Prison
Cat A, B (high security)
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Full Sutton
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 29 April 2022
HMP Full Sutton, a high-security prison, navigated 2021 with constantly changing COVID-19 restrictions, maintaining safety and generally meeting prisoner health needs despite challenges. While the regime ensured basic provisions, purposeful activity and education were severely limited, and staffing was tight, impacting some functions like drug testing and key worker sessions. The Board noted progress in complaint handling and praised the Covid team, but highlighted ongoing concerns regarding work provision, the STEP unit's funding, equality forums, and delays in Category A reviews.
Positive Findings
The prison's dedicated Covid team worked professionally to keep staff and prisoners safe. Improvements were made to the building, including solar panel installation. Safety was maintained, and prisoners were generally treated humanely and fairly despite pandemic restrictions. The kitchens operated well, and the segregation unit provided a stable environment. The IMB also noted improved complaint handling, successful education peer-mentoring, and welcomed improvements in sentence planning and increased video call availability for families.
Key Concerns
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
To continue to improve the provision of meaningful work and the breadth of education for prisoners.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Continue to develop the STEP unit, and ensure its role in the Pathways to Progression programme is adequately funded and maintains a clear referral system, so that it can resume fully its intended role of breaking the cycle of segregation.
Equality/Diversity
Ensure that the equality forum and equality action group resume, to enable equality issues to be aired, and that an equality advisory group is established to support staff understanding.
Complaints/Property
That action is taken to communicate examples of best practice in complaint handling in order to improve the quality and fairness of responses.
Substance Misuse
That action is taken to ensure that staffing levels allow all forms of drug testing, (random, suspicion and reception) to take place to the required levels.
Complaints/Property
A persistent minority of responses to prisoners' complaints lacked clarity, displayed apparent frustration, used an impolite or belittling tone, or failed to offer an apology, indicating prisoners were not always treated fairly.
Equality/Diversity
Some prisoners from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds remain of the view that staff treat them differently from their White counterparts, sometimes in subtle ways.
Resettlement/Release
Covid restrictions have impacted on Prison Offender Managers’ (POMs) ability to engage fully with prisoners when completing assessments and relevant reports, affecting prisoners’ ability to demonstrate progression.
Resettlement/Release
Delays in Category A reviews due to the pandemic resulted in an 18-month gap between reviews for some prisoners.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
A significant minority (43%) of respondents to the prisoner lockdown survey reported experiencing difficulty accessing the telephone.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
There is insufficient work for prisoners to do, with plans for new workshops repeatedly delayed.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing was tight due to Covid absences, continued turnover, and a number of new, less experienced staff. While the Governor addressed recruitment and deployment, some functions like drug testing, safer custody, and equalities teams operated with reduced staffing. Training was curtailed in some areas. The STEP unit saw improved staffing stability, but overall, there were not always enough staff available to carry out all programmed key worker sessions. The prison also faced an under-representation of BAME prison officers.
Healthcare
Healthcare needs were generally met by Spectrum Community Health CIC, with regular clinics and chronic disease management continuing despite Covid restrictions. The prison successfully vaccinated prisoners against Covid. Concerns arose initially over the withdrawal of opiate-based pain medication without face-to-face consultation, but this was rectified. An Ombudsman report highlighted deficiencies in initial health assessments and care plans for a deceased prisoner, leading to revised procedures and training. Mental health support was available, with around 10% of prisoners on the caseload.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison operated under constantly changing Covid-19 restriction levels throughout 2021, ranging from Stage 4 (highest) to Stage 1 (near pre-pandemic). Despite these challenges, regimes were managed to ensure prisoners consistently received showers, exercise, and telephone access. Gym access was prioritised when restrictions allowed. Workshops were largely closed or operated with reduced numbers, leading to furloughing. A prisoner survey indicated most coped well and felt safe, though a significant minority (43%) reported difficulty accessing telephones.
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 | 11 | 9 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 1 | 5 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 17 | 10 | |
| Equality | 6 | 10 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 8 | 4 | |
| Food and kitchens | 8 | 3 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 24 | 26 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 16 | 14 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 38 | 16 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 6 | 13 | |
| Property within this establishment | 4 | 7 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 14 | 10 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorization | 5 | 4 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 28 | 22 | |
| Transfers | 4 | 8 |
Recommendations (7)
Governor / Director: 5
HMPPS: 2
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
To continue to improve the provision of meaningful work and the breadth of education for prisoners.
Governor / Director
Education & Purposeful Activity
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Continue to develop the STEP unit, and ensure its role in the Pathways to Progression programme is adequately funded and maintains a clear referral system, so that it can resume fully its intended role of breaking the cycle of segregation.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 3
Prev. unaddressed
Ensure that the equality forum and equality action group resume, to enable equality issues to be aired, and that an equality advisory group is established to support staff understanding.
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 4
That action is taken to communicate examples of best practice in complaint handling in order to improve the quality and fairness of responses.
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 5
That action is taken to ensure that staffing levels allow all forms of drug testing, (random, suspicion and reception) to take place to the required levels.
Governor / Director
Substance Misuse
Recommendation 6
Prev. addressed
that the cost of telephone calls should be re-examined with the provider, with a view to reducing their cost.
HMPPS
Family Contact
Response
The Prison Service responded that, while the PIN phone system is not directly comparable to any other public payphone service, requiring security and monitoring which was essential to the specific requirements of HMPPS, services and cost were being reviewed. In August 2021 call charges in Full Sutton were brought into line with charges applied in prisons where there is in-cell telephony, resulting in cheaper calls for prisoners in Full Sutton.
Recommendation 7
Prev. unaddressed
that the Prison Service should improve systems for the management and tracking of prisoners’ property.
HMPPS
Other
Response
The Prison Service responded that the development of a new prisoner property policy framework was paused due to Covid, although consultation took place later in 2020. A new draft framework was due for further consultation in 2021. The IMB will monitor the handling of prisoner property in 2022.
Other IMB Reports for Full Sutton
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
11 Mar 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 3
Activity: 2
Release: 3
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.