Prison
Cat C training
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Risley
IMB Annual Report 2020 · Published 4 February 2021
HMP Risley, a Category C training prison, generally maintains high safety standards and treats prisoners fairly, with improved staffing levels and the successful implementation of a key worker scheme contributing to reduced violence and self-harm. Significant concerns remain regarding the slow progression of foreign national offenders, inadequate showering facilities, frequent loss of prisoner property, and the inappropriate mixing of vulnerable and mainstream prisoners on F wing. The Board highlighted the need for improvements in healthcare response times for self-harm incidents and better support for prisoners with mental health issues in segregation.
Positive Findings
The overall safety of the prison meets a high standard, with good reception processes and prompt health screenings. Investment has improved staffing levels, enabling better attendance at workshops and healthcare. The 'Room Ready' programme and cell upgrades demonstrate a focus on decency. The online visit booking system has significantly improved family visits, and property issues for new arrivals have been rectified. A new Information, Advice and Guidance team has been established, and comprehensive staff training rolled out.
The key worker scheme has been a great success, contributing to reduced violence and self-harm incidents. Equality and diversity have a high profile, with effective policies and regular forums. The chaplaincy team provides excellent pastoral support, and the IEP scheme is fair and effective. Healthcare facilities are clean and well-equipped, and prisoners needing special aids receive them timely. All prisoners have daily time in the fresh air, and exercise equipment is well received. Education provision is effective, and significant work supports older prisoners' activities. There is a comprehensive range of prison work available, with fair and quick allocation. The gardening activity is popular and awarded. Family visits are encouraged, and an enhanced food service in the visits hall is well received. Offending behaviour programmes are helpful, and Home Office Immigration Enforcement staff are resident for deportees.
Key Concerns
Resettlement/Release
Is there a plan to speed up the process for dealing with foreign national offenders who cannot be moved to a detention centre for security reasons and are currently stuck in the prison system?
Resettlement/Release
There are frequent instances of prisoners being transferred to establishments that cannot facilitate the courses required for their identified needs with regard to sentence management and rehabilitation.
Other
The Board continues to receive a large number of applications regarding loss of prisoners’ property.
Estate/Conditions
The showering facilities have been proving problematic over the last 12–18 months, with issues around the sufficient provision of hot water and bad water pressure, as well as showing a definite need for maintenance, decoration and refurbishment.
Other
The Board still has concerns about the efficient provision of prisoners’ property. What plans does the prison have with regard to developing a more efficient, consistent and streamlined approach to handling and allocating this on arrival, departure and movement within the prison?
Safety
There have been instances of untimely attendance by healthcare staff to prisoners on ACCT documents following self-harm incidents.
Safety
Mainstream prisoners are now being housed with vulnerable prisoners on F wing. Despite these two sets of prisoners not being allowed out of their cells at the same time, to avoid the possibility of social mixing, many vulnerable prisoners are expressing their concerns to the Board about their safety, as well as being verbally bullied and subjected to unacceptable noise on the wings.
Mental Health
The Board remains concerned about the vulnerable prisoners with mental health issues held in the CSU for unacceptable periods.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Teachers have expressed concern at the lack of sufficient reading materials in languages other than English, especially Mandarin. They would also welcome the provision of language dictionaries, as well as picture books as aids for foreign national prisoners learning English.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Teachers have expressed concern that education certificates do not seem to be efficiently transferred across the prison estate when prisoners move establishments, resulting in frustration for prisoners when they are made to take their exams again unnecessarily.
Estate/Conditions
Unfortunately, some of the education portacabins are still not DDA compliant, thereby preventing disabled prisoners in wheelchairs from attending.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Past budget cuts meant HMP Risley was catching up on staff and training, but investment has improved staffing levels throughout the year, enabling better prisoner attendance at activities and healthcare. The key worker scheme has been a great success, providing one-to-one support and identifying concerns. Comprehensive staff training, including in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Society and National Autistic Society, has been rolled out to help staff identify and support prisoners with these conditions. However, gym sessions were negatively affected by staffing issues for a time.
Healthcare
Prisoners’ health and wellbeing needs are generally addressed, with services provided by a health centre including full-time doctors, nursing staff, dental, podiatry, physiotherapy, and a mental health team. However, repeat cancellations or missed appointments occur due to staff shortages, and the 'did not attend' (DNA) rate for appointments is around 25–30%. Untimely attendance by healthcare staff to prisoners on ACCT documents following self-harm incidents has also been noted, although this issue is being addressed.
Regime & Daily Life
Improved staffing levels have enabled prisoners to attend various workshops and healthcare appointments more frequently. The prison aims for all prisoners to be in active employment or education within seven days of arrival. All prisoners receive daily time in the fresh air, with exercise equipment available. However, gym sessions and some course provisions were negatively affected for a time due to staffing issues. The IMB also noted concerns about mainstream and vulnerable prisoners being housed on the same wing.
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 | 3 | 5 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 0 | 0 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 1 | 9 | |
| Equality | 6 | 5 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 0 | 0 | |
| Food and kitchens | 2 | 6 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 48 | 36 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 4 | 8 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 40 | 63 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 72 | 56 | |
| Property within this establishment | 0 | 0 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 3 | 7 | |
| Sentence management, including home detention curfew, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorization | 47 | 66 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 29 | 22 | |
| Transfers | 14 | 26 |
Recommendations (7)
Other: 1
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 4
Recommendation 1
Is there a plan to speed up the process for dealing with foreign national offenders who cannot be moved to a detention centre for security reasons and are currently stuck in the prison system?
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
There are frequent instances of prisoners being transferred to establishments that cannot facilitate the courses required for their identified needs with regard to sentence management and rehabilitation. Why are prisoners transferred to prisons which cannot ensure completion of sentence management requirements, and might the Prison Service be considering a more efficient way of eradicating these problems going forward?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
The Board continues to receive a large number of applications regarding loss of prisoners’ property. What plans does the Prison Service have to introduce a more streamlined system of handling this when prisoners are transferred between prisons? This would avoid unnecessary distress for prisoners being transferred and also minimise the number of compensation claims.
HMPPS
Property
Recommendation 4
The showering facilities have been proving problematic over the last 12–18 months, with issues around the sufficient provision of hot water and bad water pressure, as well as showing a definite need for maintenance, decoration and refurbishment. What is the prison’s intention with regard to rectifying these issues?
Governor / Director
Estate
Recommendation 5
The Board still has concerns about the efficient provision of prisoners’ property. What plans does the prison have with regard to developing a more efficient, consistent and streamlined approach to handling and allocating this on arrival, departure and movement within the prison?
Governor / Director
Property
Recommendation 6
There have been instances of untimely attendance by healthcare staff to prisoners on ACCT documents following self-harm incidents. How does the prison intend to ensure that all incidents of self-harm are attended to promptly?
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 7
Mainstream prisoners are now being housed with vulnerable prisoners on F wing. Despite these two sets of prisoners not being allowed out of their cells at the same time, to avoid the possibility of social mixing, many vulnerable prisoners are expressing their concerns to the Board about their safety, as well as being verbally bullied and subjected to unacceptable noise on the wings. What plans does the prison have about mixing mainstream and vulnerable prisoners on the wings going forward?
Governor / Director
Safety
Other IMB Reports for Risley
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
12 Apr 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 2
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.