Prison
Cat D
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Leyhill
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 17 August 2023
HMP Leyhill, a Category D open prison, faces a complex transition with reduced capacity due to construction and a changing demographic towards a younger population. While safety, healthcare uptake, and education attendance are positive, significant concerns persist regarding resettlement delays for IPP prisoners due to a lack of approved premises and inefficiencies in external probation. Alarm systems, staffing levels, and the increasing presence of illicit items also require urgent attention, alongside challenges in food budgeting and healthcare screening for new arrivals.
Positive Findings
The Board commends the noticeable focus on the needs of elderly and disabled prisoners, improved safety monitoring, and the extensive use of the Samaritan-trained Listener scheme. Fair and humane treatment is evident, supported by strong chaplaincy and prisoner involvement in healthcare. Education and work strategies are praised for enhancing employability, and the streamlining of Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) processes is welcomed. Improvements in accommodation, staff mentoring, and the opening of the Leyhill Grounds cafe, staffed by prisoners, are also noted as positive developments. The signing of CAS3 contracts to provide temporary accommodation on release is a significant positive step.
Key Concerns
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The lack of approved premises (AP’s), which a large percentage of Leyhill prisoners require before they can be released, results in delays to release dates, which is unjust and unfair.
Resettlement/Release
Prisoners’ progress towards parole has often been slowed by delays caused by the external probation service.
Safety
Repeated
The Board has been concerned about the inability of prisoners to raise an alarm. During the incident, a prisoner pressed the alarm buttons located on the wing for assistance, but it did not initiate the alarm. The Board has raised concerns that there is no in-room alarm available for prisoners, other than disabled prisoners, to initiate in the event of a medical event or violent incident.
Staffing
The IMB has concerns that 25% of the prison staff are relatively new to the Prison Service (less than two years) and that as many as four officers have been lent to other prisons under the detached duty scheme. The external probation service has been very short-staffed and this has contributed to delays in communication between POMs and COMs.
Safety
The IMB and prison staff have concerns about the changing population demographic of Leyhill, moving from a predominantly older population to one that is younger, on shorter sentences and with far fewer sentenced for sex offences. Anabolic steroids and syringe finds have continued to increase towards the end of the reporting year. Mobile phone finds have also increased significantly. The number of known organised crime group members has almost doubled in the last year, increasing from 17 to 33.
Food/Catering
The kitchen manager has had a challenging year, with the cost of food rising sharply while his budget remained static. Fresh vegetables have continued to be supplied by the prison’s market gardens, but prisoners often complained (via the prisoner food forum) about portion size.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Concerns exist regarding staffing, with 25% of prison staff being relatively new and four officers detached to other prisons, though safety is reported as not compromised. A new colleague mentor scheme aims to improve staff retention. Communication between internal Prison Offender Managers (POMs) and external Community Offender Managers (COMs) is slow due to short-staffing in the external probation service, causing delays in prisoner progression and resettlement.
Healthcare
Healthcare services at Leyhill are well-respected, despite a change in provider from Inspire Better Health/Avon and Wiltshire Partnership to Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust in October 2022, with minimal disruption. Concerns remain about new prisoners arriving after healthcare staff shifts, preventing timely screening, a problem also noted last year. The health bar's closure is a temporary issue. The palliative care unit has been closed for most of the year due to staffing issues. Mental health services and substance misuse provision by Change, Grow, Live are restarting group sessions, and appointments are comparable to community waiting times.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime has been impacted by ongoing demolition and construction, requiring a higher percentage of the reduced prisoner population to maintain internal operations, reducing availability for external work. Accommodation improvements include completed toilet/shower refurbishments and painting by prisoners. Fixed furniture installation is progressing. Activities for elderly and disabled prisoners have expanded to include table tennis, bowls, and pitch and putt. Despite some initial COVID-19 restrictions on gym and learning access, 71% of prisoners now attend education, with high attendance rates. The library, initially restricted, has since reopened with new books.
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 transfers) | 45 | 38 | |
| Bail | 0 | 0 | |
| Benefits | 1 | 2 | |
| Care, Health & Social Care | 3 | 1 | |
| Discipline | 1 | 0 | |
| Diversity (Including Race Equality) | 2 | 4 | |
| Education & Training | 2 | 3 | |
| Employment & Earnings | 0 | 0 | |
| Family & Significant Others | 5 | 2 | |
| Food | 12 | 19 | |
| Healthcare | 10 | 8 | |
| Money | 1 | 0 | |
| Other | 3 | 3 | — |
| Property | 10 | 22 | |
| Purposeful Activity | 0 | 0 | |
| Release & Detention | 4 | 5 | |
| Safety | 2 | 4 | |
| Searches | 0 | 1 | |
| Staff Conduct | 0 | 0 | |
| Substance Misuse | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 101 | 112 |
Recommendations (8)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 4
Governor / Director: 2
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
What action will the minister take to remedy the lack of spaces in approved premises, which leads to many prisoners facing incarceration beyond their release dates?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
What action will the minister take to raise the food budget in line with inflation?
Ministry of Justice
Food
Recommendation 3
Repeated
What further action will be taken to speed up the resettlement in the community of the prisoners serving IPP sentences, many of whom have spent far longer in custody than recommended in their indicative tariffs?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
What steps will be taken to speed up the work and enhance the efficiency of the community offender managers (COMs) in the external probation service?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Will the prison service install a general alarm system fitted to each room?
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 6
Will the prison service install in-cell telephony and communication, as provided in some of the closed estate?
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 7
The Board urges the Governor to build on the recent improvements made in the provision of opportunities for ROTL.
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 8
The Board urges the Governor to maintain the current standards at Leyhill in the forthcoming refurbishment, upgrade of facilities and challenging expansion project.
Governor / Director
Estate
Other IMB Reports for Leyhill
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
12 Jun 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 4
Activity: 1
Release: 3
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.