Prison
Cat Closed Women's
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Drake Hall
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 1 April 2022
HMP/YOI Drake Hall provides a safe and humane environment, with staff and prisoners showing commendable resilience during the pandemic. However, significant structural issues with accommodation, particularly Richmond and Plymouth houses, persist despite repeated concerns. The Board also highlights challenges with prisoner property transfers, inadequate mental health therapeutic space, and issues affecting resettlement such as late transfers and banking restrictions. Healthcare provision is generally good, managing Covid-19 outbreaks effectively, but specialist support gaps exist for complex needs. The restricted regime impacted rehabilitation, yet efforts were made to maintain activities and contact.
Positive Findings
HMP Drake Hall provides a safe and secure environment, treating prisoners decently and humanely. Staff showed commendable hard work, flexibility, innovation, and compassion during the pandemic, ensuring prisoner needs were met. Prisoners' cooperation with changing regimes was also recognized. The Board commends proactive self-harm reduction and effective post room checks. In-cell telephony has been very popular and significantly improved quality of life. The kitchen provides good service, catering for religious needs, and the CSU staff are commended for their professional approach. Staff-prisoner relationships are characterized by respect, and the OMiC system with key workers has been implemented. Healthcare services are generally well-met, managing Covid-19 outbreaks successfully with high vaccination rates and a fully staffed department. The prison has an excellent clinical substance misuse service, and the newly refurbished library is operational. The open unit provides work opportunities, with many women recognized as key workers in the community.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The condition of Richmond and Plymouth houses. They are not fit for purpose. Allowing prisoners to live in sub-standard accommodation is detrimental to their physical and mental wellbeing. The provision of new accommodation is long overdue. The problems associated with an infestation of rats during the reporting period provide more evidence, if needed, that this remains an ongoing problem. The Board is increasingly frustrated that these concerns have been ignored. It is appreciated that there are worse environments in the prison system. However, this does not provide any justification for failing to address this issue. Allowing women to live in this way cannot be defended (See section 5.1).
Other
Repeated
Delayed or lost property on transfer to Drake Hall remains a significant problem and causes unnecessary distress to prisoners. It is a systemic issue that requires action across the Prison Service (see section 5.8).
Mental Health
Repeated
there is a lack of private and confidential interview space available to allow the team to work effectively and for women to engage in therapeutic work (see section 6.3).
Healthcare
Additionally, during the year the prison had to deal with a prisoner experiencing difficulties associated with an eating disorder. However, no facility existed that could provide specialist services for this individual. As a result, the prison was forced to manage the situation without specialist support. This constitutes a service deficit (see section 6.3).
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Due to operational pressure, increasing numbers of prisoners are transferred shortly before their release date. This has the potential to harm their successful transition from prison (see section 7.3).
Resettlement/Release
Prison Service guidance means that the prisoner banking programme is only available for prisoners who are within six months of release and who do not have an existing bank account. This can impact on the rehabilitative experience in the open unit (see section 7.3).
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The showers on the open unit are covered in mould and damp. The cause is structural. A long-term solution is required to resolve this problem (see section 5.1).
Equality/Diversity
The Board participated in an equality and diversity survey undertaken across the women's estate. It is hoped that addressing the findings will lead to improvements in the experience of some ethnic minority women (see section 5.4).
Complaints/Property
some of the replies [to complaints] appear quite rudimentary and lack the level of detail required. In addition, responses are sometimes delayed. Moreover, some women claim that they have submitted complaints that appear not to have been received.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
A restricted regime has now been in operation since March 2020 and it has affected the prison's rehabilitation ethos and the preparation of the prisoners for release.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Prison staff and management demonstrated considerable flexibility, innovation, and compassion, earning commendation for their hard work and commitment during the pandemic. Effective staff-prisoner relationships underpin safety, characterized by respect, professionalism, and support. The implementation of the Offender Management in Custody (OMiC) system means all women now have a key worker. Healthcare is fully staffed, although the mental health team will lose a psychologist and assistant in November, despite having been largely full.
Healthcare
Healthcare needs are generally well met, with systems mirroring community arrangements. The Practice Plus Group provides primary care and substance misuse services, while Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust handles mental health. The prison successfully managed two Covid-19 outbreaks, earning praise from Public Health England, and achieved high vaccination rates. However, mental health services face significant challenges due to limited private and confidential therapeutic space. Access to a psychiatrist is restricted, and a service deficit was identified regarding specialist care for an eating disorder, leading to management within the prison without external support. Urgent mental health referrals are seen quickly, but a waiting list exists for consultant psychiatric appointments. Drake Hall's clinical substance misuse service is excellent, offering a full range of prescribing options.
Regime & Daily Life
The pandemic necessitated a restricted regime since March 2020, impacting the prison's rehabilitative ethos. While more restricted than pre-Covid-19, it was less so than many other women's closed prisons. Prisoners consistently had access to showers, association rooms, kitchens, and in-cell phones. They also received at least three hours of fresh air and outdoor exercise daily. Prisoners displayed good compliance with the restrictions, coping well despite reduced opportunities for activity during winter. Access to the gym has increased as restrictions eased.
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 | |
| Adjudications | 16 | 13 | |
| Chaplaincy | 2 | 1 | |
| Education, activities and employment | 11 | 12 | |
| Equality and diversity | 2 | 1 | |
| Fairness and respect | 11 | 11 | — |
| Family contact | 12 | 12 | — |
| Finance | 4 | 2 | |
| Food | 6 | 5 | |
| Healthcare | 17 | 15 | |
| Other | 5 | 4 | |
| Property | 27 | 14 | |
| Release (including transfers for release) | 5 | 10 | |
| Security and segregation | 11 | 7 | |
| Sentence management (including IPP) | 12 | 26 | |
| Staff | 18 | 19 | |
| Substance misuse | 3 | 2 | |
| Total | 207 | 192 |
Recommendations (10)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 5
Governor / Director: 4
6 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board again draws attention to the condition of Richmond and Plymouth houses. They are not fit for purpose. Allowing prisoners to live in sub-standard accommodation is detrimental to their physical and mental wellbeing. The provision of new accommodation is long overdue. The problems associated with an infestation of rats during the reporting period provide more evidence, if needed, that this remains an ongoing problem. The Board is increasingly frustrated that these concerns have been ignored. It is appreciated that there are worse environments in the prison system. However, this does not provide any justification for failing to address this issue. Allowing women to live in this way cannot be defended (See section 5.1).
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Delayed or lost property on transfer to Drake Hall remains a significant problem and causes unnecessary distress to prisoners. It is a systemic issue that requires action across the Prison Service (see section 5.8).
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The number of mental healthcare staff has increased. With the potential to increase the range of therapeutic interventions available. However, there is a lack of private and confidential interview space available to allow the team to work effectively and for women to engage in therapeutic work (see section 6.3).
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 4
Additionally, during the year the prison had to deal with a prisoner experiencing difficulties associated with an eating disorder. However, no facility existed that could provide specialist services for this individual. As a result, the prison was forced to manage the situation without specialist support. This constitutes a service deficit (see section 6.3).
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Due to operational pressure, increasing numbers of prisoners are transferred shortly before their release date. This has the potential to harm their successful transition from prison (see section 7.3).
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 6
Prison Service guidance means that the prisoner banking programme is only available for prisoners who are within six months of release and who do not have an existing bank account. This can impact on the rehabilitative experience in the open unit (see section 7.3).
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. addressed
Drug ingress into the prison appears to have been low during the pandemic. It is hoped that these improvements can be maintained (see section 4.5).
Governor / Director
Substance Misuse
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The showers on the open unit are covered in mould and damp. The cause is structural. A long-term solution is required to resolve this problem (see section 5.1).
Governor / Director
Estate
Recommendation 9
The Board participated in an equality and diversity survey undertaken across the women's estate. It is hoped that addressing the findings will lead to improvements in the experience of some ethnic minority women (see section 5.4).
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 10
The Board looks forward to seeing an increase the number of social visits, pandemic permitting (see section 7.4).
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Drake Hall
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.