Prison
Cat Category A and B male
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Long Lartin
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 14 April 2023
HMP Long Lartin faced a challenging year ending December 2022, primarily due to severe uniformed staff shortages that limited regime provision and hindered recovery from pandemic restrictions. Key concerns included inadequate infrastructure and maintenance, persistent issues with illicit items and safety, and the degrading conditions in cells lacking running water. Despite these challenges, healthcare provision saw some improvements, and the IMB maintained a productive relationship with prison management.
Positive Findings
The healthcare team made commendable efforts to reduce waiting times and improve long-term condition management, with immunisation and testing meeting national standards. The training of health champions has targeted appropriate interventions, and prisoners have good access to mental health and substance misuse support. The PIPE unit continues to function well, offering a positive environment with dedicated staff and diverse therapeutic activities. The Board also praised the chaplains for their significant contribution to prisoner welfare and the Pact team for facilitating successful family days.
Key Concerns
Staffing
The severe shortage of uniformed staff led to a severely hindered prison function, limited regime, and diminished personal contact with prisoners.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Ageing and unsatisfactory infrastructure coupled with poor maintenance support from the contractor Amey, significantly impacted the prison environment.
Safety
Unreliable faulty security systems, a visible infestation of rats, and the inability to minimise prisoners’ access to drugs and associated dangers are constant threats to safety.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Cells on four wings lack running water and sanitation, which falls below modern standards of decency for about half of all prisoners.
Segregation
Repeated
Prisoners remain in the Care, Separation and Reintegration Unit (CSRU) for extended periods for lack of more suitable alternatives, leading to inevitable deterioration in their condition.
Healthcare
Repeated
The condition of most cells in the healthcare centre (HCC), particularly the inpatient unit and facilities for disabled prisoners, is not fit for purpose.
Mental Health
Repeated
Significant waiting times for transfers to secure hospitals persist for mental health patients.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Classroom education, vocational training, and work have been minimal due to staff shortages, leading to increased frustration among prisoners.
Food/Catering
The fabric and appliances in the kitchen are in a dismal state, constantly out of use or poorly repaired, affecting food quality and hygiene.
Substance Misuse
Persistent importation of illicit items, including drugs and mobile phones, despite security measures.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison faced severe staffing shortages, which hindered its recovery from Covid-19 restrictions and led to a very limited regime. A lack of experienced permanent staff diminished personal contact and trust with prisoners. The redeployment of safety officers to other duties was observed, impacting their vital role. The CSRU operated with a diluted team of experienced officers, leading to overstretched staff and a weakened regime. The shortfall of Prison Offender Managers (POMs) resulted in inconsistent contact with prisoners, and the PIPE unit operated with eight fewer officers than required.
Healthcare
Despite improvements in reducing general waiting times, the healthcare centre's inpatient facility remains inadequate for recovery, with the end-of-life cell unfit for purpose for three years due to lack of suitable shower facilities. Primary care staffing levels are poor, hampered by clearance delays. The stairlift was inoperable for much of the year, denying disabled prisoners access to the first-floor unit, and two wheelchair users had to be returned to other establishments due to unsuitable cells. Concerns were raised about peer support workers lacking formal training, posing a safeguarding risk. Frequent cancellation of hospital escorts due to staff shortages also occurred.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison operated under a very limited regime throughout much of the year, primarily due to uniformed staff shortages and poor maintenance from Amey, which prevented acceptable standards of decency. Long periods of confinement and a lack of purposeful activity led to increased frustration and violence among prisoners. Classroom education, vocational training, and work were minimal, with workshops largely closed. The unpredictable regime destabilised healthcare provision, leading to cancelled appointments and missed opportunities for prisoners to attend activities due to a lack of escorting officers.
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 | 11 | 6 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 12 | 3 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 15 | 5 | |
| Equality | 12 | 14 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 9 | 16 | |
| Food and kitchens | 8 | 7 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 25 | 27 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 19 | 16 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 10 | 5 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 21 | 21 | — |
| Property within this establishment | 27 | 25 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 15 | 7 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 22 | 25 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 37 | 44 | |
| Transfers | 6 | 13 |
Recommendations (13)
Other: 4
HMPPS: 6
Governor / Director: 3
6 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the Minister confirm when we might expect the promised visit?
Other
(minister)
oversight
Response
Minister accepted our invitation to visit.
Recommendation 1
Will the Prison Service continue to provide a sufficient number of detached uniformed staff to ensure safety and fair and humane treatment for prisoners?
HMPPS
staffing
Recommendation 1
Will the Governor give more priority to repairs and improvements to the security systems?
Governor / Director
safety
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will they give their assurance that due attention is being given to this issue? [cells on four wings lack running water and sanitation]
Other
(minister)
estate
Response
Details on the upgrade work to be completed in 2022 were provided.
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the Prison Service play an active role in the management and monitoring of this contract to ensure that there is a marked improvement in the performance of Amey?
HMPPS
estate
Response
Contract is robustly monitored and managed but Amey and the contracts management team acknowledge that site is not performing as it should.
Recommendation 2
Will the Governor ensure that, during the forthcoming year, the fabric of the kitchen will be renovated to an acceptable standard for hygienic food production and that all unreliable and unserviceable kitchen appliances are properly repaired or replaced without delay?
Governor / Director
food
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the Minister give a clear lead on strategies to ensure that this unit [CSRU] is only used as a short-term measure?
Other
(minister)
segregation
Response
Assured that all types of support were available to CSRU prisoners.
Recommendation 3
Will the Prison Service commit permanently to limiting the roll of CSRU prisoners to 26?
HMPPS
segregation
Recommendation 3
What steps is the Governor taking to reduce the importation of illicit items including drugs and mobile phones?
Governor / Director
safety
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the Minister explain what action is being taken to ensure that waiting times for transfers to secure hospitals are reduced?
Other
(minister)
mental_health
Response
Maintained that average waiting times are improving but Covid-19 and associated restrictions continued to have an effect on waiting times.
Recommendation 4
The healthcare centre (HCC), and in particular the inpatient unit and facilities for disabled prisoners, are in need of urgent modernisation. Will the Prison Service give priority to complete refurbishment and improvement of the in-patient unit and replacement of the stairlift?
HMPPS
healthcare
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the Prison Service confirm that 2023 will see the standardisation of rules for transfer of prisoners’ property in the LTHSE?
HMPPS
property
Response
A number of initiatives highlighted. Acknowledgment that there is disparity in policy between other prisons within LTHSE. Efforts being made to align policies where possible.
Recommendation 6
Will the Prison Service provide assurance that prisoners who need to use wheelchairs will not be transferred in when no suitable cells are available?
HMPPS
equality
Other IMB Reports for Long Lartin
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
30 Sep 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 2
Activity: 2
Release: 3
5 Dec 2022
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 2
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.