Prison
Cat local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Bullingdon
IMB Annual Report 2020 · Published 27 October 2020
HMP Bullingdon, a local and resettlement prison, experienced high overcrowding and staffing challenges, with a significant proportion of inexperienced officers. While physical health services were generally good and some educational outcomes improved, violence and drug finds remained high, and mental health provision, particularly counselling, was inadequate. The COVID-19 pandemic severely restricted the regime, leading to prolonged cell confinement, but the prison successfully prevented widespread infection. Persistent issues include inadequate reception facilities for vulnerable prisoners, property loss, and maintenance backlogs, while resettlement outcomes remain patchy.
Positive Findings
HMP Bullingdon effectively managed COVID-19 risks, with very few confirmed cases among staff and no prisoners testing positive by June 2020, implementing quarantine and isolation successfully. The prison benefits from a new video suite, improved IMB meetings (SIM), and the installation of in-cell telephones, which proved invaluable during lockdown. Kitchen hygiene standards are externally recognised as excellent, and there's improved management in the SSCU, allowing prisoners to collect meals. Significant progress was made in reducing the OASys plan backlog, enhancing sentence planning, and education provision has improved, with Bullingdon ranking well among Milton Keynes College providers.
Key Concerns
Safety
Repeated
High levels of violence and increased drug and weapon finds, showing no consistent sign of being brought under control.
Overcrowding
Repeated
Chronic overcrowding, with many prisoners sharing single cells designed for one occupant, leading to detrimental effects on humane treatment and communal facilities, including inadequate toilet screening.
Safety
Repeated
The continuing failure to provide adequate holding cell facilities for vulnerable prisoners (mainly those committing a sexual offence) on their arrival in Reception.
Safety
Repeated
Concerns exist regarding the effectiveness and consistent application of ACCT procedures, with internal audits showing slower improvements than hoped, and PPO reports identifying specific failings in suicide prevention and risk assessment in self-inflicted deaths.
Staffing
Repeated
A significant lack of experienced uniformed staff due to past cuts and attrition means it will take a long time to rebuild knowledge, impacting safety, de-escalation, and requiring enhanced training and retention strategies.
Other
Repeated
Endemic and systemic losses of prisoners’ property when moving between establishments, as well as within prisons, continues to be a problem, with a new framework for property having been delayed for three years.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The service provider contracted to maintain the prison estate faces a backlog of maintenance issues due to insufficient resources, leading to general dilapidation and broken equipment in serveries.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Limited and unequal provision for older prisoners, leading some to remain in the healthcare inpatient unit instead of residential wings due to a lack of suitable social care accommodation, thereby depriving them of access to the wider prison regime.
Mental Health
More resources are required to meet mental healthcare needs, with a significant unmet need for counselling services due to a lack of volunteers, and an independent report highlighting the need for new funding following reconfiguration.
Resettlement/Release
Progress towards successful resettlement is patchy, with many prisoners leaving without stable accommodation or employment, compounded by a lack of individual guidance for education and work both at induction and prior to release, especially after Adviza ceased operations.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Education provision, including ESOL courses, and many forms of purposeful activity were suspended or reduced during the lockdown. The OMiC model and key worker scheme face challenges in full implementation, with targets for regular meetings often missed due to officers being deployed to other duties and lack of sustainable caseloads.
Equality/Diversity
The Board is not confident that the prison has done all that it could to eliminate discrimination, despite efforts by the Bullingdon Equalities Action Team (BEAT).
Board Commentary
Staffing
As of May 2020, HMP Bullingdon had 276 uniformed staff, with a significant proportion (43) in their probationary year and 137 having only 1-2 years of experience. 31 prison officers left during the year, with 21 resignations. While officer numbers have increased, there's a recognized lack of experienced staff, potentially contributing to higher use of force incidents and challenges in de-escalation. Key Worker targets for regular meetings were often missed due to officers being deployed to other duties, though performance improved during lockdown.
Healthcare
Overall health services, provided by Care UK and sub-contractors, were rated as reasonably good by CQC, with physical health needs generally well met. However, there is a clear need for more resources in mental healthcare, with a significant gap in counselling services due to a lack of volunteers. Increased prisoner numbers from reconfiguration are expected to place further demands on substance misuse and mental health support, requiring new funding. Medication issues are the most common healthcare complaints received by the Board.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison remains overcrowded, with many single-occupancy cells housing two prisoners, which detrimentally impacts communal spaces and facilities. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the regime was severely restricted, leading to many prisoners spending 23 hours a day in their cells, with minimal access to exercise, education, and social interaction. Education courses were suspended, and the gym closed, though some workshops remained open, albeit with reduced hours. Mitigation efforts included in-cell packs, supplementary snacks, increased canteen allowance, and the invaluable in-cell telephones.
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 | |
| Adjudications | 22 | 19 | |
| Chaplaincy and Faith | 1 | 0 | |
| Complaints | 20 | 18 | |
| Discrimination | 0 | 0 | |
| Drugs | 1 | 0 | |
| Education | 1 | 2 | |
| Equality and Diversity | 2 | 0 | |
| Family and significant others | 2 | 2 | — |
| Finance | 18 | 15 | |
| Food | 20 | 15 | |
| Healthcare | 58 | 55 | |
| Incentives and Earned Privileges | 22 | 23 | |
| Legal | 4 | 2 | |
| Letters | 15 | 13 | |
| Other | 288 | 310 | |
| Property | 122 | 165 | |
| Regime | 5 | 8 | |
| Release | 14 | 12 | |
| Segregation | 2 | 1 | |
| Staff | 8 | 4 | |
| Telephones | 0 | 2 | |
| Visits | 1 | 0 | |
| Work | 3 | 1 |
Recommendations (11)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 5
11 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
The increased number of uniformed officers during the last two years is very welcome, but it will take a long time to build up the amount of experience and knowledge that has been lost as a result of past staff cuts and subsequent attrition. How will the minister ensure that staff levels are maintained at an adequate level for the future, and what can he do to enhance the training that they receive?
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 1
Repeated
The recruitment of new officers over the last two years has been welcome, but the prison has lost many experienced officers, and many current members of uniformed staff have relatively little experience of working in a prison environment (see above, description of the prison, 3.1.1). How will the prison service take steps to address the issue of retaining staff, both nationally and locally, recognising that many factors are outside the control of governors and staff in prisons such as Bullingdon? How will it ensure that they are able to receive the training and professional development that they need if they are to succeed in their role?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 1
Repeated
How will the governor ensure that new officers and other staff receive the training and mentoring that they need to develop in their roles, especially when the proportion of experienced operational staff is so low? And what steps can she take to retain good recruits, recognising that many factors are outside her control?
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 2
Repeated
What steps is the minister taking to ensure that probation services will have the number of staff that they need, both in prisons and in the community? How will he address the problems that have arisen because of the amount of experience and knowledge that has been lost as a result of past staff cuts and subsequent attrition?
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 2
Repeated
How will the prison service address the endemic and systemic losses of prisoners’ property when they are moving between establishments, as well as within prisons (see below, 5.8.1-2)? For the past three years, the prison service has responded to questions about property by saying that work on a new framework for prisoners’ property has been delayed. When will this change be introduced?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 2
Repeated
How will the governor set out to address the changes in culture and practice that are required if assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCT) and associated procedures are to be used more effectively (see below, 4.2.5)?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 3
Repeated
What steps is the minister taking to ensure that the service provider now contracted to maintain the prison estate, including Bullingdon, will receive the resources that it needs to deal with the backlog of maintenance issues that it continues to face?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Will the prison service review the provision for older prisoners in the prison estate as a whole, bearing in mind their increasing numbers and the examples in this report (see below, 5.4.7, 6.3.3) of unequal treatment for this group?
HMPPS
Equality
Recommendation 3
Repeated
How will the governor ensure that the new offender management in custody (OMiC) model is fully implemented, and that key workers will have sustainable caseloads and the capacity to meet with prisoners for the required length of time (see below, 4.3.9)?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 4
Repeated
The serious problem with the availabilty and use of drugs as measured by the number of finds and the cases of being 'under the influence' shows no consistent sign of being brought under control (see below, 4.3). This is despite the prison adopting routinely stronger actions to stem the supply mainly through the greater use of sniffer dogs, and screening and copying incoming mail. What further measures will the prison take to address this problem more effectively?
Governor / Director
Substance Misuse
Recommendation 5
Repeated
How will the governor ensure that maintenance work and repairs are planned and carried out in a satisfactory way, avoiding operational problems, risks to safety, and wasted expenditure (see below, 4.1.4, 5.1.1.7)?
Governor / Director
Estate
Other IMB Reports for Bullingdon
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.