Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Channings Wood
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 21 February 2022
HMP Channings Wood maintained a largely settled environment during a challenging year of Covid-19 restrictions, with notable reductions in self-harm, assaults, and substance misuse. The prison adapted its healthcare and education provisions effectively, earning commendations from Ofsted and HM Inspectorate of Probation for education and resettlement services respectively. However, significant concerns persist regarding staffing shortages impacting key worker schemes and offender management, the backlog in offending behaviour programmes, and ongoing issues with property transfers and resettlement accommodation.
Positive Findings
The Board commends HMP Channings Wood for largely remaining settled and operating humanely despite significant Covid-19 restrictions. Notable reductions were observed in self-harm, assaults, and substance misuse, with 73% of prisoners reporting feeling safe. Education, skills, and work provision received a 'significant progress' judgement from Ofsted, and 'through the gate' services were graded 'Outstanding' by HM Inspectorate of Probation. Healthcare adapted effectively to the pandemic, maintaining services and avoiding outbreaks.
Key Concerns
Resettlement/Release
What measures are planned to address the backlog in the provision of offending behaviour programmes? What is being done in order to minimise the detrimental effect on men awaiting courses prior to parole board hearings while at the same time ensuring that public safety requirements are met?
Other
Repeated
Why are the Prison Service and its contractors unable to manage the efficient and secure movement and storage of prisoners’ property, particularly during transfers? The loss of personal items causes a great deal of frustration and unhappiness for the individuals concerned that often detracts from their ability to settle. The costs to the Prison Service in replacing lost items must be significant.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
What can be done to ensure that men arriving at Channings Wood late on a Friday receive the same level of support during the reception process as those arriving during the working week?
Safety
The Board has registered its concern over this temporary gap in Listener provision.
Equality/Diversity
The Board has noted an overrepresentation of black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) prisoners on CSIPs in the final months of the report and welcomes the investigation into this by the equality team.
Staffing
Repeated
The Board remains concerned that the lead equalities officer has been unable to fulfil that role to their own satisfaction this year as a result of regular redeployment to cover for absence in other parts of the prison. The Board has noted the loss of equalities officer time in previous reports and is disappointed that the situation has not improved.
Estate/Conditions
Prisoners appreciate the quality of the new LB9 units, though they have commented on the lack of recreation space provided, which the Board acknowledges but also notes that LB9 is a short-term solution pending the wider expansion of the prison site.
Healthcare
there was a waiting list for doctors’ appointments due to the reduced availability of GPs.
Mental Health
Repeated
the time taken for mental health hospital transfers from the day of referral to actual transfer was, in September 2020 and February 2021, much longer than the target of 28 days.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The provision of specialist support to men with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) is also a concern to both managers and the Board... the recruitment of an LDD specialist to be a priority.
Resettlement/Release
Pressures caused by staffing issues and an imbalance in offender flows (an excess in the resettlement need over the training function) have hindered offender management in custody (OMiC) to the extent that managers told the Board that ‘it has all gone slightly wrong’.
Resettlement/Release
Accommodation has remained a major concern... The Board’s survey indicated that in the three-month period since June, 57% of prisoners who responded had settled accommodation to go to, 39% did not know where they would go, while two stated they would become homeless intentionally. The provision of accommodation on release will remain a high priority for the Board’s monitoring.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison experienced significant staffing shortages throughout the reporting year, largely due to Covid-19 related absences and redeployments. This severely impacted the key worker system and the Offender Management Unit, which routinely operated at a third below strength. The lead equalities officer was also frequently redeployed, hindering their ability to fulfil their role. Substance misuse services and offending behaviour programmes were similarly understaffed, limiting their capacity.
Healthcare
Healthcare, provided by Practice Plus Group since October 2020, effectively managed Covid-19, preventing outbreaks through strict quarantine and testing, and rolled out vaccinations. While services generally returned to normal, there were waiting lists for GP appointments and prisoner complaints regarding medication changes. Mental health transfers, though improved, still exceeded the 28-day target at various points, largely due to external bed availability. Dentistry services were also disrupted but restored by July 2021.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison regime was significantly restricted throughout the reporting period due to the Covid-19 Exceptional Delivery Model, leading to limited time out of cell, though prisoners were largely tolerant. Initial Stage 4 restrictions allowed 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes out of cell for basic tasks, which progressed to split association periods of two hours daily at Stage 3, and continued into Stage 2 with increased gym access. Despite challenges, the Board noted a decrease in challenging behaviour as association opportunities expanded.
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 | 3 | 2 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 4 | 3 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 3 | 1 | |
| Equality | 2 | 9 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 2 | 3 | |
| Food and kitchens | 1 | 5 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 22 | 21 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 8 | 18 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 4 | 24 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 12 | 24 | |
| Property within this establishment | 3 | 19 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 5 | 8 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 6 | 14 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 26 | 24 | |
| Transfers | 3 | 16 |
Recommendations (3)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 1
Governor / Director: 1
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
What measures are planned to address the backlog in the provision of offending behaviour programmes? What is being done in order to minimise the detrimental effect on men awaiting courses prior to parole board hearings while at the same time ensuring that public safety requirements are met?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board restates the question it posed last year: Why are the Prison Service and its contractors unable to manage the efficient and secure movement and storage of prisoners’ property, particularly during transfers? The loss of personal items causes a great deal of frustration and unhappiness for the individuals concerned that often detracts from their ability to settle. The costs to the Prison Service in replacing lost items must be significant.
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 3
What can be done to ensure that men arriving at Channings Wood late on a Friday receive the same level of support during the reception process as those arriving during the working week?
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Channings Wood
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.