Prison
Cat Open, Category D YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Hollesley Bay
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 7 April 2022
HMP/YOI Hollesley Bay commendably managed 2021 amidst Covid-19, maintaining a safe environment and strong communications. The prison successfully implemented new strategies focused on rehabilitation, earned progression, and employability, which have been largely welcomed. Key areas for development include addressing the ageing estate infrastructure, improving food quality, implementing a key worker system, and resolving issues with property loss and missed healthcare appointments, while also boosting education participation.
Positive Findings
The Board commended the effective management of the Covid-19 pandemic, noting strong communication and cooperation from staff and prisoners. It welcomed the prison's new strategic ambitions, increased emphasis on prisoner employability, and the introduction of structured employment pathways. Significant progress was made in improving communications, the equality agenda, capital investment in buildings, and the overall appearance of the site. The IMB also praised the healthcare team for their continued provision of services during challenging times and the effective use of the ROTL system, alongside the development of new workshops and a successful forklifting driving course.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Inadequate and unreliable plumbing, leading to frequent hot water and water pressure problems for showers, requiring a major overhaul, with the 2019 annual report drawing attention to this issue.
Estate/Conditions
The infrastructure of the prison is creaking and a comprehensive plan of modernisation and refurbishment is required throughout the prison, including tackling problems like leaking roofs, faulty guttering, broken paving, ill-lit areas in winter, and the collapsing gymnasium floor.
Food/Catering
Repeated
Food at the prison, especially lunch, consisting of soup, baguette and a small packet of crisps, is just about adequate but little more, a concern that was reported last year and in the previous year.
Staffing
The IMB remains disappointed that the roll-out of key workers has not been achieved in the open estate, as it is felt that intense supervision and support would be enormously beneficial to most prisoners in the period leading up to their release.
Other
The loss of property (27 complaints), particularly on transfer from another prison to Hollesley Bay, remains problematic, exacerbated by Serco’s policy of carrying a limited number of property bags.
Healthcare
Prisoners failed to attend 188 out of 1,375 booked GP appointments (approx. 14%), a number the prison is seeking to reduce, partly due to appointment letters not being passed on to prisoners in sufficiently good time by staff.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Take-up of entry level and Levels 1 and 2 maths and English courses is currently low.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
One point of disgruntlement has been the withdrawal of the free newspaper service.
Other
Further consideration is given to the indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) regime to eradicate many of the injustices that are all too common in the system.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The new Governor is well-established, leading staff professionally and focusing on professional development. However, the prison, as an open establishment, operates with a lower staff-to-prisoner ratio, which can impact the level of care for some individuals. The IMB expressed disappointment that the key worker system has not been rolled out in the open estate, believing it would greatly benefit prisoners preparing for release. There have been positive staffing additions in the healthcare team.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision, including GP services from Leiston Surgery, is working well with no major issues, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Dental, ophthalmic, and podiatry care were reduced but are returning to normal. The prison managed 118 Covid-19 cases effectively, with low infection rates and high vaccination. While GP appointments increased, 14% were missed, partly due to poor communication of appointment letters. Mental health services, though a small team, actively support prisoners, with 624 mental health appointments in 2021, a decrease attributed to the introduction of IAPT services for lower-level issues.
Regime & Daily Life
Hollesley Bay operates an open regime where Category D prisoners are expected to be purposefully engaged, though external work was significantly reduced in 2021 due to Covid-19. A new 'earned progression' and 'pathway approach' to resettlement, initially met with resistance, has gained acceptance. Education and vocational training faced severe disruptions from the pandemic but are now seeing numbers recover. The library remained partly accessible, but the withdrawal of free newspapers caused disgruntlement. Recreational facilities, including extensive grounds and a gym, are valued, though the gym floor requires repair, leading to a shift to outdoor activities. Increased self-cooking facilities are being introduced and welcomed.
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) | 45 | 38 | |
| Activities & work | 11 | 22 | |
| Adjudications & complaints | 7 | 8 | |
| Canteen | 12 | 10 | |
| Food | 0 | 1 | |
| Healthcare | 8 | 2 | |
| Legal | 16 | 12 | |
| Money | 10 | 18 | |
| Other | 16 | 32 | |
| Property | 27 | 31 | |
| Relationships | 3 | 0 | |
| Security (including personal safety) | 3 | 1 | |
| Visits | 10 | 11 |
Recommendations (13)
Ministry of Justice: 6
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 4
Recommendation 1
That the recommendations made in the Ministry of Justice’s White Paper, after consultation, are implemented and adequately resourced.
Ministry of Justice
Other
Recommendation 1
The IMB at Hollesley Bay recognises the considerable investment made in 2021. There was a residential unit demolished and this was replaced by ‘Containex units, all single-person units. Based upon this experience, the IMB would urge the Prison Service to move to a situation where all multiple-occupancy cells are removed and replaced with single person accommodation.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 1
The IMB welcomes the introduction of the more formal sequential learning approach adopted by the prison in 2021. This is beneficial to the prisoners and acts as a good motivational tool, which leads to ROTL being used in a more purposeful way.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 2
That particular attention is given to prisoners when they leave prison having access to suitable accommodation and employment opportunities.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
That further capital investment is made into the open prison estate to allow the buildings and facilities to be improved and the backlog of maintenance requirements to be tackled in a programmed way – failing heating systems, leaking roofs, inadequate catering facilities, etc, as well as funding additional security measures, enhanced CCTV and improved security lighting.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 2
The publication of a more comprehensive induction booklet is welcomed; not only does it inform the prisoners from other sending prisons what they can expect from Hollesley Bay, it provides a structured approach to learning which enables staff to better prepare prisoners in terms of their ‘employability’ and what to expect from life outside of prison. Considering this in slightly greater depth, outside society will have changed considerably for many prisoners during their time inside; none more so than in the of use of the internet. To this end the IMB would ask the Governor to consider introducing ways of using IT, and mobile phones in particular, that are safe and improve family contact and may well have other have other benefits as well.
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
That effective support for mental health issues is developed within prisons and after leaving should they still be required.
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
To allow Governors of prisons greater budgetary flexibility to meet the priorities of their prison.
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 3
Recognising that there are difficulties in developing an ‘employers forum’ for Hollesley Bay (since many of the prisoners’ home addresses will be considerable distances away) the prison should develop a two-stage approach towards prisoner employability whereby basic skills or behaviours are brought up to scratch and other labour market considerations are developed to give prisoners the best chance of employment once their sentences are completed, e.g. in street works, warehousing, construction.
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
That further consideration is given to the indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) regime to eradicate many of the injustices that are all too common in the system.
Ministry of Justice
Other
Recommendation 4
That the efforts being put into improving the site security are continued.
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 5
That consideration is given to the introduction of the key worker system in open prisons.
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 6
That the Minister, jointly with the IMB Secretariat, explore ways of broadening the numerical strength and composition of local IMBs so that they become more representative of the UK’s population as a whole and the profile of our current prisoner population.
Ministry of Justice
Other
Other IMB Reports for Hollesley Bay
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
3 Apr 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 4
Activity: 3
Release: 4
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.