Ford

The lack of planning for the replacement of kitchen equipment or washing machines. The current arrangement of putting in annual bids for funding for kitchen equipment is slow, bureaucratic and does not provide any guarantee that these essential items will be replaced in a timely manner.

The planned doubling of the capacity of the prison in the current year requires close monitoring to avoid further expensive mistakes.

The failure of the Prison Service to plan ahead for the replacement of the wooden billets on B wing meant no structured strategy for gradual closure and rebuild, leading to drastic reduction in operating capacity. The subsequent attempt to put two prisoners in pods designed for one was an elementary mistake, leaving occupants in uncomfortable and unsuitable conditions.

The very limited importance given to IT training for prisoners. It is now a requirement of most jobs, and reasons for not allowing controlled access to WiFi are somewhat negated by prisoners on ROTL having mobiles.

The proportion of ethnic minority staff at HMP Ford remains totally different from that in its prisoner community, with little sign of proactive moves from the Prison Service to redress the balance.

Property remains an ongoing issue, with items lost during transfers and a lack of consistency between prisons on allowed items, causing demotivation and complaints.

Communication has continued to be a problem, particularly with the Offender Management Unit (OMU), with information not effectively reaching all prisoners during lockdown and as restrictions eased.

The Board is very concerned by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into a death in custody in 2020, which criticised the treatment of long-term medical conditions, and stresses that the agreed protocol must be adhered to in all cases.

The accommodation in A wing and the two brick billets is tired, difficult to maintain and keep clean, with communal washing facilities and a number of kitchens lacking sinks, a situation not addressed by year-end.

There is still a large quantity of drugs, particularly steroids, getting into HMP Ford, adding to pressure on prisoners and the ISMS team, with no external support meetings on site.

Weston College charged near full rates for services during restrictions but tutors did not enter the prison or have direct contact with prisoners, providing only workbooks, in marked contrast to Chichester College.

A crucial cable was disconnected during IT system refreshing in June, causing disruption to students and preventing access to online City & Guilds qualifications, and remained unrepaired at year end.

During the year, five prisoners were known to have been released from HMP Ford with no fixed abode, indicating gaps in resettlement assistance.

Recommendation 1 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

It is a pity that after many years of submissions by the senior management and criticism in our last 13 annual reports, your predecessors appeared to have no plan in place for the replacement of the wooden billets on B wing when they were finally condemned following a fire inspection in November 2020. This failure to plan ahead meant that there was no structured strategy for a gradual closure and rebuild of the huts and the operating capacity of the prison had to be drastically reduced. The subsequent panic measure of trying to put two prisoners in the new pods which were designed for one was an elementary mistake and, though they were then returned to single use, by the reporting year end there still appeared to be no urgency in getting the two-tier bunks restored to single beds. Meanwhile, prisoners could not sit on their beds as there was not enough headroom in either the top or bottom bunks to allow this. See section 5.1.3.

Ministry of Justice Estate

Recommendation 2 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

We would also draw to your attention the lack of planning for the replacement of kitchen equipment or washing machines. In the latter case we understand that, since the end of the reporting year, a leasing scheme is being planned for washing machines. However the current arrangement of putting in annual bids for funding for kitchen equipment is slow, bureaucratic and does not provide any guarantee that these essential items will be replaced in a timely manner. See section 5.1.5.

Ministry of Justice Estate

Recommendation 3

The doubling of the capacity of the prison in the current year will require close monitoring to avoid further expensive mistakes.

Ministry of Justice Overcrowding

Recommendation 4 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

As mentioned above, we are delighted that at last the wooden accommodation billets have been condemned and are emptied. However we fail to understand why action was not taken earlier in view of the complaints made over many years. The subsequent attempt to turn the pods into double accommodation was completely unrealistic and in the opinion of the Board would undoubtedly have led to serious accidents. The policy was reversed promptly by the prison but four months later, at the end of the reporting year, the bunks had not been converted back to single beds and the occupants were left in uncomfortable and unsuitable conditions (see section 5.1.3). In the Board’s view the whole exercise was a complete waste of public funds.

HMPPS Estate

Recommendation 5 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

We are concerned about the very limited importance given to IT training for the prisoners. It is now a requirement of most jobs and the reasons for not allowing a controlled access to wifi on the premises are somewhat negated by the prisoners who go out on ROTL to work or education being allowed mobiles when outside the prison.

HMPPS Education

Recommendation 6 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

Although we were assured last year that HMPPS was looking to increase the number of ethnic minority staff in its workforce, the proportion at HMP Ford remains totally different from that in its prisoner community. We appreciate the difficulty, given the racial balance in the local community, but we have seen little sign of any proactive moves on the part of the Prison Service to redress the balance.

HMPPS Staffing

Recommendation 7 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

Property remains an issue. Prisoners frequently arrive at HMP Ford having had to leave some of their property at their previous prison due to different practices among and within the companies transporting them. This leads to losses and corresponding claims. There also seems to be no consistency between prisons as to the rules relating to the types of property each prisoner is allowed. Prisoners frequently arrive at HMP Ford with items bought legitimately whilst at their previous prison, only to be told the items are not allowed. This is deeply demotivating given that transfer to an open prison is supposed to be a promotion. Whilst there used to be a greater fire risk at HMP Ford than elsewhere because of the wooden billets, this is no longer the case and we would urge you to bring in consistent rules.

HMPPS Resettlement

Recommendation 8 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

Communication has continued to be a problem. During lockdown you held regular forums attended by a representative from each corridor but the information given out did not seem to reach the other prisoners in spite of the fact that the forums were each followed up by a notice to the community. Prisoners also reported that communication with staff, particularly the offender management unit (OMU), was a problem. See section 5.3.1.

Governor / Director Complaints

Recommendation 9 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

The Board is very concerned by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report into the death in custody in 2020, which criticised the treatment of long-term medical conditions. We appreciate that the healthcare provider has changed since then but it is essential that the protocol is adhered to in all cases. See sections 6.8.1 and 6.8.2.

Governor / Director Healthcare