Prison
Cat local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Bullingdon
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 2 December 2022
HMP Bullingdon faced chronic overcrowding and significant staff shortages, which impacted safety, regime delivery, and staff-prisoner relationships throughout the reporting year. While healthcare provision was generally good and improvements were seen in some areas like equality data analysis and IT systems, challenges such as high violence, drug availability, and prisoner churn hindering progression persisted. The Board highlighted a continuing high number of self-harm incidents, though a recent decline was noted.
Positive Findings
The Board welcomed the continued success of the body and airport scanners in curbing drug entry and improvements in equality and diversity data collection. Healthcare provision was noted as generally good, improving, and well-managed, with proactive staff recruitment. Benefits from the Reducing Reoffending Accelerator (RRA) project were felt, improving guidance for prisoners and bringing in employers. A reduction in mental health cases unsuited for prison care and a decrease in self-harm incidents were observed, attributed to effective safety intervention meetings, expanded key work, and enhanced mental health services. The prison's IT systems have been upgraded, and a new initiative for regular cell checks by governors was introduced to improve decency. Drug and alcohol rehabilitation services maintained a good level despite staffing pressures.
Key Concerns
Overcrowding
Repeated
The prison continues to be chronically overcrowded, despite repeated representations by the Board that the overcrowding is unacceptable. There are 521 cells designed for single occupancy, most of which are occupied by two prisoners. Overcrowding also puts great pressure on communal spaces and facilities. It is incompatible with the fair and decent treatment of prisoners.
Staffing
There is an increasing shortage of staff in the prison and the number of resignations is up on the previous year.
Staffing
The proportion of staff with limited experience has increased compared with the previous reporting year.
Substance Misuse
There continues to be a problem with the availability and use of drugs. This is despite the strenuous efforts which were made in the reporting year on the part of the prison.
Resettlement/Release
The increasing churn of prisoners has meant that in many cases prisoners are not able to progress from unskilled work to skilled work, or if they do, to finish any training courses that they undertake as part of that skilled work. Similarly, in a number of cases prisoners have been unable to complete education courses owing to transfer or release.
Safety
Repeated
High levels of violence continue in the prison.
Safety
Repeated
The number of cases of self-harm continues to be high in the prison.
Board Commentary
Staffing
At the end of the reporting year, the prison had 274 uniformed staff, a reduction of 47 from the previous year, with 63 officers resigning. This resulted in retention issues and a high proportion of inexperienced officers, negatively impacting effectiveness, regime delivery, and staff-prisoner relationships. The Segregation Unit was significantly understaffed, holding 14 officers against a complement of 24. Staff turnover in offender management also decreased, reducing the experience base and contributing to the challenges in maintaining services and a full pre-Covid regime.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision, managed by Practice Plus Group (PPG) and subcontractors, is generally good and improving, despite staff shortages which remain a risk. The prison struggles to accommodate elderly patients requiring social care, often placing them in the healthcare unit due to a lack of suitable cells. Covid restrictions impacted access to hospital appointments and face-to-face consultations. Teleconsulting is vital, but healthcare staff have limited private phone access for this. Dental provision was disrupted by a long-serving dentist's resignation, and prisoners raised concerns about pain medication. Mental health services are provided by two teams that are not co-located, and counselling is not directly offered by these services.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison regime was heavily restricted for much of the year due to Covid-19, leading to reduced social visits, limited access to facilities like the library and gym, and curtailed education and vocational training. Many prisoners endured up to 23 hours a day in their cells, contributing to frustration and anger. Although most restrictions eased by the end of the year, staff shortages prevented a full return to the pre-Covid regime. Gym activities and the mixing of wings remained restricted by staffing issues.
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 and ablutions) | 37 | 35 | |
| Adjudications | 5 | 8 | |
| Canteen, Facility List, Catalogues | 43 | 22 | |
| Education, Employment and Training (including IEP) | 19 | 11 | |
| Equality and diversity | 4 | 9 | |
| Family, Visits, Mail and Phone | 87 | 38 | |
| Finance and Pay | 16 | 11 | |
| Food and Kitchens | 21 | 16 | |
| Health | 110 | 114 | |
| Misc. including Complaints System and Regime | 52 | 45 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 29 | 36 | |
| Property within the establishment | 58 | 45 | |
| Sentence mgt. including HDC ROTL, parole release date, categorization | 62 | 54 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns including bullying | 81 | 90 | |
| Transfers | 20 | 9 |
Recommendations (10)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 5
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
The prison continues to be chronically overcrowded, despite repeated representations by the Board that the overcrowding is unacceptable. There are 521 cells designed for single occupancy, most of which are occupied by two prisoners. Overcrowding also puts great pressure on communal spaces and facilities. It is incompatible with the fair and decent treatment of prisoners. Does the minister consider this to be acceptable?
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Recommendation 1
The proportion of staff with limited experience has increased compared with the previous reporting year. What steps can the Prison Service take to ensure that the numbers of experienced staff are maintained at adequate levels?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 1
There is an increasing shortage of staff in the prison. Some of the shortage can be attributed to absences of staff who have resigned in the course of the reporting year. What steps can the Governor take to address this problem?
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 2
There is an increasing shortage of staff in the prison and the number of resignations is up on the previous year. What steps will the minister be taking to address the staff shortage problem?
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 2
There continues to be a problem with the availability and use of drugs. This is despite the strenuous efforts which were made in the reporting year on the part of the prison. What further steps can the Prison Service take to address the availability and use of drugs in the prison?
HMPPS
Substance Misuse
Recommendation 2
There continues to be a high proportion of staff with limited experience. In some instances, these staff have no experience of the prison regime before Covid. How will the Governor ensure that these staff receive further appropriate training so that they can carry out their duties effectively?
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 3
The increasing churn of prisoners has meant that in many cases prisoners are not able to progress from unskilled work to skilled work, or if they do, to finish any training courses that they undertake as part of that skilled work. Similarly, in a number of cases prisoners have been unable to complete education courses owing to transfer or release. What steps can the Prison Service take to address this problem?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
There continues to be a problem with the availability and use of drugs. This is despite the strenuous efforts which were made in the reporting year on the part of the prison. What further steps can the Governor take to address the availability and use of drugs in the prison?
Governor / Director
Substance Misuse
Recommendation 4
Repeated
What plans does the Governor have to address the continuing high levels of violence in the prison?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 5
Repeated
What plans does the Governor have to address the continuing high number of cases of self-harm in the prison?
Governor / Director
Safety
Other IMB Reports for Bullingdon
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.