Prison
Cat female, local, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Styal
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 23 August 2022
HMP/YOI Styal successfully managed Covid-19 spread and saw a significant reduction in self-harm, with healthcare and perinatal care provision improving. However, the Board highlighted critical staffing shortages impacting regime and services, persistent decency and fire risks in residential houses, and challenges in managing prisoners with severe mental health needs. Concerns were also raised regarding medication administration, changes to resettlement contracts, and the distress caused by the parcel ban.
Positive Findings
The prison's management effectively reduced Covid-19 spread and maintained a positive, supportive environment for prisoners, with staff working tirelessly to keep them safe. There was a significant reduction in self-harm incidents over the year. Healthcare provision was maintained to a community standard, adapting well to pandemic challenges, and significant progress was made in perinatal care. Additionally, the percentage of prisoners released to accommodation improved to an average of 92% due to a new housing specialist role, and the visitors' centre was refurbished.
Key Concerns
Staffing
There have been capacity issues throughout the year with regard to staffing in the prison, impacting the regime, healthcare access, and prisoner movement.
Staffing
The need for escorts, due to the nature of the cohort, exacerbates the critical staffing situation, highlighting an urgent need to review pay and conditions for recruitment and retention.
Substance Misuse
As the prison returns to stage 1, increased resources and enhanced security technology are required to tackle the likely rise in illicit drugs being brought into the prison.
Mental Health
The prison continues to be challenged by the need to manage many prisoners with severe and enduring mental health problems, with a pressing national need for more specialist psychiatric facilities.
Safety
Repeated
There is still a significant fire risk to prisoners who reside in the 16 houses which have not yet been refurbished at Styal, as indicated in last year’s report.
Estate/Conditions
Almost 70% of the population reside in the houses, which continue to present decency issues regarding the number of toilets and bathrooms, and overcrowded bedrooms, impacting mental health and wellbeing.
Resettlement/Release
The Board remains concerned about the changes to the contracts for Through the Gate Services, with new external partners lacking requisite experience in post-release accommodation.
Equality/Diversity
The suitability and choice of clothing provided to female, transgender and non-binary prisoners, especially underwear, is inadequate, requiring greater attention.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Access to the library facilities has been restricted over the year, impacting prisoner wellbeing, with a return to normal access being beneficial.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The prison has banned all incoming parcels, causing real distress as the provided alternatives do not meet the needs of many prisoners.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Prisoners in Bollinwood complain about lack of staff contact, limited ROTL, and inadequate access to community services, leading to few incentives to progress.
Healthcare
Healthcare has not been able to consistently provide a timely, safe process for administering medicine, partly due to inadequate accommodation for the pharmacy service.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The incentives scheme lacks consistent interpretation and application, preventing the Board from monitoring its impact on prisoners, especially those with enhanced status.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison experienced staffing capacity issues throughout the year, relying on detached officers for temporary relief. Staff shortages negatively impacted the daily regime, affecting the supervision of houses, access to healthcare, external hospital visits, and overall prisoner movement. The effectiveness of the key worker scheme was also compromised by lockdown arrangements and these staffing challenges, leading to an urgent call for a review of pay and conditions to improve recruitment and retention.
Healthcare
Despite operational difficulties caused by Covid-19 restrictions and clinical staff absences, primary healthcare provision at Styal was comparable to community standards. However, the Board raised concerns about inconsistent, untimely, and unsafe medication administration, exacerbated by inadequate pharmacy accommodation. The mental health team's full service was hampered by a lack of suitable accommodation, and the healthcare building was noted as dated. Perinatal care and social care were identified as areas of significant improvement and strength.
Regime & Daily Life
For most of the reporting year, the prison operated under Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns, which significantly impacted the normal operational flow. This included a continued block on free flow, mandated escorts for internal appointments, and reduced cohort sizes for association and group activities. These restrictions, along with limited time out of cell, inevitably affected the morale and wellbeing of prisoners, and adversely impacted work and education opportunities.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catering | 11 | 18 | |
| Chaplaincy | 0 | 1 | |
| Discrimination | 2 | 1 | |
| Education/Library | 7 | 7 | — |
| Finance | 10 | 18 | |
| Healthcare | 48 | 45 | |
| IMB Concerns | 4 | 12 | |
| Legal | 4 | 3 | |
| Other | 25 | 16 | |
| Property | 18 | 30 | |
| Reception/Release | 11 | 21 | |
| Regime | 20 | 30 | |
| Segregation/CSU | 1 | 3 | |
| Staff/Prisoner concerns including bullying | 18 | 15 | |
| Total | 203 | 206 | |
| Visits | 4 | 6 |
Recommendations (7)
HMPPS: 6
Governor / Director: 1
Recommendation 1
There is an urgent need to review pay and conditions at all levels in the prison service to ensure the recruitment and retention of high quality staff.
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 2
Increased resources are still required to support the Governor in tackling this problem, reflecting those enhanced security resources and the technology more commonly found in the male estate.
HMPPS
Substance Misuse
Recommendation 3
Nationally, there is still a pressing need for more specialist facilities that can be easily accessed, particularly psychiatric units.
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 4
All residential accommodation should be decent and in a good state of repair including sufficient hygiene facilities for the numbers of women.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 5
consideration needs to be given to a more holistic, multi-agency approach to release arrangements to ensure fair and consistent access to support.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 6
the Board feels that greater attention needs to be given to this issue.
HMPPS
Equality
Recommendation 7
a return to normal access would be beneficial to the prisoners.
Governor / Director
Education
Other IMB Reports for Styal
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.