Prison
Cat C, D open
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Usk and Prescoed
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 20 September 2022
HMP Usk and Prescoed are considered effective, well-run prisons with low levels of violence and self-harm, successfully navigating Covid-19 restrictions while maintaining humane treatment. Challenges include reduced education funding, inadequate mental health and probation staffing, and persistent issues for men serving IPP sentences. The Board commends the cooperation between staff and prisoners, and the impressive rate of successful resettlement via Release on Temporary Licence.
Positive Findings
The Board considers HMP Usk and Prescoed to be effective, well-run prisons with low levels of violence, bullying, and self-harm, successfully navigating Covid-19 restrictions while maintaining humane treatment. Significant investment improved prison fabric, including cell upgrades and new accommodation pods, and purposeful activity, particularly off-site work placements, continued successfully throughout the restricted regime. The level of cooperation and trust between men and officers was noteworthy, and the prison achieved an impressive 94% success rate for first-night accommodation on release.
Key Concerns
Education/Purposeful Activity
Education is a key element in improving prisoner rehabilitation. After accounting for staff salary pay awards (mandated over the last few years) the Board is concerned that there has been an effective decrease in the funding the education department receives and that this could have a negative impact on prisoner outcomes.
Mental Health
The Board is pleased to note the significant reduction in the number of men serving indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP sentences) in HMP Usk and Prescoed. However, those remaining (many significantly over their tariff term) are aware that they are serving an abolished sentence, described by a previous Supreme Court Judge as a ‘stain on our criminal justice system’. Several describe the mental health issues occasioned by what they see as the hopelessness of their position.
Staffing
Sadly, during May 2022 a valued member of staff and one of the mental health nurses, died. In addition to being greatly missed for the skill and difference he made to the men, the team has been left understaffed and a replacement appointment is urgently needed.
Staffing
The Board is concerned that the number of probation officers may be inadequate. We understand that the complement of senior probation officers currently stands at one when four would be needed to cover the work involved.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
ask that the team continues their efforts to improve telephone access for the men in Usk.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing shortages impacted operations, with an urgent replacement needed for a mental health nurse vacancy following a death. The Board noted concerns about inadequate probation officer numbers, currently one when four are needed. Covid-19 restrictions and staff absences also disrupted the key worker system and contact with Community Offender Managers, though face-to-face contact is now increasing.
Healthcare
Healthcare services, provided by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and outsourced partners, generally met prisoners' needs and were comparable to community provision. Key challenges included accommodating prisoners arriving outside working hours and coordinating external appointments. The older adult mental health in-reach programme halted due to staff changes, and an ageing prisoner population highlighted inadequate facilities for those with mobility issues, with staff occasionally medicalising non-healthcare issues like mattresses.
Regime & Daily Life
Throughout most of the reporting period, HMP Usk and Prescoed operated under Covid-19 Stage 4 lockdown, causing significant restrictions on daily life and purposeful activity. Despite this, the prison prioritised safety and fairness, being one of the first to move to Stage 2, increasing time out of cell, with innovative approaches to exercise. Education delivery was severely affected, but off-site work placements for Prescoed prisoners continued successfully.
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 | 2 | 0 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 0 | 2 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 1 | 0 | |
| Equality | 3 | 0 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 2 | 0 | |
| Food and kitchens | 0 | 3 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 1 | 0 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 3 | 1 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 1 | 0 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 2 | 4 | |
| Property within this establishment | 0 | 0 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 0 | 0 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 2 | 2 | — |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 1 | 0 | |
| Transfers | 3 | 0 |
Recommendations (3)
Ministry of Justice: 1
NHS / Healthcare Provider: 1
Governor / Director: 1
Recommendation 1
We join other Boards in asking the minister to expedite the reviews of prisoners serving IPP sentences.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
a replacement appointment is urgently needed.
NHS / Healthcare Provider
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
ask that the team continues their efforts to improve telephone access for the men in Usk.
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Usk and Prescoed
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.