Prison
Cat D open
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Haverigg
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 23 February 2022
HMP Haverigg, a Category D open prison for men convicted of sexual offences, has navigated the reporting year effectively, despite the ongoing pandemic. The Board found the prison to be a safe and humane environment, with low levels of self-harm and violence, and commended staff for managing Covid-19 and supporting resettlement. However, significant concerns persist regarding the inhumane treatment and progression of IPP prisoners, the recurring issue of property loss on transfer, and the impact of staff vacancies on key services.
Positive Findings
The Board views the prison as a safe and humane environment, commending the management team for prioritising safety and effectively managing the Covid-19 pandemic. Prisoners' health and wellbeing needs are met, with appreciation for primary and mental healthcare, and efforts are made to improve social care provision. There is a wide range of employment opportunities and vocational qualifications, supporting prisoners' progression towards successful resettlement. The Board also notes environmental improvements, strengthening staff-prisoner relationships, and commendably responsive catering services.
Key Concerns
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The continued imprisonment of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) prisoners, who make up approximately 30% of Haverigg’s population, for many years, and in some cases over a decade, beyond their tariff, and their treatment by the wider criminal justice system, is inhumane.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
It is of concern that action proposed by a former chair of the Parole Board in 2016, in which he put forward the suggestion that the risk test for IPP-sentenced prisoners ‘be reversed so that they would only remain in prison if there was evidence that they were a risk to the public, rather than evidence that they were not’ has not been introduced.
Resettlement/Release
A further concern of the Board is the high level of licence recalls, on occasions almost outnumbering releases.
Other
Repeated
Once again, the Board is concerned about the loss of property on transfer, with over 25% of IMB applications received this year related to property.
Other
Repeated
The Board has little confidence that the long-awaited implementation of the PPF will result in systemic improvements to prevent the distressing loss of prisoners’ property, especially on transfer between establishments.
Staffing
The Board is concerned about the impact of staff vacancies in key roles, especially the OMU, and the impact this has on prisoners’ progression and resettlement.
Healthcare
Long waiting times for dental treatment, for example, left one prisoner waiting six weeks for dentures to be fitted.
Healthcare
The social care processes of assessment and provision of aids to daily living lag services provided in the community. There is also a need for a clearly defined pathway for social care support on discharge.
Resettlement/Release
Offender managers have experienced difficulties in communicating with community managers and have faced delay in the receipt of reports from outside agencies for both release planning and preparation for Parole Board hearings.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The biggest challenge, as described to a Board member, is that information technology within the education department does not reflect the digital world in the community.
Estate/Conditions
Uneven paths present a slip or trip risk for those with mobility issues or sight impairment. An improvement in signage around the prison would help the prisoners whose cognitive awareness is failing.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison faces ongoing challenges with staff shortages in key roles, particularly within probation, offender management, and psychology, which has impacted prisoner progression and resettlement. There was also a high level of Covid-related absence during the year. The Board is interested in the efforts to recruit probation officers and measures to mitigate delays caused by these vacancies.
Healthcare
Prisoners expressed appreciation for the primary and mental healthcare services provided, with an HMIP inspection noting excellent partnership working. Focus throughout the year was on chronic disease management for an ageing population. Waiting times for GP and urgent dental care are comparable to the community. However, the mental health needs of IPP prisoners remain a significant concern, with the Board witnessing their despair. Social care issues have increased due to the ageing population, with limited access to aids for daily living and a need for clearer pathways for social care support on discharge.
Regime & Daily Life
During lockdowns, prisoners had almost unlimited freedom of movement within their billets and access to grounds, but purposeful activity, Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL), and progress towards release were significantly impacted. The prison moved to a Stage 1 regime, increasing normality. All prisoners under 65 are engaged in education or employment, either through ROTL, internal industries, or supporting prison services.
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 laundry, clothing, ablutions | 0 | 0 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 0 | 0 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 2 | 5 | |
| Equality | 0 | 0 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 1 | 1 | — |
| Food and kitchens | 0 | 0 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 6 | 1 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 1 | 2 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 3 | 3 | — |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 11 | 2 | |
| Property within this establishment | 3 | 0 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 3 | 0 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorization | 11 | 4 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 1 | 0 | |
| Transfers | 1 | 0 |
Recommendations (4)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 1
Governor / Director: 1
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Is the Minister able to provide assurance to the Board that he will consider legislation to commute the IPP sentence to a determinate one, to limit recall to a determinate period and to increase the level of support, particularly probation, for these prisoners on release?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
The Board welcomes the Prime Minister’s commitment that employment opportunities will be made available for 1,000 prison leavers by the end of 2023 and asks whether this opportunity will be available to prisoners convicted of sexual offences.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Is HMPPS able to reassure the Board that priority will be given to resolving this long-standing issue?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 4
The Board is interested to learn about efforts to recruit probation officers and the measures taken to mitigate any delays in progression, particularly on arrangements for accommodation on release.
Governor / Director
Staffing
Other IMB Reports for Haverigg
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
31 Mar 2025
Unannounced
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.