Prison
Cat reception and resettlement (adult male, YOI)
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Durham
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 24 March 2022
HMP Durham is generally considered a safe environment, with staff commended for managing pandemic challenges and implementing effective drug strategies. However, the Board holds significant concerns regarding severe overcrowding and the dignity of prisoners in unsuitable cellular accommodation. Healthcare provision is deemed unsatisfactory due to long waiting times and low screening rates, while education delivery is hampered by staffing and a lack of vocational offerings. The prolonged detention of unsentenced prisoners, including IS91 detainees, due to court backlogs remains a persistent issue.
Positive Findings
The IMB commends the Governor and staff for their positive approach to managing the prison's function as a reception and resettlement centre, especially during the pandemic, and for maintaining a generally safe environment. Positive impacts were noted from drug strategies and body scanners. The prison prioritised humane treatment, and the DART team provides good support. The Integrated Support Unit is a valuable regional mental health resource. Kitchens maintain excellent meal provision, and the Covid Forum was an effective tool for prisoner voice.
Key Concerns
Overcrowding
Repeated
The level of overcrowding and its impact on the dignity of prisoners.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
IS91 men are not being moved on fast enough.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The rise in the number of unsentenced prisoners, with a 100% increase in those held for more than one year, due to the backlog in criminal cases and its impact on time on remand.
Other
The loss of local control and accountability to the Governor of third-party providers, hindering the pace of work needed in the local context for areas like healthcare and education.
Estate/Conditions
The Board is concerned at the Prison Service's intentions to improve resources and the impact of contractors in improving accommodation.
Healthcare
Repeated
Healthcare provision, with particular reference to waiting lists and secondary screening.
Healthcare
Repeated
Healthcare attendance at GOoD reviews remains woefully inadequate.
Healthcare
Repeated
The numbers of prisoners missing 3 days or more of medication are no longer reported, a metric the Board considers unsatisfactory and seeks to have re-introduced.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The education contractor's provision for qualifications and support for men with defined needs needs improvement.
Safety
Repeated
Embedding the use of body worn video cameras (BWVC) in the prison's culture.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Developing further work in equality and diversity by improving attendance at Diversity and Inclusion Action Team (DIAT) meetings and strand reports.
Safety
Disproportionate use of force in the age groups 18–21 and 22–29.
Other
The length of time it takes for actions to be enacted in the minutes of prison meetings, such as DIAT and use of force meetings.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Prisoners are working as cleaners before checks are completed and are not receiving back-pay.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff are commended for their efforts in managing the prison's challenges during the pandemic. However, there were significant staffing shortages affecting education and the mental health team, and Listener recruitment was severely impacted. Assaults on staff continued to rise as a percentage of total assaults. Key worker compliance rates remain below target, despite a high percentage of prisoners being allocated a key worker. Staff attendance at Diversity and Inclusion Action Team meetings was also poor.
Healthcare
The Board is not satisfied with the overall level of healthcare, noting that prisoners are not guaranteed to see a nurse upon reception, secondary screening is low, and waiting times are long. However, nursing staff are supportive, and the DART team provides good interventions. The Integrated Support Unit is a valuable regional mental health resource, despite staffing shortages in the mental health team. A significant concern is the woefully inadequate attendance of healthcare staff at GOoD reviews and the cessation of reporting on prisoners missing three consecutive days of medication.
Regime & Daily Life
The reporting year was heavily impacted by two national lockdowns and varying Covid-19 restrictions, leading to significant disruption to the prison regime and reduced time out of cells. Face-to-face education was withdrawn, and showering access was limited to every other day for much of the year. The Board expressed concerns about the lack of induction for new prisoners, but commended the prison's management of reverse cohorting.
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) | 120 | 111 | |
| Adjudications | 29 | 26 | |
| Chaplaincy | 5 | 4 | |
| Discrimination | 6 | 3 | |
| Family (including visits) | 27 | 23 | |
| Food | 18 | 14 | |
| Legal (including solicitor/visits) | 21 | 19 | |
| Medical (including dental) | 97 | 93 | |
| Other | 47 | 40 | |
| Property (other than clothing) | 116 | 107 | |
| Security | 52 | 49 | |
| Segregation | 44 | 39 | |
| Work, education and vocational training | 59 | 52 |
Recommendations (10)
Other: 3
Governor / Director: 5
HMPPS: 2
6 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
By the level of overcrowding (5.1.4) and its impact on the dignity of prisoners. We ask again what, specifically for HMP Durham, can be done to alleviate this problem?
Other
(minister)
Overcrowding
Response
Generic response re the national position. No specific actions for HMP Durham.
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What more can the Governor do to embed the use of body worn video cameras (BWVC) in the prison (4.4.6)?
Governor / Director
Safety
Response
Detailed response with plans to further encourage staff to use BWVCs. Despite a lot of work, there has been no improvement. A number of technical glitches adversely impacted use (4.4.6).
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
IS91 men are not being moved on fast enough (5.4.8). How does the Minister intend to solve this problem?
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Response
Generic response re the national position and the impact of Covid 19. Release of IS91 detainees using electronic tagging introduced September 2021 (5.4.9).
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board is interested in understanding how the Governor intends to develop further the work in equality and diversity (5.4) by improving attendance at diversity and inclusion action team (DIAT) meetings and strand reports.
Governor / Director
Equality
Response
No response. The Board considers attendance at DIAT meeting to be poor. At the end of the year, a new system of strand leads was being introduced. We look forward to improvements (5.4.1).
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Of concern is the rise in the number of unsentenced prisoners: there has been a 100% increase in the numbers who have been in Durham for more than one year. The Board awaits the Minister’s response on what else can be done to reduce the backlog in criminal cases and hence reduce time on remand (4.1.2 / 4.1.4).
Other
(minister)
Regime
Response
Generic response re the national position. The National Audit Office Report published in October 2021 states: ‘Despite the concerted efforts of HMCTS and the Ministry to increase capacity in criminal courts…the Crown Court backlog looks likely to be a pervasive issue beyond 2024’ (4.1.2).
Recommendation 3
Use of force is disproportionate in the age groups 18–21 and 22–29. Other than actively pursuing the young adult strategy, what else can be done to address the behaviour of this demographic (4.4.9)?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 4
The Board is concerned at the loss of local control and accountability to the Governor of third-party providers to push with pace the work needed in the local context, for example healthcare and education How can the Prison Service strengthen this line of accountability?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 4
The Board is concerned at the length of time it takes for actions to be enacted in the minutes of prison meetings, e.g. DIAT and use of force (5.3.5).
Governor / Director
Other
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board looks forward to a response from the Prison Service as to its intentions to improve resources and the impact of contractors: 1. In improving accommodation (5.1). 2. Healthcare provision - with particular reference to waiting lists and secondary screening (6.2). 3. Healthcare attendance at GOoD reviews remains woefully inadequate. What will be done to ensure attendance (5.1.2)? 4. In our 2019 /2020 report the question was asked “Why were the numbers of prisoners missing 3 days or more of medication no longer reported?”. The response was: “This is not part of the HJIP (Healthcare Joint Initiative Partnership)”. The Board considers this unsatisfactory and wants to know if this metric will be re-introduced. 5. In terms of education, how can the contractor improve provision for qualifications and support further men with defined needs?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 5
The Board is concerned that prisoners are working as cleaners before checks are completed and they are not receiving back-pay (5.3.10).
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Durham
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
30 Apr 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
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.