Prison
Cat B local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Peterborough (Men)
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 11 October 2021
HMP/YOI Peterborough (Men) operated under restricted Covid-19 regimes for the entire reporting year, impacting daily routines and rehabilitation. Despite this, the prison received credit for managing the pandemic well, leading to good safety outcomes, including significant reductions in violence and self-harm. Key concerns persist regarding resettlement accommodation, mental health provision in segregation, the future 'full regime,' and the full return of the key worker scheme.
Positive Findings
The Board commends the prison for its strong leadership, flexibility, and effective management of the Covid-19 emergency, leading to good safety outcomes for residents. Significant improvements in furnishings, decor, and cleanliness are noted, alongside a continued decrease in violence attributed to safer custody team interventions and restorative justice. Healthcare has seen positive changes with improved GP and mental health waiting times due to better triage and new working methods. Furthermore, the prison provides good faith and pastoral support, treats transgender residents sensitively, and has successfully reduced the flow of illicit substances.
Key Concerns
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The Board remains concerned about the lack of suitable accommodation for prisoners on release compounded during this period by most agencies not being present in the prison to offer advice and guidance.
Mental Health
Repeated
The Board remains concerned about the small but significant number of prisoners held in separation and care units without the necessary mental health inputs to provide suitable programs of care.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The Board is concerned about the expectations of what will emerge as “full regime” in the future and how this will impact the lives of prisoners.
Staffing
While the prison operated key work to the stipulated exceptional delivery model (EDM) during the pandemic, the Board is keen that this should return to normal as soon as possible.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison manages its staff recruitment and training locally, with recruitment continuing through the year despite off-site training due to Covid-19. Staffing resources dedicated to safety were maintained even with staff sickness, isolating, or shielding. While key worker contact improved towards the end of the reporting year, many men remain unaware of the system, and the Board desires an increase in allocated, contactable key workers and evidence of improved outcomes.
Healthcare
The prison successfully administered a Covid-19 vaccination programme. Improved triage has significantly decreased GP waiting times to approximately two days and reduced non-attendance at appointments. However, dental services were suspended until January 2021, a longer period than in the community, leading to complaints about pain. The mental health team experienced an increase in men seeking help and still has limited psychologist support on site, though they managed to keep waiting times down through new working methods.
Regime & Daily Life
The pandemic significantly impacted the daily regime, operating under Stage 4 or Stage 3 restrictions for the entire year, which could be considered inhumane. For much of the year, prisoners had no more than 90 minutes out of cell daily, with meals served in cells, limited showers, and no outdoor exercise during outbreak periods. While most prisoners coped well, there was an increase in mental health referrals. The gym was closed for most of the year, though in-cell exercise guides and broadcasts were provided.
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 | 13 | 28 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 2 | 12 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 1 | 4 | |
| Equality | 7 | 8 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 10 | 17 | |
| Food and kitchens | 6 | 8 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 62 | 86 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 10 | 31 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 2 | 12 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 12 | 34 | |
| Property within this establishment | 50 | 69 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 8 | 32 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 29 | 56 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 54 | 94 | |
| Transfers | 4 | 22 |