Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Huntercombe
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 20 June 2023
HMP Huntercombe returned to a full regime in 2022, and the Board commended staff for their work. However, significant concerns remain, particularly regarding the ongoing detention of foreign nationals beyond their sentence expiry due to Home Office delays in processing deportation orders. The prison also faces challenges with an antiquated heating system, water ingress in healthcare, reduced education provision due to staffing, and issues with inter-prison property transfers.
Positive Findings
The Board was pleased to see a return to a normal regime and prisoners engaging in meaningful activity. Staff were commended for their work in helping prisoners progress. Healthcare provision saw a seamless handover to a new head, and sharing of health information with prison staff improved. The resettlement team made good progress in developing support for prisoners. There was a reduction in outstanding complaints, for which the prison was commended.
Key Concerns
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
the ongoing incarceration of men who have passed their sentence expiry date and are held under immigration powers (IS91s), who remain under convicted criminal conditions.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
the Board has witnessed an ever-increasing number of foreign national prisoners (FNPs) transferred to HMP Huntercombe without a deportation order (DO), without which removals under the ERS cannot be facilitated.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
the lack of triaging of all FNPs by the Home Office prior to their arrival at HMP Huntercombe, and thus many arriving already past their ERS date, remains a matter of grave concern to the Board.
Estate/Conditions
facilitate the upgrading of the antiquated heating and hot water systems, repeated breakdowns of which not only cause inconvenience but cause frustration and resentment towards prison staff and senior management.
Healthcare
urgently replace the part of the healthcare facility which has water ingress and is therefore not a suitable working environment.
Education/Purposeful Activity
review the education contract in order to reinstate popular and worthwhile courses into the curriculum (paragraph 7.1.1) and to enable the full information, advice and guidance (IAG) level 4 diploma and City and Guilds course to recommence. (paragraph 7.1.4)
Other
Repeated
there remain significant issues about property transfers between prisons.
Board Commentary
Staffing
HMP Huntercombe saw many new staff join, many new to their roles, and the Board commended their work. However, staffing issues persist, particularly in healthcare where the complement is at 74%, covered by agency staff. Educational staffing problems led to curriculum reductions. The Prison Offender Manager team also faced budget reductions, operating with only three staff for the last quarter of the year.
Healthcare
Healthcare, provided by Practice Plus Group, saw a seamless transition to a new contract and head of healthcare without adverse impact on prisoners, and information sharing improved. Staffing remains challenging at 74% of complement, with a reliance on agency staff. Significant concerns include persistent water ingress in the healthcare facility and delays for external hospital services. A new early days in custody nurse role was welcomed.
Regime & Daily Life
HMP Huntercombe returned to a largely normal and full regime in 2022 after COVID-19 disruptions, allowing prisoners to engage in meaningful activity. The key worker initiative was re-established to support a planned future regime focused on increasing purposeful activity and personalisation. Access to the gym and exercise improved, although the sports hall was out of commission for half the year affecting activities.
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 | 4 | 12 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 0 | 1 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 0 | 3 | |
| Equality | 0 | 1 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 5 | 4 | |
| Food and kitchens | 3 | 2 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 23 | 26 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 4 | 17 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 5 | 3 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 15 | 13 | |
| Property within this establishment | 12 | 15 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 9 | 3 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 32 | 13 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 45 | 29 | |
| Transfers | 4 | 1 |
Recommendations (7)
Other: 3
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 2
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
the Board has witnessed an ever-increasing number of foreign national prisoners (FNPs) transferred to HMP Huntercombe without a deportation order (DO), without which removals under the ERS cannot be facilitated. At the end of the reporting year, only 76 men from a roll of 469 had had a DO issued.
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
Repeated
the lack of triaging of all FNPs by the Home Office prior to their arrival at HMP Huntercombe, and thus many arriving already past their ERS date, remains a matter of grave concern to the Board.
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
the ongoing issue of FNPs who have passed their conditional release date (CRD) and are held as IS91 under immigration powers. The Board has noted no improvement in this matter since first reporting it in our report of 2020.
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
To facilitate the upgrading of the antiquated heating and hot water systems, repeated breakdowns of which not only cause inconvenience but cause frustration and resentment towards prison staff and senior management.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 5
To urgently replace the part of the healthcare facility which has water ingress and is therefore not a suitable working environment.
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 6
To review the education contract in order to reinstate popular and worthwhile courses into the curriculum (paragraph 7.1.1) and to enable the full information, advice and guidance (IAG) level 4 diploma and City and Guilds course to recommence. (paragraph 7.1.4)
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
there remain significant issues about property transfers between prisons.
HMPPS
Other