Prison
Cat women's, YOI, closed
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Foston Hall
IMB Annual Report 2020 · Published 23 March 2021
HMP/YOI Foston Hall operated under severe COVID-19 restrictions for most of the year, leading to drastic regime changes, including confinement to cells for most of the day. Despite significant staff commitment and efforts by healthcare and resettlement services, key concerns persist regarding persistently high self-harm, staff assaults, and use of force, alongside infrastructure issues in D wing and the CSU. The report highlights the inhumane impact of the restricted regime and the challenges in maintaining essential services and progression opportunities.
Positive Findings
The Board noted the considerable commitment of managers during a demanding year. The prison has a good policy and implementation framework for promoting equalities and a strong commitment to treating prisoners humanely. Healthcare providers worked extremely hard to ensure delivery of priority services amidst COVID-19 challenges. Significant progress was made with in-cell phones, CSU refurbishment, and improved medication arrangements. Additional funding for homelessness significantly reduced women being released without an address.
Key Concerns
Safety
The persistently high levels of self-harm, assaults on staff, and the rising level of use of force.
Estate/Conditions
The failure of two wings to meet critical fire safety requirements, and having to be decommissioned.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Prison Service-wide restrictions introduced to manage COVID-19, which resulted in women being confined to their cells, apart from 30 minutes’ exercise a day, for several months is not humane.
Resettlement/Release
The continued presence of prisoners subject to indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) who remain in custody several years beyond their tariff date.
Resettlement/Release
The inevitable re-emergence of homelessness problems for prisoners upon release once additional COVID-19 support funding is withdrawn.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Accommodation in D wing and the healthcare unit requires considerable improvement.
Segregation
Repeated
The underlying problems with the physical size and layout of the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) mean it is likely to continue to have serious limitations despite renovation.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
A lack of suitable interview rooms across the prison for healthcare staff, psychologists, chaplains and other service providers, significantly undermining rehabilitative work.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The cessation of the CARE (choices, actions, relationships, emotions) offending behaviour programme.
Equality/Diversity
The lack of a specific sentence planning route and intervention pathway for prisoners with autism.
Safety
Repeated
The high level of self-harm and the variable standard of ACCT documents.
Safety
Repeated
The limited availability/number of Listeners.
Safety
Repeated
The high rate of violent incidents – in particular, the level of assaults on staff.
Safety
Repeated
The rise in the use of force.
Safety
The need for further improvement in the use of body worn cameras during violent incidents.
Equality/Diversity
The induction pack is out-of-date and is not provided in other languages.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The very limited education and library provision for most of the year.
Other
Intermittent backlogs /delays in processing prisoner property.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The variable operation of the personal officer scheme.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The limiting of video calls with families to between 9am and 4.30pm.
Other
The unfulfilled expectations and investment made in, the planned retail park, which has not materialised.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Continued problems with the performance of Amey in relation to maintenance, repairs, and work requests, leading to common delays.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison experienced six changes of leadership, involving five Governors, during the challenging year due to sick leave. Operational pressures led to frequent diversion of the equalities officer to other duties, impacting support for prisoners with protected characteristics. Staff absences were acute in November, with 34% of operational staff absent due to COVID-19, leading to further regime restrictions and staff drawn from other establishments. Despite this, the Board noted a high level of commitment from staff. Staffing remains an issue in healthcare, with four primary care nurse vacancies and an unfilled learning disabilities nurse post, though pharmacy and mental health vacancies were filled. Agency and bank staff use increased significantly to cover shortages.
Healthcare
Faced with COVID-19 challenges, healthcare providers worked extremely hard to deliver priority services including medication management, welfare checks for isolated prisoners, mental health support, and midwifery. Many associated services like dental, optometry, podiatry, physiotherapy, and substance misuse were initially withdrawn or reduced, though availability improved but remained limited by November. Collaborative working practices, including with nearby HMP Sudbury, ensured urgent referrals and ACCT processes were maintained even when mental health team members self-isolated. Two new in-cell telephone lines in healthcare enabled remote triage, reducing missed appointments and staff strain. However, the lack of suitable accommodation severely impedes healthcare delivery, with 20 staff competing for five clinical rooms and women sometimes seen inappropriately during exercise or outside.
Regime & Daily Life
For over two-thirds of the reporting year, the prison regime was severely restricted due to COVID-19, with prisoners confined to their cells for most of the day, allowing only 30 minutes of exercise daily for several months, which the IMB deemed inhumane. Many activities and functions, including education, training, family ties, and links with community services, were suspended or very limited. The closure of two wings in October caused significant upheaval and distress for prisoners and staff. The very limited education and library provision for most of the year was also noted.
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 transfers) | 27 | 51 | |
| Food | 3 | 1 | |
| Healthcare | 32 | 32 | — |
| Other (inc. adjudications/IEP) | 35 | 46 | |
| Property | 17 | 17 | — |
| Regime | 22 | 23 | |
| Respect/Equality | 8 | 13 | |
| Staff | 13 | 18 | |
| TOTAL | 177 | 227 | |
| Transfers out of Foston Hall | 7 | 13 | |
| Visits | 2 | 2 | — |
| Work/education/activities | 11 | 11 | — |
Recommendations (19)
Other: 2
HMPPS: 5
Governor / Director: 12
9 repeated
Recommendation 1
There continue to be prisoners in Foston Hall subject to indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) who remain in custody several years beyond their tariff date (see paragraph 7.3.7).
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
The provision of additional resources to address homelessness during COVID-19 has reduced the number of prisoners being released without an address, but it seems inevitable that the problems will re-emerge when this additional support is withdrawn (see paragraph 7.5.5).
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Accommodation in D wing and the healthcare unit requires considerable improvement (see paragraph 5.1.2).
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Although the care and separation unit (CSU) is currently undergoing renovation, the underlying problems with its physical size and layout mean it is likely to continue to have serious limitations which will impact on the experience of women held there (see paragraph 5.2.1).
HMPPS
Segregation
Recommendation 5
Repeated
There is a lack of suitable interview rooms across the prison, for use by healthcare staff, psychologists, chaplains and other service providers, which significantly undermines the delivery of positive rehabilitative work (see paragraphs 5.5.6, 6.1.10 and 7.5.2).
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 6
The cessation of the CARE (choices, actions, relationships, emotions) offending behaviour programme is a serious loss in provision for women prisoners (see paragraph 7.3.5).
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 7
There is a need for a specific sentence planning route, and intervention pathway for prisoners with autism (see paragraph 4.4.2).
HMPPS
Equality
Recommendation 8
Repeated
The high level of self-harm (see paragraph 4.2.5) and the variable standard of assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCT) documents (see paragraph 4.2.6).
Governor / Director
Safety
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Recommendation 9
Repeated
The limited availability/number of Listeners (see paragraph 4.2.9).
Governor / Director
Safety
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Recommendation 10
Repeated
The high rate of violent incidents – in particular, the level of assaults on staff (see paragraph 4.3.2).
Governor / Director
Safety
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Recommendation 11
Repeated
The rise in the use of force (see paragraph 4.5.1).
Governor / Director
Safety
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Recommendation 12
The need for further improvement in the use of body worn cameras during violent incidents (see paragraph 4.5.3).
Governor / Director
Safety
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Recommendation 13
The induction pack is out-of-date and is not provided in other languages. (see paragraph 4.1.1).
Governor / Director
Equality
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Recommendation 14
The very limited education and library provision for most of the year (see section 7.1).
Governor / Director
Education
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Recommendation 15
Intermittent backlogs /delays in processing prisoner property (see paragraph 5.8.1).
Governor / Director
Other
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Recommendation 16
Repeated
The variable operation of the personal officer scheme (see paragraph 5.3.3).
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Recommendation 17
Repeated
The lack of suitable interview rooms across the prison, to facilitate welfare and rehabilitative work with prisoners (see paragraphs 5.5.6, 6.1.10 and 7.5.2).
Governor / Director
Estate
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Recommendation 18
The limiting of video calls with families to between 9am and 4.30pm (see paragraph 7.4.2).
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Recommendation 19
The expectations raised about, and investment made in, the planned retail park, which has not materialised (see paragraph 7.2.4).
Governor / Director
Other
Response
The Board is aware that the Governor shares its concerns about aspects of provision at Foston Hall and is already taking forward work to address them.
Other IMB Reports for Foston Hall
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
13 Jan 2025
Unannounced
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.