Prison
Cat YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Feltham
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 13 January 2022
HMP & YOI Feltham faced continued challenges during the reporting year, particularly regarding its dilapidated estate which limited purposeful activity. While Covid-19 restrictions led to a safer environment with reduced violence and self-harm, access to mental health support and effective resettlement planning remained areas of concern. Staff dedication was highly commended amidst these difficulties, but the Board noted significant issues with property handling and the collapse of the Listener scheme.
Positive Findings
The Board commends staff for their dedication and resilience during Covid, leading to a safer environment, reduction in violence and self-harm, and improved staff-prisoner relationships. Significant progress was made on Feltham A, resulting in the lifting of the Urgent Notification. Culturally appropriate products are now available, and the chaplaincy team provides excellent support, especially for bereavement. The installation of in-cell telephones was also welcomed.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The built environment at Feltham has a direct and deleterious effect on prisoners’ lived experience. The state of disrepair is particularly disturbing in the cells where prisoners have spent almost all of their time over the past year. Sections of the site, in particular the workshops, are in a state of disrepair and are not in use. Attendance on training programmes is severely limited by the state of disrepair of the workshops.
Mental Health
The prison is not equipped to provide for prisoners with serious mental health issues. Transfers to settings where appropriate care can be provided for prisoners with serious mental health needs are difficult to arrange and often delayed.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Most young adults on Feltham B are not adequately progressed towards successful transfer or resettlement. Despite being designated as a category C training prison in 2015, the financial support was not provided to ensure adequate infrastructure and opportunities for every young adult. Resettlement arrangements are often not confirmed until immediately before a prisoner’s release.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
As has been reported over the past three years, the care, support and reintegration unit (CSRU) exercise yard continues to have a serious problem with roosting pigeons and the accumulation of droppings, feathers and dead birds. It is the Board’s continued view that this exercise yard is entirely unfit for purpose.
Mental Health
At the end of the reporting year in August 2021 only one Listener remained onsite. The Board is concerned at this collapse of the Listener system as it leaves vulnerable prisoners without peer to peer support when its most needed.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
As has been reported in previous IMB annual reports, the handling of prisoners’ property, whether in prison or on transfer to prison, remains a serious unresolved issue. Prisoners can wait a significant and unreasonable time to receive their property.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The Board highly commends staff for their dedication, flexibility, and resilience throughout the challenging Covid-19 period. Staff turnover was low, with recruitment expanding towards the year-end in anticipation of a higher population. However, the key worker scheme on Feltham B remained suspended following lockdown.
Healthcare
Physical health needs are generally met well, with short waiting times for GP and dental appointments. However, the prison struggles to provide for those with serious mental health issues, leading to delayed transfers. Movement of prisoners for appointments and medicine delivery is often deprioritised. The Listener scheme for peer support has largely collapsed, raising concerns, though plans for direct Samaritans phone access are welcomed.
Regime & Daily Life
Covid-19 restrictions led to a safer environment due to smaller "bubbles" and managed mixing, though this limited time out of cell. Time out of cell improved significantly over the year, but purposeful activity remained restricted due to dilapidated workshops and Covid measures. Exercise provision generally continued well within bubble constraints.
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 | 0 | 1 | |
| Diversity & equality | 0 | 0 | |
| Education & training | 0 | 1 | |
| Food | 0 | 3 | |
| General (not categorised elsewhere) | 0 | 1 | |
| Healthcare | 1 | 16 | |
| Legal | 0 | 2 | |
| Property and clothing | 31 | 108 | |
| Regime, activities and work | 1 | 13 | |
| Religion | 0 | 0 | |
| Safety & vulnerability (including self-harm) | 2 | 14 | |
| Staff relationship | 3 | 19 | |
| Total applications | 83 | 218 | |
| Welfare (including family contact) | 0 | 2 |
Recommendations (9)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 3
6 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
The built environment at Feltham has a direct and deleterious effect on prisoners’ lived experience. Is the current system for maintaining the prison estate and procuring refurbishment and general building work time efficient and cost effective? What is being done to ensure this?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Is it current government policy to provide a rehabilitative regime in prisons? If so, will additional funding be made available to enable every young adult to receive a full regime of education, training and employment?
Ministry of Justice
Regime
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Young prisoners returning to the community need a coordinated approach to resettlement that integrates training, employment, and accommodation, as well as social and financial support. What will you put in place to achieve this?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
Repeated
It was noted that during 2020-21, significant funding was made available to undertake necessary building works at Feltham, but various protracted delays beyond the control of the prison meant work did not commence within the relevant budget period, and that as a result these much-needed works could now be at risk. Will HMPPS ensure that funds will be rolled forward to enhance the built environment for the benefit of the young people and young adults at Feltham?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 5
Repeated
How will the reorganisation that brings community rehabilitation companies (CRCs) back into the probation service support effective joint working across prisons, probation, and local authorities to better support young offenders upon their release?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 6
Repeated
How do you feel the current provision of rehabilitation within Feltham affects the reoffending rate?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 7
Will the prison develop a reliable daily time out of room reporting mechanism for young adults on Feltham B which is as robust as that in place for young people on Feltham A?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 8
Following the lifting of the urgent notification and the easing of Covid restrictions, the roll on Feltham A is expected to rise. What mechanisms are in place to ensure that the reduction in violence seen over the past two years is maintained?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 9
Similarly, as the regime opens up and the roll increases on Feltham B, how will the young adults’ feeling of increased safety from mixing in smaller groups be maintained?
Governor / Director
Safety