Prison
Cat YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Deerbolt
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 11 March 2022
Deerbolt continued to operate under significant COVID-19 restrictions, leading to a severely curtailed regime and concerns about purposeful activity and prisoner wellbeing. While staff are commended for maintaining a safe environment and low COVID-19 rates, alongside strong healthcare provision, the Board noted significant issues. Key concerns include persistent staff shortages, low numbers of key worker sessions, increasing gang culture, and long delays for prisoner transfers, particularly for those with complex mental health needs.
Positive Findings
The Board commends staff efforts in maintaining a safe environment and low COVID-19 rates during the pandemic, including their commitment to complex prisoners. Healthcare provision is high-level with a nurse on site seven days a week, and dental waiting times have commendably improved. Positive links with the local community have been forged through the horticulture academy, and family support, case management, and resettlement planning are noted as strong areas.
Key Concerns
Staffing
Repeated
Staff shortages have continued to be key to our concerns at the establishment.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The Board continues to be concerned with the lack of purposeful activity at a time when prisoners can still be locked up for up to 22/23 hours a day.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The IMB has expressed its concern to the prison about key worker sessions and wellbeing checks and notes that HMIP found the key work scheme was not functioning at the time of their inspection.
Healthcare
Repeated
The time taken for prisoners to gain a transfer to hospitals under the Mental Health Act or due to other concerns is still too long.
Segregation
Repeated
There have been instances when prisoners have been held within the segregation unit for very long periods of time. When transfers are the logical conclusion but other prisons with greater provision are reluctant to facilitate moves.
Safety
Many prisoners who feel under threat, often because of debts incurred when locked up or because of inter-gang rivalries and other prisoners are often forced to join prison gangs for their own safety, and this only exacerbates the issue.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The IMB is therefore concerned about the effectiveness of the current education in HMP/YOI Deerbolt.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff shortages continue to be a significant concern, impacting purposeful activity and regime progression. The Board notes the challenges in recruiting new staff in the North-East due to competitive pay in other sectors, a concern repeated over the past decade. Staff morale has been low at times, exacerbated by the pandemic and difficulties with new recruits.
Healthcare
Healthcare services are generally good, with a qualified nurse seven days a week and effective DART provision, though the establishment lacks inpatient facilities. A significant concern remains the long waiting times for Mental Health Act transfers. While dental waiting times initially extended to over a year during the pandemic, they have commendably reduced to 11 weeks for initial check-ups by September 2021. Mental health services have a caseload of 107 patients, with a 15-week wait for counselling.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime remains severely restricted due to the pandemic, with many prisoners locked in their cells for up to 22-23 hours a day. Purposeful activity, education, and rehabilitation opportunities have been minimal, with in-cell packs offering limited engagement. Progress in easing restrictions has been very slow, leading to concerns about the impact on prisoner wellbeing and feelings of safety.
Recommendations (4)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 1
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
Are there lessons to be learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic in regards to the benefits of restrictions on the regime?
Ministry of Justice
Regime
Response
HMPPS say they have drawn together available evidence to learn from their responses towards Covid-19. Digital technology use has increased and there seems to be sufficient communication between the prison and the ministers in regard to the framework for easing Deerbolt out of the restrictions.
Recommendation 2
Are there arrangements in place to avoid gang culture having an impact on prisons like Deerbolt?
HMPPS
Safety
Response
HMPPS says work has been performed to enhance staff understanding and training on gang identification around gangs and the threat they pose in prison. Also, training will be rolled out to all staff in establishments. The IMB is confident that Deerbolt staff are very much up to date with gang culture, and our members have been impressed by the work the prison is performing in regard to gang issues. However, we have noted gang enrolment increasing in the prison in this reporting period.
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Does the Prison Service agree that there is a case for organising prisoner transfers on a national basis, rather than relying on ‘trades’ between individual prisons?
HMPPS
Progression
Response
HMPPS says there is a population management unit (PMU) to facilitate approved moves from one establishment to another. However, the PMU requires notification and agreement from both establishments, which the IMB understands perhaps causes issues. The IMB is still concerned about the time taken to transfer prisons from one establishment to another. While, the Covid19 pandemic, lack of suitable transfers and logistical shortages may have an influence it seems as if Deerbolt is being overlooked for such important transfers out. This is particularly important when Deerbolt does not have the provision for some complex young men that the prison currently houses.
Recommendation 4
Prev. unaddressed
Can we have a more suitable venue for rule 49 and rule 47.
Governor / Director
Safety
Response
The prison looked for more suitable locations, but this could not be facilitated. The IMB continued to dial into important meetings. Every effort was made by our members to speak to the parties involved prior to meetings.
Other IMB Reports for Deerbolt
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
3 Dec 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 3
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.