Prison
Cat C, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Hindley
IMB Annual Report 2020 · Published 21 April 2021
The reporting year was largely dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to significant regime restrictions. Despite these challenges, the Board found HMP/YOI Hindley to be a generally safe and humane environment, commending staff efforts in managing the pandemic and maintaining positive staff-prisoner relationships. Key concerns remain around the cramped and unfit accommodation, the consistency of resettlement support, and the increased availability of illicit substances.
Positive Findings
The Board commends the prison for successfully managing the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in only one prisoner case, due to the tireless efforts of staff and managers and effective partnership working with healthcare. Staff-prisoner relationships are good, promoting a safe and humane environment. The decency and chaplaincy teams are praised for their significant work in supporting prisoner morale and wellbeing during restrictions, including maintaining family contact through various alternative means. Improvements in cleanliness and food delivery have also been noted.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The cells in the original wings (A-D) are cramped for twin occupancy in an adult prison, lacking privacy and being difficult to maintain, making them unfit for purpose, as is the kitchen.
Safety
Current window designs at HMP/YOI Hindley contribute to litter and food waste disposal, creating health and safety and security risks, and enabling opportunities for external drug acquisition, self-harm or suicide via ligatures.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
There is inconsistent and insufficient information, advice, and guidance provided for prisoners being released from HMP/YOI Hindley, a situation exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The implementation of an updated, understandable Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) scheme remains a concern, having been highlighted in last year’s report, with no new scheme introduced.
Substance Misuse
There is an apparently increased availability of illicit substances within the prison, with 26% of prisoners reporting them easy to acquire.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff, including managers and healthcare personnel, worked tirelessly and professionally to maintain a safe and humane environment during the pandemic, despite staff changes and reliance on agency nurses in healthcare. Staff-prisoner relationships are notably strong and positive. While the OMU and ITTG teams maintained staffing, some healthcare vacancies exist. The key worker scheme saw improved targeting, but not all prisoners were aware of their allocated key worker.
Healthcare
Healthcare services, transferred to GMMH in April 2020, are generally met satisfactorily, with a 24/7 nursing presence maintained despite some staff vacancies and reliance on agency staff. GP waiting times averaged nine days, with similar initial waits for dental appointments, though treatment waits were longer due to PPE issues now resolved. The well-established mental health team managed an increased caseload due to lockdown, effectively providing support on wings and via in-cell telephones, with an average 14-day wait for psychiatric hospital transfers.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison operated under significant restrictions for most of the year due to COVID-19, resulting in extremely limited time out of cell, sometimes as little as 30-45 minutes per day for exercise and showers, particularly on the RCU and young adult wing. Education, library services, workshops, and offending behaviour programmes were largely suspended, with an emphasis on in-cell work packs. All social visits also ceased for most of the year, significantly impacting family contact. Staff worked hard to mitigate these impacts, especially regarding exercise provision.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offender management unit | 23 | — | |
| Property | 22 | — | |
| Residential | 11 | — | |
| Total received in all areas | 117 | — |
Recommendations (5)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 1
Governor / Director: 3
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can the minister expedite the necessary funding to support improvements to bring living conditions at Hindley to an acceptable standard?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 2
Would the Prison Service support prioritising further improvements for the safety of prisoners at Hindley?
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board understands the challenges which the COVID-19 pandemic has caused but is concerned about the consistency and availability of the information, advice and guidance provided for prisoners released from HMP/YOI Hindley.
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board continues to be concerned about the implementation of an updated, understandable incentives and earned privileges (IEP) scheme, as highlighted in last year’s report.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 5
The Board is concerned about the apparently increased availability of illicit substances within the prison.
Governor / Director
Substance Misuse
Other IMB Reports for Hindley
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.