Prison
Cat Female Closed Local Prison, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Eastwood Park
IMB Annual Report 2020 · Published 23 February 2021
This IMB annual report for HMP/YOI Eastwood Park for the year ending October 2020 highlights the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prison operations and monitoring. While staff efforts and communication were generally commendable, concerns persist regarding rising self-harm incidents, ongoing violence towards staff, and the continuous flow of illicit substances. The Board remains particularly concerned about the prolonged segregation of a brain-injured prisoner and the lack of appropriate secure specialist facilities for women with complex needs.
Positive Findings
The HMIP inspection report focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic was broadly positive, with six out of seven mentions of good practice relating to Eastwood Park. The Board observed staff working in highly professional and caring ways, and noted that prisoners' health needs were generally well met with services adapting well to COVID-19 challenges. The reception area was clean and bright, with new prisoners speaking positively about their initial experiences. There was a downward trend in overall violence, and significant improvements in cleaning standards and a reduction in outstanding minor maintenance jobs. The efforts by catering staff were outstanding, maintaining a full menu throughout the crisis. Communication between Governor/staff and prisoners during the COVID-19 crisis was particularly good. The prison was proactive in supporting prisoners potentially affected by the Black Lives Matter movement, and the chaplaincy's pastoral presence was highly valued. The quality of the complaints procedure received recognition from HMIP, and staff made excellent efforts to provide basic opaque bags for prisoners' chattels upon release.
Key Concerns
Safety
Levels of self-harm have risen, despite a reduced prison population.
Safety
The Board remained concerned about the levels of violence towards staff.
Substance Misuse
There continued to be an inflow of illicit substances into the prison.
Mental Health
Repeated
The plight of a brain-injured prisoner who has been segregated for well over two years and has, in effect, been in solitary confinement for this period, with little long-term progress.
Healthcare
Increase in waiting times for dental treatment as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.
Mental Health
The rise in the number of women being sent to prison for their own safety owing to mental health issues, despite prisons not being equipped to deal with such complexity.
Resettlement/Release
Significant gaps in resettlement provision, with prisoners often released without suitable housing and community support undermining in-prison work.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Education, work opportunities and offending behaviour interventions were less available as a result of the impact of lockdown.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
The lack of secure specialist establishments for women with brain injuries and highly complex needs, unlike those available for men, is discriminatory and therefore unlawful.
Other
Differences in sentencing practice with the Sentencing Council appear to show that a prison sentence is partly determined by postcode, raising concerns about the delivery of justice.
Estate/Conditions
HMPPS funded the manufacture, delivery, and storage of badly needed replacement windows and fire doors but then declined funding for their installation, raising concerns about best value.
Estate/Conditions
The remote and opaque method of deciding which maintenance works bids will receive funding.
Equality/Diversity
The small number of discrimination incident report forms (DIRFs) being submitted, which may indicate underreporting.
Estate/Conditions
The poor suitability of mattresses, especially for older prisoners and those with health needs.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff have worked hard under difficult circumstances and significant pressure, but the prison continues to face underlying staff shortages. These were compounded by additional demands from COVID-19, including staff shielding, being vulnerable, or having home schooling responsibilities. This pressure has led to Board members observing staff looking tired and stressed. Despite these challenges, staff generally worked hard to minimise inconvenience, and the provision of exercise and showering opportunities never dropped below recommended minimum levels. The chaplaincy also maintained a strong and regular presence despite not having a full staffing complement.
Healthcare
Prisoners' health needs were generally well met, and the service adapted well to the challenges of COVID-19. However, there was an increase in waiting times for the dentist and a rise in women being sent to prison for their own safety due to mental health issues. Prolonged lockdown inevitably impacted prisoners’ physical and mental health. Bristol Community Health (BCH) withdrew from the contract, replaced by a partnership including Hanham Secure Health for GP/nursing and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) for mental health services. Face-to-face interventions reduced due to COVID-19, with increased use of telephony for triage. 71% of women entering prison reported mental health problems. The mental health crisis team operated 365 days a year, and the Nexus service for personality disorders continued to provide intensive support, showing lower reoffending rates.
Regime & Daily Life
The COVID-19 pandemic led to severe restrictions, with approximately 80% of prisoners spending 23 hours a day in their cells. This prolonged lockdown had a negative impact on prisoners’ physical and mental health, with the Board noting that such long periods of confinement are not humane. Staffing levels were sufficient to consistently run the restricted regime, ensuring time out of cell and showering opportunities. Approximately 20% of prisoners on less restrictive wings received two hours of exercise daily. Initially, gym sessions were suspended, but some outdoor fitness sessions resumed in small groups. Education, work opportunities, and offending behaviour interventions were less available due to lockdown, limiting rehabilitative efforts for often short-sentenced prisoners.
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) | 41 | 38 | |
| Food | 7 | 13 | |
| Healthcare (including mental health and dentistry) | 40 | 46 | |
| Learning and skills and purposeful activity | 4 | 6 | |
| Legal (including complaints/adjudications) | 17 | 21 | |
| Other | 16 | 11 | |
| Property | 31 | 79 | |
| Staff/prisoner relationships (including bullying) | 41 | 43 | |
| Total | 197 | 257 |
Recommendations (9)
Ministry of Justice: 4
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 2
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
In her reply to our previous annual report, the minister stated that the new offender management unit (activities centre) building remained a priority project, and that (subject to caveats) work on it was likely to start by the first quarter of 2021. Is this still the expectation?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 2
Repeated
The IMB at Eastwood Park has raised concerns with the minister about a prisoner with an acquired brain injury who had been segregated in HMP Downview and HMP/YOI Eastwood Park for 827 days up to the end of this reporting period. While we understand that normal location is not a possible alternative in her case, because of her behaviour, is it acceptable to provide secure specialist establishments for men with brain injuries and highly complex needs but none for women?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
Repeated
In her reply to our previous annual report, the minister stated that a funding commitment had been made to develop the first residential women’s centre. Has this project progressed, and when does the minister think there will be an impact on the prison population?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
Will the minister address the differences in sentencing practice with the Sentencing Council as they appear to show that a prison sentence is partly determined by postcode?
Ministry of Justice
Other
Recommendation 5
Repeated
In response to our previous report, we were advised by the minister that the prison group director for the women’s estate had contacted NHS England about co-commissioning a national needs assessment to improve the services for women with mental and physical health issues. Has this progressed?
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 6
Is it considered to be best value for Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to fund the manufacture of urgently needed replacement windows and fire doors by prison industries in 2018 and 2020, respectively, and then deliver and take them into store at Leyhill and Eastwood Park prisons, only subsequently to decline funding to install them?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 7
Due to the remote and opaque method of deciding which maintenance works bids will receive funding, can HMPPS be more open about how such decisions were arrived at?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 8
Will the Governor look into the reasons for the small number of discrimination incident report forms (DIRFs) being submitted?
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 9
Will the Governor review the suitability of mattresses, especially for older prisoners and those with health needs?
Governor / Director
Accommodation
Other IMB Reports for Eastwood Park
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.