Prison
Cat B
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Rye Hill
IMB Annual Report 2020 · Published 19 August 2020
HMP Rye Hill, a Category B training prison for men convicted of sexual offences, operated at or near its maximum capacity of 664 during the reporting year. The IMB found the prison to be a generally safe and fair environment, with improvements in healthcare provision and staff stability. However, significant concerns persist regarding the inadequate provision for elderly and disabled prisoners, the protracted process for compassionate release, and the lack of specialist support and resettlement opportunities for IPP and other complex needs prisoners.
Positive Findings
The Board considers HMP Rye Hill a generally safe and fair environment. Healthcare provision and access to hospital appointments have improved, supported by stable senior healthcare staffing and a new medication distribution process. The introduction of peer-led violence elimination teams and Pets as Therapy dogs has contributed to a supportive atmosphere, and all CMS machines have been replaced. Education facilities have expanded with a new library, and over 90% of prisoners are engaged in purposeful activity.
Key Concerns
Mental Health
Repeated
The Board remains concerned about the long periods that some prisoners with mental health and behavioural disorders spend in the care and separation unit (CSU).
Mental Health
Repeated
the provision of secure hospital and specialist unit places still remains poor. Even when new specialist units are commissioned, these are frequently not available to men convicted of a sexual offence.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
there remain physical constraints on the facilities for disabled and elderly prisoners. Only a small number of cells are sized for wheelchair access and hospital-style beds; workshops do not have disabled toilets; and education classrooms are on upper floors.
Education/Purposeful Activity
the personal and social development courses that could be used for progression by lower-risk prisoners are being scaled back to allow for a focus on mathematics and English.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The available support for IPP prisoners with complex needs is still very poor, and is leading to a cohort of prisoners who are well over tariff and are losing hope of release; this is a national problem but Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) action plans provide very little provision for category B men convicted of a sexual offence.
Healthcare
Both the protracted process for applying for compassionate release for the dying, and the physical limitations of the current prison estate in providing adapted housing for the frail and disabled are of concern.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The problem of finding places for category B men convicted of a sexual offence in prisons with specialist resettlement support continues.
Healthcare
Repeated
Care plans for long-term health conditions and palliative care, such as end-of-life pain management, were not well documented. The issue of care plans has been noted as a weak area for a number of years, starting with a Care Quality Commission (CQC) audit failure in June 2015.
Estate/Conditions
the status given was amber/green rather than green owing to the absence of toilet seats.
Complaints/Property
delays in catalogue orders (37%)... still a process that does not run smoothly at times, and this is also reflected in Board applications received.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The senior management team has remained stable, though the head of safer custody left. The key worker programme is fully embedded with most prisoners engaging, despite some initial scheduling difficulties around staff shifts and holidays. The overall impression is that key workers have become 'business as usual'. Education staff increased to 10, including part-time roles.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision and access to hospital appointments have improved, supported by stable senior management. A new medication distribution process is in place, and non-attendance rates for appointments have significantly improved. While GP waiting times have decreased, problems with dental equipment have led to long waiting lists. Mental health services have senior RMNs in post, with short waiting periods for primary care, but finding secure hospital places for prisoners with severe mental health needs remains very difficult.
Regime & Daily Life
Most prisoners have in excess of 27 hours of purposeful activity per week, and the gym remains very popular. However, the physical design of the building poses constraints for disabled and elderly prisoners, with limited accessible cells, workshops, and classrooms on upper floors. While accommodation is generally good, some cells have ventilation/heating issues, and privacy for WC use is barely adequate. Stays in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) are mostly short, but some prisoners with mental health issues endure very long stays exceeding 200 days due to a lack of specialist placements.
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 | 14 | 11 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 12 | 3 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 20 | 21 | |
| Equality | 8 | 8 | — |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 11 | 15 | |
| Food and kitchens | 0 | 2 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 25 | 31 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 11 | 10 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 33 | 15 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 18 | 15 | |
| Property within this establishment | 21 | 20 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 14 | 18 | |
| Sentence management, including home detention curfew, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 16 | 10 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 44 | 33 | |
| Transfers | 1 | 3 |
Recommendations (4)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 1
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
The minister is asked to review these matters, especially for the population of men convicted of historic sexual offences, who are more frequently elderly and serving their first prison sentence.
Ministry of Justice
Healthcare
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Prison Service is, again, asked to review the treatment of this group of prisoners at the end of their custodial sentence.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Prison Service is asked to review their action plans for IPP prisoners and ensure that all categories of prisoner with these sentences can access funded help for progression.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
The Director is asked to ensure that the list of education courses offered continues to include adequate personal and social development courses that can support progression for the lower-risk prisoners not suitable for accredited programmes.
Governor / Director
Education
Other IMB Reports for Rye Hill
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
20 Aug 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 4
Activity: 3
Release: 4
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.