Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Huntercombe
IMB Annual Report 2020 · Published 6 August 2021
HMP Huntercombe, a Category C prison for foreign national men, successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic despite significant regime restrictions, with no deaths in custody and positive commendations for its healthcare team. The Board identified several areas for development, notably the unfairness of telephone charges and lack of in-cell telephony, and the concerning increase in time-served prisoners held under immigration powers. Issues surrounding meaningful vocational training and progression to open conditions for foreign national prisoners were also highlighted as key areas needing attention.
Positive Findings
The Board commend the efforts of the SMT, healthcare team and staff at Huntercombe for the consistent and effective management of the pandemic, which enabled the prison to be allowed to drop to Level 3 of the national regime in July. The prison has also made significant progress in addressing previous issues, including securing a resettlement budget, awarding a new kitchen contract, and renewing gym equipment. The number of outstanding OASys assessments was greatly reduced, and the Governor's initiative in rolling out video calls was highly successful, enabling over 4000 calls. The Board is satisfied that the prison is operated safely and reports no serious incidents during the year.
Key Concerns
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The lack of in-cell telephony throughout the prison and the high charges for telephone calls, particularly for overseas calls for foreign national prisoners, is a matter of unfairness for the prisoners.
Resettlement/Release
The increase in numbers throughout the year of time-served prisoners held under immigration powers (IS91s), due to a lack of suitable accommodation in the community or available spaces within immigration removal centres (IRCs), means men are held under conviction conditions when they should be on remand or released. This is neither fair nor humane and creates tensions within the establishment.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The lack of practical and vocational contracts prevents prisoners from gaining meaningful training and recognised international qualifications.
Resettlement/Release
Issuing IS91 notifications within one to two days of a prisoner's Conditional Release Date (CRD) rather than the target 30 days can add to their frustration and anxiety.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
The lack of progression to open prison conditions for foreign national prisoners, often due to a blanket decision that appears to cover all FNPs despite low risk assessments, is both discriminatory and unfair.
Mental Health
It is not ideal to locate prisoners on ACCTs or those with serious mental health issues within the segregation unit, as Huntercombe is unequipped to provide a better solution than prolonged isolation for such cases.
Safety
Staff/prisoner/bullying issues were a pattern of concern in complaints and applications, an area the Board was unable to sufficiently investigate due to limited physical contact and Board numbers.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing in the offender management unit has improved, with actual numbers exceeding budget for prison offender managers and near budget for probation officers. However, the key working initiative was suspended multiple times due to the pandemic. The healthcare team experienced fluctuating nursing staff vacancies, which were covered by agency staff, though recruitment efforts led to most positions being filled by year-end, with GP recruitment ongoing. Overall, staff-prisoner relationships are considered good and treatment generally fair and humane.
Healthcare
Healthcare, provided by Practice Plus Group, adapted to lockdown restrictions by implementing wing-based clinics and maintaining essential services through nurse triage. An HMIP inspection in December 2020 reported positively on the provision and pandemic handling. While nursing staff vacancies were a challenge, most were filled by year-end, excluding GP recruitment. Mental health services, integrated between primary and secondary teams, offered prompt triage, regular patient consultations, and a variety of interventions including cognitive behavioural therapy and in-cell workbooks. Waiting times for dental and optician services increased due to cancellations, though urgent care remained available.
Regime & Daily Life
The Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted the prison regime, leading to a restricted daily life for much of the year, including a 23-hour lock-up for prisoners. Association and movement between wings were severely curtailed, and workshops, the library, and the gym were closed for extended periods. Despite these limitations, prisoners generally responded positively to the initial lockdown. The prison did manage to achieve some flexibility under a Level 3 national regime, allowing limited out-of-cell activities and physical exercise in yards, supported by gym staff.
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 | 8 | 15 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 2 | 6 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 1 | 8 | |
| Equality | 1 | 2 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 2 | 4 | |
| Food and kitchens | 2 | 1 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 9 | 16 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 4 | 7 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 9 | 14 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 1 | 22 | |
| Property within this establishment | 2 | 6 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 2 | 7 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 14 | 15 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 17 | 26 | |
| Transfers | 1 | 6 |
Recommendations (7)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 2
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
To review the charges for prison telephone calls across the prison estate to reduce the unfair discrepancies that exist, and approve the installation of in-cell telephony in Huntercombe – see paragraphs 5.4.1 and 5.4.2.
Ministry of Justice
Regime
Recommendation 2
With Home Office colleagues, to resolve the issue around prisoners held under immigration powers post-sentence – see paragraphs 7.3.2. and 7.3.3.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
To introduce or renew practical and vocational contracts so that meaningful training and work that carries a recognised international qualification can be achieved – see section 7.2.
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 4
To ensure that issuing prisoners with an IS91 notification operates in accordance with the time limits set out in the service level agreement (SLA) with Home Office immigration enforcement (HOIE) – see paragraph 7.3.4.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 5
Repeated
The Board has concerns that the lack of progression to open prison conditions is both discriminatory and unfair – see paragraph 7.3.7.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 6
To continue the implementation of the incentives and earned privileges framework (IEP) introduced in January 2020 – see paragraph 5.6.1.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 7
To investigate the possibility of improved technology across the prison to facilitate meetings and monitoring by the IMB in the event of a further lockdown situation.
Governor / Director
Other