Prison
Cat closed women's prison / YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
New Hall
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 1 October 2021
The Independent Monitoring Board at HMP New Hall reported a generally well-run and safe prison for the year ending February 2021, despite significant challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Positive aspects included improved healthcare staffing, reduced self-harm, and effective use of technology like Purple Visits to maintain family contact. However, key concerns persist regarding the lack of resettlement accommodation, the impact of Covid-19 on sentence progression, and persistent issues with late prisoner arrivals and lost property during transfers.
Positive Findings
The Board found HMP New Hall to be generally well-run and a safe environment, commendably adapting its regime to be Covid-19 safe, leading to a reduction in self-harm and ACCTs. Relationships between staff and residents are good, and the prison demonstrates a fair and equal approach, including robust risk assessments for new arrivals. Healthcare staffing levels have significantly improved, and the integrated mental health team provides expert care. The introduction of Purple Visits and increased phone credit has greatly enhanced family contact.
Key Concerns
Other
The Board is concerned that the government plan for 500 new prison places for women contradicts the female estate offender strategy published in 2018 which details that custody should be the final resort, received for the most serious offences.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The Board remains concerned about the lack of appropriate resettlement accommodation.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The Board is concerned that Covid-19 has created problems for some prisoners, making it difficult for them to complete their sentence plans and move towards release.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Late arrivals continue to be a problem and the prison is reliant on the goodwill of the reception staff to deal with these. This problem has been flagged up in previous annual reports but the situation does not seem to have improved.
Other
The extent to which personal property is allegedly lost in transit between prisons is a regular cause for complaint, as mentioned earlier in this report (see 5.7).
Equality/Diversity
Residents have filed complaints that their PAK cosmetics are close to or out of date. Additionally, the restrictions have resulted in no access to in-house hairdressers and this is proving particularly frustrating for the residents.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing levels in healthcare have seen significant improvement, with substantive posts filled and only two vacancies remaining, contrasting with previous concerns about temporary staff reliance. While the key worker system's implementation was delayed by the pandemic, preparations are underway with most staff trained. Relationships between staff and residents remained generally good despite lockdown challenges. However, the Board recommends working towards greater representation of BAME staff in management positions.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision, delivered by Practice Plus Group, has seen significant improvements in staffing, with a high patient satisfaction rate despite the challenges of the pandemic. The Integrated Mental Health Team provides expert care for complex needs, and plans are underway to transform Holly House into a trauma-informed environment. The Drugs and Rehabilitation Service effectively managed a high caseload, providing psychosocial interventions and ensuring continuity of care upon release.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison's regime was significantly curtailed by Covid-19 lockdowns, leading to increased time in cells, typically one hour per day for exercise. Face-to-face education and vocational training were largely suspended, replaced by in-cell work packs, though exams continued. Similarly, ROTL was suspended, and social visits ceased for periods, significantly impacting purposeful activity and family contact. Despite these restrictions, staff made efforts to maintain wellbeing checks and offer alternative activities like outdoor walks.
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 | 2 | 8 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 0 | 1 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 12 | 15 | |
| Equality | 0 | 1 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 2 | 10 | |
| Food and kitchens | 2 | 4 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 45 | 63 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 7 | 10 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 15 | 15 | — |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 4 | 20 | |
| Property within this establishment | 7 | 10 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 10 | 10 | — |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 6 | 5 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 12 | 7 | |
| Transfers | 1 | 1 | — |
Recommendations (7)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 3
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
The Board is concerned that the government plan for 500 new prison places for women contradicts the female estate offender strategy published in 2018 which details that custody should be the final resort, received for the most serious offences.
Ministry of Justice
Policy
Recommendation 2
Repeated
The Board remains concerned about the lack of appropriate resettlement accommodation.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
The Board hopes that the Purple Visits service will continue and appropriate funding provided.
HMPPS
Family Contact
Recommendation 4
The Board is concerned that Covid-19 has created problems for some prisoners, making it difficult for them to complete their sentence plans and move towards release.
HMPPS
Progression / Regime
Recommendation 5
Identify the good practice developed during Covid-19 enforced restrictions and continue to develop these moving forward. Wider and increased use of IT has maintained valuable contact for the residents.
Governor / Director
Regime / Technology
Recommendation 6
Actively promote the rollout and evaluation of the new key worker system, ensuring that the staff is supported to carry out the role.
Governor / Director
Staffing / Regime
Recommendation 7
Work towards a greater representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic staff in management positions. (See the recommendations of the Lammy Review 2017.)
Governor / Director
Equality / Staffing
Other IMB Reports for New Hall
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.