Prison
Cat B local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Bristol
IMB Annual Report 2020 · Published 11 December 2020
HMP Bristol, a Category B local prison, navigated the reporting year (August 2019 – July 2020) under significant COVID-19 restrictions, which impacted the daily regime but also led to a more settled environment and improved staff morale. Despite efforts, safety ratings remained low, with high levels of self-harm, violence, and increased use of force incidents. Challenges persisted with delayed mental health transfers, unsuitable Victorian accommodation for disabled prisoners, and resource issues affecting key work and healthcare.
Positive Findings
The Board observed a more settled and quiet prison during COVID-19 restrictions, with improved staff morale and prisoner-staff relationships. Significant investment has led to substantial improvements in accommodation and facilities, and the Governor and safer custody team are commended for their efforts to improve safety. Healthcare provision is generally good, and the new segregation regime is a welcome improvement.
Key Concerns
Safety
Repeated
Safety ratings remain low (level 1), with persistently high levels of self-harm, violence, assaults on staff, and a significant increase in use of force incidents.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Victorian prison conditions are unsuitable for modern standards, particularly for prisoners with physical disabilities, impacting access to all areas including healthcare clinics.
Mental Health
Repeated
Delayed transfers to specialist mental health units are an ongoing issue, with prisoners waiting many weeks, straining prison resources and negatively impacting vulnerable individuals.
Staffing
Repeated
Insufficient resources for key work and high staff vacancies in physical healthcare compromise the delivery of essential support and routine activities.
Substance Misuse
Repeated
Concerns persist regarding the management of drug misuse, including officer involvement in trafficking, lack of supervision at serveries for food, and poor property management leading to lost items.
Overcrowding
Repeated
There are a significant number of prisoners held who are unsuited to a local Category B prison, including those with minor offenses or complex needs, for whom community or specialist placements would be more appropriate.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing profiles improved during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to better morale, consistency, and relationship building between staff and prisoners. This temporary model of key work has been successful, freeing up staff for more meaningful interactions. However, a key concern remains ensuring sufficient resources for key work in the long term, as it is often the first thing to suffer during resource shortages.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision is generally good, with effective cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic and no confirmed cases among prisoners. However, there are significant staff vacancies (14.5 FTE nurses) and ongoing issues with delayed mental health transfers to specialist units, with prisoners often waiting many weeks. Pre-COVID, escorts for hospital appointments were problematic, and there is now a backlog of routine appointments. Prisoners also complain about delayed appointments and medication changes.
Regime & Daily Life
The daily regime was significantly impacted by COVID-19 Exceptional Delivery Models (EDMs), leading to restricted time out of cell and reduced activities like workshops and education. Despite this, HMP Bristol managed to provide 2-3 hours out of cell daily, which, combined with better staffing, was generally well-received by prisoners. The Board suggests learning from the EDMs to implement a less restrictive but equally positive regime post-pandemic.
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) | 45 | 38 | |
| Discipline and adjudications | 0 | 2 | |
| Discrimination | 0 | 0 | |
| Family contact (including visits) | 2 | 2 | — |
| Food | 2 | 2 | — |
| General | 4 | 8 | |
| Grand total | 116 | 129 | |
| Healthcare | 22 | 28 | |
| Legal | 2 | 2 | — |
| Property | 27 | 27 | — |
| Staff conduct | 6 | 10 | |
| Work, education, activities | 6 | 10 |
Recommendations (6)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 1
1 repeated
Recommendation 1
The Ministry of Justice should review the cases of certain prisoners coming into prison for minor offences because there is nowhere else in the community for them to go, and where their outcomes may be better if they are supported in the community or through more specialist placements.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
For those with more complex needs, the minister should encourage and support much faster transfer times to specialist mental health units, given the disruption and drain on prison resources of housing these prisoners in a local prison.
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) needs to ensure sufficient resource job profiling to allow key work to take place. As soon as there is a resource shortage, key work is the first thing to suffer, and the Board is already seeing evidence of this as the EDM level is reduced. Given the benefits seen of improved staff/prisoner relationships during the EDM COVID-19 lockdown, HMPPS should not lose sight of its stated aim to ensure that every prisoner has a dedicated key worker assigned during their time in custody, who will spend at least 45 minutes per week with that prisoner.
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 4
Improved prison-led support is required for those with anxiety, stress, depression, autism and/or personality disorder in order to supplement the input from the mental health and healthcare teams, and hence better mirror the opportunities available in the community.
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Work is required to improve delays to the transfer of prisoners to specialist mental health placements where this is required.
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 6
When the Governor has been able to attend Board meetings, this has been well received, and useful for Board members, although the levels of communication were ad hoc at times and the Board has felt that its statutory role has been compromised on occasion during such a critical period.
Governor / Director
Board Activity
Other IMB Reports for Bristol
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
26 Jul 2023
Urgent Notification
10 Jul 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 1
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 2
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.