Prison
Cat B local YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Lincoln
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 16 July 2021
HMP/YOI Lincoln is deemed a well-run Category B local prison, effectively managed by the Governor's team, which maintained a humane regime and kept prisoners safe despite severe COVID-19 restrictions. The reporting year saw significant reductions in self-harm and violence, coupled with improvements in the physical environment and infectious disease management. Key concerns include slow maintenance, high prisoner homelessness on release, long waits for mental health transfers, and the ongoing issue of IPP prisoners held beyond tariff.
Positive Findings
The Board considers HMP/YOI Lincoln a well-run Category B local prison, effectively managed by the Governor's team, which maintained a humane regime and kept prisoners safe despite severe COVID-19 restrictions and Victorian buildings. Notable improvements include significant reductions in self-harm, violence, and apparent illicit drug use. The board also commends improvements in the physical environment, water treatment, and the prison’s exemplary capacity to manage infectious disease outbreaks. Staff-prisoner relationships are generally positive, and catering standards are high.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The tardy manner in which numerous repair and maintenance jobs across the establishment are dealt with.
Resettlement/Release
The high level of homelessness of discharged prisoners.
Other
A small but nevertheless significant group of prisoners in Lincoln who are subject to indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) and have remained in custody well beyond their tariff date.
Mental Health
Prisoners who are in need of transfer to a mental health institution sometimes wait far too long for an appropriate placement. The absence of a comprehensive and readily accessible personality disorder treatment service is a continuing concern.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The ceiling of the CSU to be replaced as previously advised.
Equality/Diversity
Improve disabled access to all parts of the establishment.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff faced significant challenges during the pandemic, with over 65 staff off due to illness or shielding, leading to fatigue and frequent reassignments to maintain morale. Despite reduced interaction opportunities due to the restricted regime, staff-prisoner relationships remained generally positive and supportive. The key worker scheme continued, primarily via phone, and staff numbers are gradually increasing.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision, including physical, dental, and optometry services, is comparable to community standards, with all new prisoners assessed within 24 hours. There was only one COVID-19-related death. A high proportion (40%) of prisoners have mental health issues, generally well-managed, though specialist care for personality disorders remains inadequate and some transfers to mental health institutions involve long waits. The head of healthcare position is currently vacant, but improvements were noted in medication diversion and flu vaccination uptake.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime was heavily restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with prisoners spending around 23 hours a day in their cells and limited time out for exercise and showers (max 40 mins). Educational opportunities, workshop access, and group religious services were severely curtailed, and in-person visits were largely prohibited. To mitigate this, prisoners received enhanced in-cell amenities like extended phone access, additional call credit, television, remote learning, library books, and distraction packs. The IEP scheme saw most prisoners on higher levels due to the restricted environment, impacting disciplinary sanctions.
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 | 9 | 11 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 1 | 2 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 3 | 3 | — |
| Equality | 4 | 3 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 6 | 6 | — |
| Food and kitchens | 3 | 4 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 18 | 31 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 5 | 3 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 9 | 72 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 10 | 7 | |
| Property within this establishment | 9 | 16 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 1 | 4 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 5 | 14 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 8 | 26 | |
| Total number of applications, including confidential apps. | 98 | 209 | |
| Transfers | 7 | 7 | — |
Recommendations (8)
Ministry of Justice: 4
HMPPS: 1
Governor / Director: 3
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
As in previous years, the Board remains concerned about the tardy manner in which numerous repair and maintenance jobs across the establishment are dealt with (see paragraph 5.1.5).
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board continues to question when we can expect the ceiling of the CSU to be replaced as previously advised (see paragraph 5.2.5), or is it no longer considered to be required?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 1
Whilst acknowledging that the building structures do not lend themselves to easy access for prisoners who have mobility difficulties or are wheelchair bound (see paragraphs 5.4.6 and 5.4.7), are there any further plans to improve disabled access to all parts of the establishment?
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 2
Prev. unaddressed
Despite the great efforts made locally, the Board remains concerned about the high level of homelessness of discharged prisoners (see paragraph 7.5.6).
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
How soon will Samaritan training of Listeners (see paragraph 2.4) resume?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 3
The Board is concerned that there is a small but nevertheless significant group of prisoners in Lincoln who are subject to indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) and have remained in custody well beyond their tariff date.
Ministry of Justice
Other
Recommendation 3
How can the needs of some prisoners for education in social and inter-personal skills be identified and met in the absence of face-to-face teaching?
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 4
Despite best local efforts, the board is concerned that prisoners who are in need of transfer to a mental health institution sometimes wait far too long for an appropriate placement (see paragraph 6.2.3.3). The absence of a comprehensive and readily accessible personality disorder treatment service is a continuing concern.
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Other IMB Reports for Lincoln
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.