Portland

Lack of accommodation available through local authorities in Dorset for released prisoners, specifically night-shelter facilities and move-on supported housing provision.

Urgent structural repairs required to the fabric of buildings, plumbing, heating and telephony systems, and an updated assessment of health and safety conditions in workshops.

Systems to ensure the safe storage of prisoner property, specifically during inter-prison transfers, need addressing due to high amounts of missing property.

Checks need to be put in place to ensure that critically unwell prisoners, suffering significant health problems, cannot be unilaterally transferred without prior negotiation and comprehensive medical records.

Failure to deliver a consistent regime, with frequent shutdowns and last-minute changes impacting education, work, and programmes, and destabilising the prisoner population.

Prisoners from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, those with mental health problems and those with other protected characteristics have indicated that they do not feel understood or supported by operational staff on the wings; confidence in discrimination incident reporting and the complaints process is low.

Concerns about use of force practices, specifically the failure of staff to wear/switch on body-worn cameras and issues with recovering CCTV footage.

Ongoing difficulties in the appointment and retention of psychologists and psychiatrists, impacting healthcare service provision.

Unacceptable number of prisoners failing to attend pre-arranged healthcare appointments due to OSG staff not following agreed protocols, a repeated issue.

The ingress of illicit drugs into Portland needs to be addressed due to its impact on health, well-being, and links to debt, bullying, and violence.

Recommendation 1

In order to maximise the opportunities for learning and change provided to prisoners while in custody, investment needs to be put into accommodation, employment and learning opportunities in the community post-release.

Ministry of Justice Resettlement

Recommendation 2

Structural repairs that are urgently required to the fabric of buildings, plumbing, heating and telephony systems in Portland need to be investigated and addressed accordingly. An updated assessment of health and safety conditions in the workshops also needs to be undertaken, and any failings put right.

HMPPS Estate

Recommendation 3 Repeated

Systems to ensure the safe storage of prisoner property whilst they are in custody, and specifically during inter-prison transfers, need addressing. The amount of property which has been logged on property cards and then goes missing is unacceptable. It causes prisoners distress and diminishes trust and confidence in the prison service.

HMPPS Other

Recommendation 4

Checks need to be put in place to ensure that critically unwell prisoners, suffering significant health problems, cannot be unilaterally transferred. Should this ever be necessary, it should not happen without prior negotiation with the receiving establishment and the provision of up to date and comprehensive medical records.

HMPPS Healthcare

Recommendation 5 Repeated

For a number of years, Portland has been unable to deliver a regime that meets the requirements of its prisoner population. Shutdowns are frequent, and last minute changes to the daily regime a regular occurrence. This is to the detriment of education and work opportunities for prisoners and the delivery of substance misuse and offending behaviour programmes. It has a destabilising impact on the prisoner population, in general, and emotionally vulnerable prisoners in particular.

Governor / Director Regime

Recommendation 6

Prisoners from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, those with mental health problems and those with other protected characteristics have indicated that they do not feel understood or supported by operational staff on the wings. Confidence in discrimination incident reporting and the complaints process is low. Prisoners have indicated that they do not feel the system in Portland is working for them. Operational staff have identified deficits in their knowledge, skills and ability when working with some prisoner groups. Collaborative work between staff and prisoner representatives has begun to identify training needs to be addressed in order to ensure that Portland delivers a fair and humane environment for all its residents.

Governor / Director Equality

Recommendation 7 Repeated

The Board continues to have concerns about some aspects of use of force practises – specifically, the failure of staff to wear and/or switch on body-worn cameras. The recovery of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the wings is still problematic. The timely and adequate completion of use of force paperwork has improved, with fewer outstanding reports, but continues to require regular monitoring.

Governor / Director Safety

Recommendation 8 Repeated

The provision of healthcare services has suffered for lack of a psychologist and psychiatrist at times during the reporting period. The appointment and retention of psychologists and psychiatrists to posts in Portland have been problematic since the contract transferred from the local health authority. It would be helpful if the reasons for this could be explored and, where possible, addressed.

Governor / Director Mental Health

Recommendation 9 Repeated Prev. unaddressed

The number of prisoners failing to attend for pre-arranged healthcare appointments because operational support grade (OSG) staff have not followed agreed protocols is not acceptable. This is the second year running that this situation has ensued.

Governor / Director Healthcare

Recommendation 10 Repeated

The ingress of illicit drugs into Portland needs to be addressed. It is having an impact on the health and well-being of prisoners and staff, and is linked to debt, bullying, violence, isolation and overall stability in the prison.

Governor / Director Substance Misuse