Prison
Cat B
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Gartree
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 25 May 2022
HMP Gartree, a Category B prison, faced significant challenges during a Covid-19 restricted reporting year (Dec 2020 – Nov 2021). While the Board commended the effective management of the pandemic, leading to low infection rates, it raised serious concerns about the detrimental impact of prolonged lock-up on prisoner mental health and rehabilitation. Key issues highlighted include a declining estate infrastructure, recruitment and retention problems in healthcare, and persistent frustrations among IPP prisoners.
Positive Findings
The Board commends the effective management of the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to low case numbers and well-managed outbreaks. Positive developments include increased resources for safer custody and equality functions, a reduction in socially isolating prisoners, and improved complaint handling. The library's work and prisoner art exhibitions are also highlighted. Staff efforts in de-escalation and targeted searches for illicit items are welcomed, contributing to safety and order.
Key Concerns
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The long periods of lock-up experienced by the prisoners will have a detrimental effect on their mental health and wellbeing and in some cases their ability to rehabilitate and progress. The unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the prisoners and their families hard, with them having to endure incredibly long periods of a severely restricted regime.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Some of the wings require immediate investment and the condition of the older residential accommodation needs addressing, as recommended in Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) scrutiny report published in October 2020. These recommended actions remain outstanding. The Board is dismayed at the slow progress on improvements to showers and some other areas, which affects the humane treatment of prisoners. Many of the shower units available for use are wholly unacceptable, despite money being allocated some repairs have not been completed.
Staffing
Recruitment and retention of permanent staff remains a huge issue in both the physical and mental health teams. Inevitably waiting times will have increased and access to outside services and clinics will have been affected by the pandemic.
Healthcare
The Board has struggled to obtain data from the health provider and whilst we acknowledge that this is probably as a result of staffing issues, moving forward we need to find a way in which we can easily access and utilise the data.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Gartree continues to hold IPP prisoners who are now many years over their tariff. Frustration continues among these prisoners.
Food/Catering
Repeated
The kitchens at Gartree continue to experience a high number of issues with equipment as expressed in our last annual report. Visiting the kitchens towards the end of this reporting period confirmed that they have experienced another year of broken equipment and delays in repairing or replacing equipment, despite the Board being advised that significant funds had been allocated to address the issue of equipment.
Complaints/Property
The Board remains concerned about property going missing either on prisoners’ arrival, when they are transferred to new cells or when searches take place. Please can the Governor share with the Board measures that have been or will be put in place to improve processes and procedures regarding prisoners’ property, as complaints remain high.?
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The physical conditions of the unit are poor for both staff and prisoners. The administrative office is cramped and poorly appointed although towards the end of the reporting period the office has been rearranged in an attempt to provide more useful space. A promised full refurbishment has not materialised, and the number of staff present often makes it look overcrowded. At times when Board members have visited there has been little evidence of social distancing and mask wearing and it would be very difficult to do so. The landings are dull, and the exercise yard – nothing more than three cages – is brutal in its appearance, with no outlook, and is uninspiring.
Safety
Gangs continue to have influence within the prison, creating challenges in managing the location of certain prisoners with affiliations or conflicts. ... gang conflicts/activity is thought to be a contributory factor in many violent incidents and in the trafficking of phones/drugs and other restricted items into the prison.
Healthcare
Will the Minister explain the reasons for the delay in rolling out booster Covid-19 vaccine in Gartree (albeit that the Board has been advised that vaccinations were rolled out as per PHE and NHSE guidelines except where prisoners were unable to have vaccinations because they had tested positive for Covid-19 within the previous 28 days)? ... Gartree only offered the booster from mid-December 2021.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Will the Prison Service clarify the reasons why the additional weekly phone credit (£5 per week to call family and friends) ceased for Gartree in September when we have been made aware that this may not have been the case in privately operated prisons (e.g. HMP Forest Bank)?
Resettlement/Release
Category D prisoners housed at Gartree are put at a serious disadvantage at parole hearings because they have been unable to prove themselves in open prison conditions.
Other
The Board requests that the Prison Service confirm the structure within the service that ensures that the contracts performance is being achieved in accordance with the signed contract.
Staffing
Can confirmation be given as to when the key worker scheme will revert to the initial planned level, whereby all prisoners have a named key worker, who has time allocated for key worker duties, and that key workers will remain constant even when prisoners transfer within the prison?
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison has seen an influx of new, less experienced staff, who are being supported by apprentice coaches and a POELT mentor. However, recruitment and retention remain significant challenges, particularly within healthcare. While there has been a reduction in some key worker interactions due to restrictions, staff have used in-cell phones to support vulnerable prisoners, and the Board seeks restoration of the key worker scheme to its full capacity.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision continued through Covid-19, but staffing challenges persist for both physical and mental health teams, leading to increased waiting times and reduced access to external services. The Board expresses concern over the long-term mental and physical wellbeing of prisoners due to lockdown restrictions and has struggled to obtain performance data from the health provider. There were also noted delays in rolling out Covid-19 booster vaccines.
Regime & Daily Life
Prisoners endured a severely restricted regime due to Covid-19, spending long periods locked in their cells, which raised concerns about their mental health. While exercise rotas and time for "domestics" helped, most purposeful activity ceased for the majority. The Board notes some mitigation efforts, including in-cell education, gym sessions, and virtual visits, but emphasizes the need to restore a pre-Covid regime with greater out-of-cell time.
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) | 77 | 130 | |
| Bail/Release (including Parole) | 24 | 32 | |
| Bullying/Victimisation | 14 | 15 | |
| COMP2 | 33 | 15 | |
| Discrimination | 11 | 15 | |
| Drugs | 2 | 2 | — |
| Employment/Training/Education | 14 | 24 | |
| Family/Relationships | 25 | 45 | |
| Healthcare | 35 | 61 | |
| Legal | 17 | 32 | |
| Money/Property | 132 | 181 | |
| Regime/Activities | 11 | 19 | |
| Security/Searches/Categorisation | 27 | 35 | |
| Staff/IMB/Other Prisoners | 54 | 66 | |
| TOTAL | 433 | 704 | |
| Visits/Correspondence/Telephone | 30 | 47 |
Recommendations (29)
Ministry of Justice: 5
HMPPS: 11
Governor / Director: 13
9 repeated
Recommendation 1
Will the Minister confirm that the funding bid received by Gartree to address the unacceptable state of the showers will remain available to the establishment even if the work has not commenced during the financial year it was awarded?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 2
Could the Minister confirm that investment to address the seriously declined infrastructure of Gartree will continue regardless of any options under consideration for a new prison to be built within the locality, and that Gartree will not suffer in any way should a new prison be built?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 3
Repeated
The Board acknowledges the Minister’s response to the question raised in our last annual report regarding the national partnership agreement for prison healthcare. The Board requests the Minister provide a further update on resources being planned post-Covid-19 to enable the delivery of measures outlined in the partnership agreement specifically for Gartree, as the Board has increasing concerns regarding the mental and physical wellbeing of the men at Gartree?
Ministry of Justice
Healthcare
Recommendation 4
Will the Minister explain the reasons for the delay in rolling out booster Covid-19 vaccine in Gartree (albeit that the Board has been advised that vaccinations were rolled out as per PHE and NHSE guidelines except where prisoners were unable to have vaccinations because they had tested positive for Covid-19 within the previous 28 days)? It has been acknowledged that prisoners experience a more confined environment, and therefore potentially greater vulnerability to Covid. However, despite the importance of the booster being promoted daily in the wider community from September 2021, Gartree only offered the booster from mid-December 2021.
Ministry of Justice
Healthcare
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board acknowledges the Minister’s response to our last annual report regarding indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) prisoners. However, Gartree continues to hold IPP prisoners who are now many years over their tariff. Frustration continues among these prisoners. The Board looks forward to an update from the Minister about plans that will resolve this ongoing issue, specifically for the prisoners at Gartree.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 6
Repeated
The Board requests an update on the new prisoners’ property policy framework which was referenced in the Prison Service’s response to the query in the Board’s last annual report regarding prisoners’ property.
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board is still concerned about the ongoing situation regarding the repair or replacement of equipment in the kitchens. Can the Prison Service confirm that they have engaged with contractors to create a service level agreement which will achieve more timely response to address such issues at Gartree?
HMPPS
Food
Recommendation 8
The Board requests that the Prison Service confirm the structure within the service that ensures that the contracts performance is being achieved in accordance with the signed contract.
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 9
Will the Prison Service work with the Board to ensure that it has access to necessary information, for example healthcare data, so that the Board is able to monitor more effectively how well the prison is meeting the standards and requirements placed on it and what impact these have on those in its custody?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can the Prison Service confirm that Gartree will receive sufficient ongoing budget and capital funding in order both that prisoners can live and staff can work within a safe, secure, and decent environment as the establishment returns to a pre-Covid-19 regime? The Board has noted that other prisons have received substantial investment to improve their infrastructure, and the Board, based on the information provided over the years, fails to understand why Gartree has not received this level of investment.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 11
Will the Prison Service ensure that Gartree will be sufficiently funded so that prisoners’ access to employment, purposeful activity, education, and healthcare will address the impacts of Covid-19 as quickly as possible?
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 12
Can the Prison Service confirm to the Board who has overall responsibility for the health and wellbeing of the prisoners at Gartree?
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 13
Can the Prison Service share with the Board how it will ensure the recruitment of staff to Gartree when salaries in the public sector compared to private prisons appear lower? For example, HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough has recently been recruiting for officers with a starting salary of £25,164 p.a. versus Gartree at £23,144 p.a. (Source: Indeed.co.uk).
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 14
Will the Prison Service clarify the reasons why the additional weekly phone credit (£5 per week to call family and friends) ceased for Gartree in September when we have been made aware that this may not have been the case in privately operated prisons (e.g. HMP Forest Bank)?
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 15
Category D prisoners housed at Gartree are put at a serious disadvantage at parole hearings because they have been unable to prove themselves in open prison conditions. Can the Board understand how this disadvantage will be mitigated going forward for these prisoners? In addition, the Board seeks to understand the objective, and how this will be measured, of the new system of categorisations from the Prison Service as we remain unclear.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 16
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the Prison Service ensure that the money which has been allocated to upgrade showers is ringfenced to allow this long overdue work to take place and that there is a process put in place to test for and treat legionella in all shower blocks in the future?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 17
Will the Governor continue to encourage greater use of body-worn cameras throughout the establishment to help de-escalate potentially violent situations?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 18
Can the Governor confirm that the Board will be allowed to resume dedicated use of an office without the need to allow other members of staff access to use the in-cell phone to call prisoners or for other purposes?
Governor / Director
Other
Recommendation 19
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the Governor ensure that all custodial managers are aware of the occasion when the Board needs to be notified of incidents, deaths in custody, use of force and all other routine notifications which are outlined in the memorandum of understanding between HMPPS and the Management Board for the IMB, dated December 2019?
Governor / Director
Other
Recommendation 20
Can confirmation be given as to when the key worker scheme will revert to the initial planned level, whereby all prisoners have a named key worker, who has time allocated for key worker duties, and that key workers will remain constant even when prisoners transfer within the prison?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 21
Will the Governor ensure the prison continues to provide resources to allow diversity and inclusion to continue with the renewed focus it has been given in the past year to promote equality of outcome and opportunity for all relevant protected characteristics?
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 22
Will the Governor ensure that all new arrivals are provided with a cell which contains all basic items of furniture and that they are given the clothing and any items they need on arrival at Gartree?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 23
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the Governor ensure effective pest control measures are put in place, used and reviewed to control vermin?
Governor / Director
Estate
Recommendation 24
Will the Governor continue to ensure that monitoring and quality assurance checks of all ACCT and CSIP documents are carried out by a dedicated custodial manager, and that all post-closure reviews and documentation are of the required standard?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 25
Can the Governor confirm that there is a simple and clear system in place to ensure that prisoners are able to understand exactly what property they can have in possession and in storage and what additional items they are allowed to order (from approved suppliers) and/or have sent in, and that staff are fully trained to support them with this and any issues which may arise?
Governor / Director
Other
Recommendation 26
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board remains concerned about property going missing either on prisoners’ arrival, when they are transferred to new cells or when searches take place. Please can the Governor share with the Board measures that have been or will be put in place to improve processes and procedures regarding prisoners’ property, as complaints remain high.?
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 27
Can the Governor reassure the Board that any future regime design will not result in more time in their cells for the prisoners at Gartree than at pre-Covid-19 levels?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 28
Will the Governor work with the Board to identify ways to continue to improve engagement between the Board and the SMT? The Board acknowledges that aspects of the working relationship have improved, but there are still occasions when the flow of information relies on us asking questions. We are keen to have key information provided so that we have the knowledge and information to support us in undertaking the role assigned to us.
Governor / Director
Other
Recommendation 29
The key worker scheme, part of offender management in custody (OMiC), has been introduced and dedicated qualified probation staff are based in the OMU. However, it is the Board’s view that Covid lockdowns have seriously impacted on this work and the Board looks forward to seeing the levels of interaction with the men achieved prior to lockdowns being restored as a matter of urgency.
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Gartree
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
16 Jan 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 3
Activity: 2
Release: 3
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.