Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Moorland
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 27 July 2022
HMP/YOI Moorland, a Category C resettlement prison, reported a population of 915 against a reduced operational capacity of 964 for the year ending February 2022. The report noted positive trends with reduced self-harm and violence incidents but highlighted significant concerns regarding the treatment and progression of IPP prisoners and persistent delays in mental health transfers. Staffing shortages affected key worker provision and programme delivery, while long waiting times for dental care were also an issue.
Positive Findings
The report notes a positive downward trend in self-harm incidents and overall violence, including assaults on staff. The prison has effectively reduced illicit items through measures like body scanners. Healthcare provision is generally considered acceptable and equivalent to community care, with increased GP sessions and a successful vaccination programme. Education achievement rates are high, and in-cell telephony has proven invaluable for maintaining family contact. The Board appreciates the return to regular prison attendance and positive staff-prisoner interactions.
Key Concerns
Mental Health
Repeated
Delay in the transfer of prisoners requiring secure psychiatric care.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Lack of progression and clear action plans for IPP prisoners, leading to a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Failure to implement the 2019 HMPPS nine ‘priority’ and four ‘key’ ideals for best practice in working with IPP prisoners.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
Backlog in programme provision, hindering progression towards safe release for determinate-sentenced prisoners.
Staffing
Repeated
Meaningful key worker sessions are not being consistently prioritised due to staffing shortages and Covid restrictions.
Resettlement/Release
Lack of established relationships with local employers to provide a pathway into employment on release.
Resettlement/Release
Need for general improvement in sentence progression and resettlement services for prisoners.
Food/Catering
Repeated
Insufficient food budget leading to prisoners reporting hunger and supplementing meals from canteen spending.
Healthcare
Long waiting list for dentistry (up to a year) and many cancellations of the specialist pain clinic.
Healthcare
High ‘did not attend’ rate across all healthcare areas requires further investigation.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The children’s play area in the visits hall has not reopened.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Significant frustration due to reduced transfers to other establishments or required programmes because of Covid-19 restrictions.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Fewer educational opportunities and limited vocational qualifications, with most employment opportunities being part-time.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
No progress on other digital in-cell technology, despite cabling installed several years ago.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison experienced significant changes in its senior management team, with staff generally being helpful despite challenges. However, the development of meaningful key worker relationships has been hindered by Covid-19 restrictions and staffing shortages, remaining a priority. The Offender Management Unit also faced service delivery challenges due to new staff needing training, maternity leave, and phased returns. Officer availability for mentoring is limited due to secondment to other duties.
Healthcare
Overall, healthcare provision is considered equivalent to community care, with the IMB satisfied with efforts to maintain services despite Covid-19 impacts and an increase in GP sessions. However, significant concerns remain regarding a year-long waiting list for dentistry and frequent cancellations of the specialist pain clinic. There are also persistent delays in transferring severely mentally ill prisoners to psychiatric hospitals due to bed shortages, and a high 'did not attend' rate for appointments requires investigation.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison's fabric and cleanliness are generally good, with re-roofing and houseblock improvements underway. The visits hall reopened with reduced Covid measures, but numbers remain limited and the children's play area is closed. Food provision is usually acceptable, despite kitchen equipment issues, but prisoners have complained about the Covid-driven shift to a lunchtime main meal. The overall regime remained restricted, impacting time out of cell, though exercise and purposeful activity are gradually increasing.
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 | 14 | 1 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 18 | 10 | |
| Equality | 23 | 9 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 29 | 5 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 9 | 2 |
Recommendations (9)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 5
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can the minister ask cabinet colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care and the Treasury to address this shortage of beds?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Response
Government has consulted on the White Paper and intends to bring forward a bill ‘when parliamentary time allows’. In line with Government’s stated intention, no action has been taken to increase the number of secure psychiatric beds.
Recommendation 2
Can the minister review and prioritise the progression and release (where appropriate) of IPP prisoners?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Can consideration be given to the implementation of the 2019 HMPPS nine ‘priority’ and four ‘key’ ideals, suggested as best practice in working with IPP prisoners, to ensure a consistent and humane offer to this cohort of prisoners?
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can consideration be given to resourcing the backlog of programme provision, to allow progression towards a safe release for determinate-sentenced prisoners?
HMPPS
Education
Response
Some capacity but limited and only available to those within 12 months of a ‘significant’ sentence date. Data being used to understand and manage waiting lists. Focus is on addressing backlog.
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can key worker sessions be prioritised?
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 6
Can relationships with local employers be established to provide a pathway into employment on release?
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 7
Can there be a general improvement in sentence progression and resettlement services for prisoners?
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 8
Can the 2019 HMPPS IPP ‘Ideals’ document be adopted and implemented in Moorland?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Once again, the Board is requesting that the food budget is increased
Governor / Director
Food
Response
HMPPS said that food budget is devolved to Governors. Recognised to be challenging, but ‘catering team continues to provide nutritionally balanced meals’.
Other IMB Reports for Moorland
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
13 Mar 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 3
Activity: 3
Release: 3
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.