
| Food and kitchens | 8 | 5 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 43 | 110 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 64 | 48 | |
| Miscellaneous | 43 | 97 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 32 | 28 | |
| Property within the establishment | 59 | 60 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 20 | 22 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 57 | 96 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 78 | 72 | |
| Transfers | 50 | 34 |
Recommendations (7)
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 4
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
Prisoners from England are not allowed to access medication which has not been approved by Betsi Cadwaladr (Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board), the local healthcare provider. Regarding medication for mental health issues in particular, this causes distress.
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 2
The Board is concerned about the waiting times for seriously mentally unwell prisoners to be transferred to secure psychiatric hospitals, due to a lack of beds.
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
The Board is concerned that out of area transfers cause difficulties for prisoners, who are far from their families, and for the prison, particularly because these prisoners are not known to the prison. This huge increase in prisoner churn makes it difficult to locate many prisoners safely, especially those who are not part of the regular prison population cohort.
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
As the prison population ages, we would like to see training for staff on recognising and dealing with dementia and other age-related needs.
Governor / Director
Staffing
Response
Detailed neurodiversity guidance has been issued. A wing for older prisoners has been opened. A support group, the Cameo group, and the wing for older prisoners appear to be functioning well. As there are many recently recruited staff members, they will take time to adjust to the needs of older prisoners.
Recommendation 5
The Board would like to see measures to improve attendance at medical appointments.
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 6
The Board is concerned about the number of adjudications which cannot continue because paperwork has not been correctly completed.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 7
The Board would like to see more programmes for people with learning difficulties.
Governor / Director
Education
Other IMB Reports for Berwyn
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
27 Jan 2025
Unannounced
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.