Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Dartmoor
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 16 December 2021
HMP Dartmoor, a Category C training prison, generally maintained safety and humane treatment during the reporting year despite Covid-19 challenges. The Board commended staff efforts in managing the pandemic and providing support. However, significant concerns persist regarding the detrimental impact of the impending closure on investment, staffing, and the regime, leading to extended lock-up times and inadequate infrastructure. Long waiting times for mental health transfers and dental care, alongside insufficient support for IPP prisoners, are also key issues.
Positive Findings
The Board commends management and staff for their commitment and hard work in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, successfully limiting outbreaks and supporting prisoners. Healthcare provision is generally good, and staff-prisoner relationships are positive. Improvements were noted in use of force paperwork, the introduction of drug detection dogs, and the reinstatement of prisoner forums and faith services. The Board also praised the support provided to vulnerable prisoners and the introduction of initiatives like virtual visits and mental health peer support workers.
Key Concerns
Other
Repeated
The lack of clarity on closure is having a detrimental effect on the prisoner experience (lack of investment, staff shortages impacting on the regime) and on staff (impact of uncertainties on home life, turnover, recruitment).
Estate/Conditions
Prisoners currently in the establishment will not be harmed or discriminated against, compared with other prisoners elsewhere in the national prison estate, due to a lack of staff and a failure to invest in the infrastructure, security, kitchens, laundry and other equipment.
Resettlement/Release
HMP Dartmoor still had 29 prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPPs) at the end of the reporting year. Most are substantially over tariff or have been subject to recall. How will their release be achieved and how will they be supported on release, so that they do not endlessly return to prison under recall?
Mental Health
The long wait for psychiatric hospital placements (96 days in one case this reporting year) is of concern to prisoners, staff and the Board.
Healthcare
What is the path for Dartmoor prisoners who require 24-hour health or social care support?
Education/Purposeful Activity
When is the prison going to receive the funding necessary to help return towards fuller employment?
Resettlement/Release
What measures are planned to help ensure that the release planning model is fully implemented, to support prisoners coming towards release, including the timely community offender manager/prison offender manager handover?
Complaints/Property
What measures are in place to ensure that all wings (tors) always have complaint forms available, to protect a prisoner’s right to complain?
Equality/Diversity
What steps will be taken to strengthen the discrimination incident report form system and ensure adequate and timely responses to all submissions?
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Given Dartmoor’s remote location, can the Purple Visits system be expanded to the benefit of more prisoners and their families?
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Given the importance of family communications, when will the prison take forward in-cell telephony, including completing the required asbestos survey?
Safety
On a small number of occasions, prisoners have not been able to access Listeners and the Samaritans at night. What steps is the prison taking to ensure that these services are available at all times of the day and night, including making sure that all staff understand that access to these services should be allowed?
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing levels have been a significant concern, with a high vacancy rate across operational, non-operational, and healthcare roles, exacerbated by the prison closure notice and slow security clearances. This has led to a lack of continuity in senior management, impacts on unlock times, and cancellation of healthcare clinics. The key worker scheme has largely ceased, and mental health staffing is often minimal.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision is generally of a good standard, and the Board commended the professionalism of staff and successful Covid-19 containment and vaccination efforts. However, significant concerns remain regarding long waiting times for non-emergency dental treatment (up to two years) and for mental health transfers (up to 96 days). The mental health team is under-resourced for the increasing complexity of prisoner needs, with services not covering key therapies, and a shortage of staff due to vacancies. The physical environment is also unsuitable for complex social care needs, which are increasing.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime has been severely impacted by Covid-19 measures, leading to extensive lock-up times, increased red/red-amber states, and restricted activities, particularly on weekends. While unlock times improved from under 60 minutes to a targeted 90 minutes, staffing shortages often prevented this. Under-investment in infrastructure, frequent equipment breakdowns (TVs, phones, kitchen, laundry), and the need for cohort separation further constrained prisoners' daily life and access to amenities.
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 | |
| Chaplaincy | 0 | 1 | |
| Discrimination (gender, race, religion, disability, age, other) | 0 | 4 | |
| Food | 0 | 1 | |
| General/other | 58 | 41 | |
| Healthcare | 4 | 3 | |
| Property (including lost property) | 6 | 4 | |
| Regime (e.g. out-of-cell time, access to gym, library) | 32 | 21 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns (including bullying) | 35 | 18 | |
| Work and education | 0 | 3 |
Recommendations (13)
Ministry of Justice: 4
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 6
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Ensure that concerns raised in this report are meaningfully addressed, particularly the lack of clarity on closure which is having a detrimental effect on the prisoner experience (lack of investment, staff shortages impacting on the regime) and on staff (impact of uncertainties on home life, turnover, recruitment).
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 1
Clarify the path for Dartmoor prisoners who require 24-hour health or social care support.
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 1
Continue to track the recommendations from last year’s IMB annual report, which have been in abeyance because of the Covid-19 regime.
Governor / Director
Other
Recommendation 2
Offer reassurance that until HMP Dartmoor closes in 2023, prisoners currently in the establishment will not be harmed or discriminated against, compared with other prisoners elsewhere in the national prison estate, due to a lack of staff and a failure to invest in the infrastructure, security, kitchens, laundry and other equipment.
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 2
Ensure that all wings (tors) always have complaint forms available, to protect a prisoner’s right to complain.
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 3
Outline the changes in pipeline for the 29 IPP prisoners still held at HMP Dartmoor, explaining how their release will be achieved and how they will be supported on release to prevent endless returns to prison under recall.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Provide the necessary funding to help HMP Dartmoor return towards fuller employment opportunities for prisoners.
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 3
Strengthen the discrimination incident report form system and ensure adequate and timely responses to all submissions.
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 4
Take measures, working with other Departments, to reduce the long waiting times for psychiatric hospital placements, which reached 96 days in one case during the reporting year.
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 4
Implement measures to ensure that the release planning model is fully implemented, to support prisoners approaching release, including timely community offender manager/prison offender manager handover.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
Expand the Purple Visits system to the benefit of more prisoners and their families, given Dartmoor’s remote location.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 5
Take forward in-cell telephony, including completing the required asbestos survey, given the importance of family communications.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 6
Ensure that Listeners and the Samaritans services are available at all times of the day and night, including ensuring all staff understand that access to these services should be allowed, following occasions where prisoners have not been able to access them at night.
Governor / Director
Safety
Other IMB Reports for Dartmoor
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
19 Jun 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 3
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.