Prison
Cat open women's
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
East Sutton Park
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 15 February 2023
This report for HMP East Sutton Park covers the period from November 2021 to October 2022. The Board finds the open women's prison to be largely safe and well-run, with good staff-resident relationships and effective resettlement efforts, particularly in securing external employment. Key concerns include the low population numbers hindering full use of capacity, residents arriving with insufficient time for resettlement, and the need to review fire evacuation procedures.
Positive Findings
The prison is considered a safe and well-run environment, with positive relationships between residents and staff. Healthcare is effective within its operating hours, and residents are generally well-prepared for release, with few leaving without accommodation. The prison is commended for its success in securing external employment for residents, many of whom continue with their employers post-release. Accommodation in the flats and pods is praised for fostering self-sufficiency, and there are no waiting lists for healthcare appointments.
Key Concerns
Safety
The emergency evacuation procedures are inadequate and require careful monitoring for effectiveness across all areas of the prison.
Resettlement/Release
Some residents arrive with too little time remaining on their sentence, allowing insufficient time to properly prepare them for release and hindering resettlement.
Resettlement/Release
The number of women entering the prison is too low, preventing more women from benefiting from its excellent resettlement preparation, and closed prisons are not consistently progressing suitable women to ESP.
Complaints/Property
Response times of other prisons to ESP residents’ complaints against them are insufficient.
Food/Catering
The contents of the canteen list require more regular review to ensure relevance to residents' needs.
Mental Health
More Listeners need to be trained as many existing Listeners are due to leave during 2022.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff are highly supportive of residents and the key worker scheme operates efficiently. While the prison successfully recruited a new part-time managing chaplain after a period of challenge, there is an ongoing negotiation to employ a paid orderly to enhance reception support. The healthcare team is described as full-time and well-structured, but Listener numbers fluctuate due to releases.
Healthcare
Healthcare, provided by Oxleas (an NHS foundation trust), operates effectively from Monday to Friday, with staff adept at addressing wellbeing issues promptly. However, out-of-hours health incidents rely heavily on local ambulance services. GP, physiotherapist, dental, optician, and podiatry services are provided regularly, and a new specialist mental health nurse was recently appointed. There are no waiting lists for appointments, but missed appointments due to residents prioritising ROTL are a concern.
Regime & Daily Life
Accommodation includes shared rooms in the main house and popular single-occupancy flats and pods with private bathrooms, particularly favoured by those in external employment. While room sharing can lead to issues, an effective mediation scheme is in place. The prison is disappointed that its application for more pods was unsuccessful, as this would expand capacity and aid resettlement. Nearly all residents are engaged in purposeful activity, and the regime has largely returned to normal post-Covid restrictions.
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 | 0 | 3 | |
| Adjudication | 2 | 1 | |
| Education/training/employment | 2 | 2 | — |
| Equality/Diversity/Religion | 1 | 0 | |
| Family/visits | 0 | 6 | |
| Finance/Pay | 0 | 2 | |
| Food/kitchen | 0 | 4 | |
| H3 Canteen/Facilities/Catalogue/Argos | 0 | 0 | |
| Health related | 3 | 3 | — |
| Miscellaneous | 0 | 5 | |
| Property (other prison/transfer) | 0 | 3 | |
| Property (within current establishment) | 0 | 2 | |
| Sentence related inc ROTL/Parole/Re-cat | 6 | 6 | — |
| Staff/Prisoner related inc bullying | 1 | 7 | |
| Transfers | 0 | 0 |
Recommendations (8)
Other: 1
HMPPS: 4
Governor / Director: 3
Recommendation 1
To increase the number of women coming to the prison so that more women gain from the excellent preparation for life back in society.
Other
(other)
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
To continue to ensure that residents coming to ESP have enough time left to serve, to ensure that the greatest benefit in resettlement can be achieved, and therefore representing value for money.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
To ensure that closed women’s prisons progress women who are suitable for the resettlement regime to go to ESP.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
To increase the number of women coming to the prison nearer to the operating capacity of 98, so that more women gain from the excellent preparation for life back in society.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 5
To improve the response times of other prisons to ESP residents’ complaints against them.
HMPPS
Complaints
Recommendation 6
To review the fire contingency plan, as the Board considers that the new system needs to be carefully monitored as to its effectiveness at reaching all areas of the prison in a prompt manner.
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 7
To review the contents of the canteen list more regularly to ensure that it is relevant to the needs of the residents.
Governor / Director
Food
Recommendation 8
To train more Listeners as many are due to leave ESP during 2022.
Governor / Director
Mental Health