Prison
Cat B training prison
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Swaleside
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 19 July 2022
HMP Swaleside experienced a challenging year (May 2021 - April 2022), marked by severe staff shortages, a restricted regime due to Covid-19, and a high number of deaths in custody and self-harm incidents. The Board highlighted significant concerns regarding staffing, the impact of new prisoner allocations, and the lack of essential equipment like body-worn cameras. Positive developments included excellent education provision, effective outreach services, and improvements in discrimination incident reporting, though overall challenges to prisoner welfare and safety persist.
Positive Findings
The Board was impressed by the staff and governors' efforts to implement worthwhile regimes despite Covid-19 and severe staff shortages. Education provision by Milton Keynes College and the Swaleside outreach service (SoS) were excellent. The in-cell technology installation has commenced, and the kitchen maintained an impressive service. The equalities manager successfully cleared a backlog of discrimination incident reports, and the CSRU is generally well-run with a stable staffing group and high standards of treatment. The Sycamore Tree victim awareness course is a unique and valuable offering.
Key Concerns
Staffing
Repeated
The Board is extremely concerned at the continuing low numbers of staff and the seeming inability to recruit. The inequality of pay and conditions when compared to other government agencies is certainly a factor in the cause of this issue together with the accessibility of the geographical area in which the prison is situated. The low numbers of staff severely impact the mental health and well-being of prisoners. Urgent action is needed to remedy this situation.
Safety
The Board shares the concerns expressed by the Senior Management Team regarding the number of deaths in custody during the year and appreciates that much investigation is being conducted by the LTHSE into the root causes of these. However, a national investigation is perhaps required to establish either commonality of cause irrespective of prison type or to highlight specific issues relating to particular establishments.
Segregation
Repeated
The length of time spent in the CSRU by a number of prisoners is far too long and far exceeds normal recommendations. An effective means of reducing this time should be sought as a matter of urgency.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The Board is concerned at the detrimental aspects of the recently introduced prisoner flow and allocation system such that Swaleside, a category B trainer within the LTHSE, is receiving young (21-24), shorter sentenced (as little as four weeks) prisoners to the detrimental effect of the well-being of older, long sentenced prisoners. This change should be re-examined and the benefit examined against its detrimental impact.
Safety
Prison staff should ALL have access to up-to-date body-worn cameras as issued to police and other services. Current equipment is inadequate and inappropriate and should be replaced urgently to support the reduced number of staff.
Food/Catering
Repeated
The continued reliance of HMP Standford Hill on the kitchen at Swaleside for the preparation of its food continues to cause major issues, as has been stated for several years. The stalled installation of kitchens at HMP Standford Hill should be restarted urgently and be completed without further delay.
Staffing
The Board has seen examples of inadequacy of apprentice officer training and believes that training must at least result in those staff knowing what to expect when they arrive at their establishment. Shortage of trained staff exacerbates failings in this respect.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
The inequality of opportunity for men convicted of sexual offences (MCOSO) and vulnerable prisoners still needs to be addressed, despite progress made in that direction.
Mental Health
The Board has concerns regarding the mental health of prisoners who have suffered long-term lockdown as evidenced by the high number of assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCTs) cases, self-harm cases and general violent incidents. The necessity for increased psychology and psychiatric services should be assessed.
Healthcare
Repeated
The continued occupancy of the life limited room in healthcare by one paraplegic prisoner whose needs are different, whilst there are a number of other prisoners who qualify for the use of this room requires urgent resolution.
Safety
A solution should be found for the lack of external gate security (EGS) staff as a matter of urgency.
Safety
Wellbeing checks for all prisoners must be increased and maintained regularly to prevent self-harm.
Mental Health
The Board believes that more could be done to avoid self-seclusion by prisoners and wonders whether more help should be sought from psychological services.
Food/Catering
Repeated
The Board is again concerned at the lack of discipline and cleanliness at wing serveries and believes that this should receive immediate attention. This approach should insist on the use of temperature probes and ‘whites’ to avoid a health risk to prisoners.
Staffing
Training on the use of Planet FM should be given to senior officers (SOs) and above to ensure a correct interface is maintained with GFSL.
Other
Repeated
The number of adjudications dismissed or ‘not proceeded with’ has continued at a high level. Further staff training is required to remedy this situation.
Substance Misuse
Adjudication awards should be re-examined to ensure that appropriate disincentives for prisoners are available. This seems particularly pertinent for prisoners producing hooch or distilled liquor.
Safety
Challenge, support and intervention plan (CSIP) should receive more attention from custody managers (CMs) as evidenced by minutes from the weekly safety intervention meetings (SIMs).
Estate/Conditions
GFSL should be tasked with improving the rate at which out of action cells are brought back into use.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The installation of showers throughout the establishment should be completed. The identified faults with recently installed showers should be remedied urgently.
Safety
The IMB is concerned at the occasional failure to be invited to serious incidents and planned moves to the CSRU and would appreciate the necessity for this to be reiterated to all senior staff.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Swaleside faces an unprecedented period of staff shortage, with only 160 uniformed staff available out of an agreed complement of 261, severely impacting prisoner and staff well-being and regime provision. Over 35% of uniformed staff have less than two years’ experience, and the prison struggles to recruit due to its isolated location and uncompetitive pay compared to other government agencies. This shortage has led to the almost total withdrawal of the key worker scheme, causing frustration and worry for prisoners.
Healthcare
Healthcare services transferred from IC24 to Oxleas Healthcare Trust on 1 April 2022, with early indications being encouraging despite continuing staff shortages. A long-term issue persists with a paraplegic prisoner who requires specialist care remaining in the healthcare unit's disabled cell, making it unavailable for others. Despite agreement at the highest levels, no transfer has occurred, a situation the Board deplores. Missed outside specialist appointments continue, often due to a lack of escort staff.
Regime & Daily Life
The reporting year was challenging due to Covid-19 restrictions and severe staff shortages, which at one point limited time out of cells to just 30 minutes per day. This resulted in a restricted regime for most of the year, with limited prisoner working and the closure of all 'self-cook' facilities, contributing to increased self-harm and boredom. The lack of meaningful activity for the majority of prisoners, outside of two wings, remains a significant concern, with little prospect of normal activities resuming until staffing improves.
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) | 129 | 100 | |
| Discipline | 128 | 155 | |
| General treatment | 179 | 185 | |
| Healthcare | 105 | 104 | |
| Information | 119 | 120 | |
| Other/unknown | 163 | 115 | |
| Property | 196 | 185 | |
| TOTAL | 1,019 | 964 |
Recommendations (21)
HMPPS: 9
Ministry of Justice: 1
Governor / Director: 11
8 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
The Board is extremely concerned at the continuing low numbers of staff and the seeming inability to recruit. The inequality of pay and conditions when compared to other government agencies is certainly a factor in the cause of this issue together with the accessibility of the geographical area in which the prison is situated. The low numbers of staff severely impact the mental health and well-being of prisoners. Urgent action is needed to remedy this situation.
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 2
The Board shares the concerns expressed by the Senior Management Team regarding the number of deaths in custody during the year and appreciates that much investigation is being conducted by the LTHSE into the root causes of these. However, a national investigation is perhaps required to establish either commonality of cause irrespective of prison type or to highlight specific issues relating to particular establishments.
Ministry of Justice
Safety
Recommendation 3
Repeated
The length of time spent in the CSRU by a number of prisoners is far too long and far exceeds normal recommendations. An effective means of reducing this time should be sought as a matter of urgency.
HMPPS
Segregation
Recommendation 4
The Board is concerned at the detrimental aspects of the recently introduced prisoner flow and allocation system such that Swaleside, a category B trainer within the LTHSE, is receiving young (21-24), shorter sentenced (as little as four weeks) prisoners to the detrimental effect of the well-being of older, long sentenced prisoners. This change should be re-examined and the benefit examined against its detrimental impact.
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 5
Prison staff should ALL have access to up-to-date body-worn cameras as issued to police and other services. Current equipment is inadequate and inappropriate and should be replaced urgently to support the reduced number of staff.
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The continued reliance of HMP Standford Hill on the kitchen at Swaleside for the preparation of its food continues to cause major issues, as has been stated for several years. The stalled installation of kitchens at HMP Standford Hill should be restarted urgently and be completed without further delay.
HMPPS
Food
Recommendation 7
The Board has seen examples of inadequacy of apprentice officer training and believes that training must at least result in those staff knowing what to expect when they arrive at their establishment. Shortage of trained staff exacerbates failings in this respect.
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 8
Repeated
The inequality of opportunity for men convicted of sexual offences (MCOSO) and vulnerable prisoners still needs to be addressed, despite progress made in that direction.
HMPPS
Equality
Recommendation 9
The Board has concerns regarding the mental health of prisoners who have suffered long-term lockdown as evidenced by the high number of assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCTs) cases, self-harm cases and general violent incidents. The necessity for increased psychology and psychiatric services should be assessed.
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The continued occupancy of the life limited room in healthcare by one paraplegic prisoner whose needs are different, whilst there are a number of other prisoners who qualify for the use of this room requires urgent resolution.
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 11
A solution should be found for the lack of external gate security (EGS) staff as a matter of urgency.
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 12
Wellbeing checks for all prisoners must be increased and maintained regularly to prevent self-harm.
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 13
The Board believes that more could be done to avoid self-seclusion by prisoners and wonders whether more help should be sought from psychological services.
Governor / Director
Mental Health
Recommendation 14
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board is again concerned at the lack of discipline and cleanliness at wing serveries and believes that this should receive immediate attention. This approach should insist on the use of temperature probes and ‘whites’ to avoid a health risk to prisoners.
Governor / Director
Food
Recommendation 15
Training on the use of Planet FM should be given to senior officers (SOs) and above to ensure a correct interface is maintained with GFSL.
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 16
Repeated
The number of adjudications dismissed or ‘not proceeded with’ has continued at a high level. Further staff training is required to remedy this situation.
Governor / Director
Other
Recommendation 17
Adjudication awards should be re-examined to ensure that appropriate disincentives for prisoners are available. This seems particularly pertinent for prisoners producing hooch or distilled liquor.
Governor / Director
Substance Misuse
Recommendation 18
Challenge, support and intervention plan (CSIP) should receive more attention from custody managers (CMs) as evidenced by minutes from the weekly safety intervention meetings (SIMs).
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 19
GFSL should be tasked with improving the rate at which out of action cells are brought back into use.
Governor / Director
Estate
Recommendation 20
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The installation of showers throughout the establishment should be completed. The identified faults with recently installed showers should be remedied urgently.
Governor / Director
Estate
Recommendation 21
The IMB is concerned at the occasional failure to be invited to serious incidents and planned moves to the CSRU and would appreciate the necessity for this to be reiterated to all senior staff.
Governor / Director
Safety
Other IMB Reports for Swaleside
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
15 Dec 2025
Urgent Notification
11 Sep 2023
Announced
Safety: 2
Respect: 2
Activity: 2
Release: 2
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.