Prison
Cat A, B
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Whitemoor
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 1 November 2022
HMP Whitemoor, a maximum-security prison for Categories A and B men, faced significant challenges in the reporting year ending May 2022, primarily due to a severe staffing crisis affecting all areas, including healthcare. This led to compromised regimes, particularly in the overcrowded segregation unit where severely unwell prisoners were held awaiting hospital transfer, and an inadequate purposeful activity and education offer. The Board also noted persistent issues with food provision and long waiting times for specialist healthcare appointments.
Positive Findings
The Board welcomes the successful return to a Stage 1 regime and the well-managed electrical upgrading project. There has been an increase in prisoner downgrades and improved ACCT arrangements. The prison maintains a positive culture of communication and has restored partnerships for cultural and educational activities, and introduced initiatives like the healthcare garden and Pets as Therapy dogs. The key worker scheme shows commitment, and there is an increased focus on timely complaint responses.
Key Concerns
Staffing
Staffing crisis, including rapid turnover and a high proportion of inexperienced officers, leading to compromised key work sessions and difficulties in building relationships.
Segregation
Repeated
The segregation unit habitually runs significantly over its allocated capacity, leading to continuous regime restrictions where prisoners are routinely forced to choose two of the three essential daily elements (shower, exercise, or a phone call).
Mental Health
Repeated
Poor mental health provision and staffing shortages within the mental health team, leading to acutely unwell prisoners being held in segregation for extended periods while awaiting secure hospital transfers.
Food/Catering
Difficulty in meeting the basic need of food that is adequate in quantity and nutritional balance, compounded by catering staff shortages, equipment breakdowns, and an inadequate daily food budget of £2.08 per head.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Struggles to re-establish a culture of purposeful activity and education, with a significant reliance on in-cell packs rather than classroom-based learning, and the loss of high-value work opportunities.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The Bridge unit struggles to fulfil its potential as a national resource due to its proximity to and use as an overflow for the segregation unit, resulting in an impoverished regime.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Perception that chaplaincy services are not always valued, with national instructions arbitrarily restricting group sizes for corporate worship, despite clear need for spiritual support.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Whitemoor faces a severe staffing crisis due to shortages, rapid turnover (9% annual resignation rate), and frequent detached duty requests. This leads to a lack of experienced officers, compromising key work sessions and hindering effective communication and relationship-building with prisoners. Over 40% of staff have less than five years' experience.
Healthcare
Mental health care is a major concern, with staffing shortages impacting ACCT reviews and leading to long waits for secure hospital transfers for acutely unwell prisoners. Healthcare overall has a 12% staff shortfall, relying on agency staff. While GP waits are good, dental, optical, physiotherapy, and podiatry appointments have significantly long waiting times, averaging over 12 weeks for routine dental care.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime is significantly compromised, particularly in the segregation unit which is consistently over capacity, preventing prisoners from receiving a full daily regime including showers, exercise, and phone calls. Food provision is inadequate in quantity and nutritional balance. Purposeful activity is struggling to re-establish, with many prisoners opting for in-cell education packs rather than classroom-based learning.
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 transfers) | 45 | 38 | |
| Activities (including education) | 17 | 19 | |
| Adjudications | 27 | 17 | |
| Canteen | 16 | 12 | |
| Chaplaincy | 0 | 0 | |
| Children and families | 2 | 3 | |
| Discrimination | 3 | 2 | |
| Drugs | 0 | 0 | |
| Education | 1 | 1 | — |
| Facilities | 2 | 1 | |
| Food | 19 | 17 | |
| Healthcare (including mental health) | 48 | 53 | |
| Legal | 12 | 10 | |
| Money and property | 39 | 27 | |
| Other | 16 | 16 | — |
| Pay and employment | 1 | 1 | — |
| Privileges | 3 | 1 | |
| Programmes and courses | 1 | 1 | — |
| Relationships with staff | 5 | 4 | |
| Release | 1 | 1 | — |
| Segregation | 37 | 21 | |
| Sentence | 21 | 13 | |
| Total applications | 316 | 287 |
Recommendations (6)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 2
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
Will the minister give a clear lead to addressing the staffing crisis in the prison service by undertaking a fundamental review of the career opportunities and pay offered to its staff?
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Will the minister please secure the cooperation of the Department of Health and other interested parties to conduct a wide-ranging review of the role and capacity of the secure hospitals and their relationship with the prison service?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
Will HMPPS give priority to improving the training and support given to prison officers in their early years in post in order to halt the haemorrhaging of staff in the first five years after their appointment?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 4
Will HMPPS review the way in which prisoners in high security prisons are fed, taking into account the facilities and equipment supplied for the main kitchen; the qualifications of staff; the budget allowed for the purchase of food; the canteen and its approach to pricing?
HMPPS
Food
Recommendation 5
Will the Governor give personal attention to sorting out the intractable issues faced by the kitchen in order to ensure that the best possible local arrangements can be made amid the pressing national concerns about escalating living costs?
Governor / Director
Food
Recommendation 6
Will the Governor consider what further steps can be taken to enable the permanent separation of the segregation and the Bridge units so that they can fulfil their individual roles more effectively?
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Whitemoor
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
5 Dec 2022
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 2
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.