Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Onley
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 20 July 2021
HMP Onley successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing a restricted regime that initially reduced violence and self-harm, though incidents began to rise late in the year. Prisoners generally experienced fair and humane treatment, and healthcare staffing issues were resolved. However, the pandemic severely impacted resettlement services, education, and purposeful activity, posing challenges for prisoners' progression and preparation for release.
Positive Findings
HMP Onley managed the COVID-19 pandemic effectively, leading to a reduction in overall violence and self-harm incidents early in the year, and minimal disease transmission. The Board observed good staff-prisoner relationships and improved cleanliness. Staff, including key workers and offender managers, provided strong support during lockdown, and the establishment made excellent progress with key worker initiatives. Healthcare vacancy issues were resolved, and mental health referral targets are now being met. The new 'departure lounge' initiative for resettlement on release has been particularly effective and is planned to continue.
Key Concerns
Resettlement/Release
Urgent need for increased capacity in Category D (open) prisons, especially in London and the south east, as many HMP Onley prisoners are a very long way from their homes and families, making resettlement much harder.
Overcrowding
There needs to be a prompter allocation of recategorised prisoners to an appropriate location, as both Category C prisoners needing a Category B space and prisoners granted Category D status can wait a considerable time to be transferred.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The need for intimate partner violence courses is an East Midlands wide issue, and if a suitable training provider can be found, an appropriate course should be considered, potentially requiring additional staff.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Urgent attention should now be given to the funding of windows in wings A – H, which are no longer fit for purpose and have been mentioned in this report for several years.
Staffing
Repeated
Ways should be explored as to how to retain good long-standing officers in HMPPS, as they are leaving for better progression and increased salaries, leading to more new, inexperienced officers at HMP Onley. Increasing the local pay allowance to that in London might help support recruitment and retention.
Education/Purposeful Activity
HMP Onley must refocus on its purpose as a training and resettlement prison, with more industries involved to assist men in gaining vocational qualifications.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Ways should be found to increase the number of prisoners attending workshops and education and improve the percentage of prisoners engaged in meaningful activities/education which provide them with either a qualification or a skill on release.
Board Commentary
Staffing
HMP Onley experienced staffing reductions due to COVID-19 but maintained an efficient regime. Healthcare vacancies were largely filled by year-end. A key concern remains the retention of experienced officers due to better career progression and salaries outside HMPPS, suggesting a need for increased local pay allowance. Despite this, key worker and OMiC initiatives showed excellent progress prior to the pandemic, strengthening staff-prisoner relationships, and CSU staff were noted for their professionalism.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision generally met prisoners' needs, though some urgent and long-term dental issues remained unresolved, and planned appointments were affected by COVID-19 restrictions. Recruitment challenges for specialist substance misuse nurses and mental health staff were overcome by year-end, leading to improved waiting times for mental health assessments. Delays for mental health hospital transfers persist, with prisoners waiting 5-6 weeks for a bed. The prison introduced remote medical video consultations and increased dental and optical sessions.
Regime & Daily Life
HMP Onley operated under a restricted regime due to COVID-19, leading to an initial reduction in violence and self-harm, though incidents began to rise late in the year. The cohort system helped contain the virus. Prisoners' time out of cell was limited to one hour daily during initial lockdown, increasing to 1.5 hours from September 2020, but the gym closed during the January 2021 lockdown. Meaningful activities, education, and work were significantly curtailed, with concerns raised about the impact on resettlement and prisoners' skills upon release.
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 | 24 | 9 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 4 | 15 | |
| Confidential Access | 16 | 31 | |
| COVID | 1 | 0 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 30 | 4 | |
| Equality | 2 | 0 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 2 | 7 | |
| Food and kitchens | 4 | 10 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 42 | 24 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 15 | 10 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 84 | 62 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 52 | 78 | |
| Property within this establishment | 83 | 22 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 16 | 49 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 52 | 98 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 29 | 58 | |
| Transfers | 12 | 31 |
Recommendations (7)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 4
Governor / Director: 2
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
There is an urgent need for increased capacity in one particular area: category D (open) prisons. There is also a need to increase this capacity in London and the south east. Far too many prisoners at HMP Onley are a very long way from their homes and families and this makes resettlement much harder for these prisoners.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
There needs to be a prompter allocation of recategorised prisoners to an appropriate location. Both category C prisoners needing a category B space and prisoners granted category D status can wait a considerable time to be transferred.
HMPPS
Transfers
Recommendation 3
The Board has been advised that the need for intimate partner violence courses is an East Midlands wide issue. If a suitable training provider can be found, the introduction of an appropriate course should be considered. Additional staff may be required to run the training.
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Urgent attention should now be given to the funding of windows in wings A – H, which are no longer fit for purpose and have been mentioned in this report for several years.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Ways should be explored as to how to retain good long-standing officers in HMPPS. We see all too often good officers leaving to pursue careers outside HMPPS due to better progression and increased salaries. These losses unfortunately lead to more new, inexperienced officers at HMP Onley. As mentioned in last year’s report, increasing the local pay allowance to that in London might help to support the recruitment and retention of prison officers and help the Governor manage attrition.
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 6
As we exit this, HMP Onley must focus on its purpose as a training and resettlement prison. It is vital that more industries become involved with the prison to assist the men to gain vocational qualifications.
Governor / Director
Purposeful Activity
Recommendation 7
Ways should be found to increase the number of prisoners attending workshops and education and improve the percentage of prisoners engaged in meaningful activities/education which provide them with either a qualification or a skill on release.
Governor / Director
Purposeful Activity
Other IMB Reports for Onley
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.