Prison
Cat B local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Lincoln
IMB Annual Report 2020 · Published 3 July 2020
HMP Lincoln, a Category B local prison, generally treats prisoners fairly and humanely, with a predictable regime and improved cleanliness, according to the IMB's report for 2019-2020. Key improvements include reduced violence, better staff-prisoner relationships, and improved healthcare and education provision. However, significant concerns persist regarding the high level of self-harm, prisoner homelessness on release, and ongoing maintenance issues affecting accessibility and facilities.
Positive Findings
The Board found that prisoners are generally treated fairly and humanely, with an improved regime and fair use of the IEP scheme. There's a positive emphasis on humane treatment, cleanliness, safety, and well-managed healthcare. Self-harm incidents saw a small reduction, and violence reduction incidents decreased significantly. Equality awareness has improved, including provision for disabled prisoners and foreign nationals. Accommodation cleanliness improved, and a predictable regime without unplanned lockdowns is in place. Healthcare recruitment is strong, and a wide range of education and vocational training is now available. Resettlement services, including family support and DWP initiatives, are robust.
Key Concerns
Equality/Diversity
The Board remains concerned about the facilities and ease of access for prisoners with mobility issues.
Safety
Repeated
The continued high level of self-harm remains a concern to the Board.
Resettlement/Release
Many prisoners still leave the prison to homelessness or no fixed abode.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The tardy manner in which numerous repair and maintenance jobs across the establishment are dealt with.
Resettlement/Release
The high level of homelessness of discharged prisoners.
Safety
Repeated
The lack of closed-circuit television (CCTV) on E wing.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The ceiling of the CSU has still not been replaced, although we were given to understand that, in 2015, there had been consideration nationally of the need to look into the feasibility and cost of refurbishment.
Estate/Conditions
A decision should be made on whether or not funds will be provided to repair or replace the long-out-of-action main lift.
Safety
Repeated
Although it is noted that there was no further increase in the number of self-harm incidents reported in 2019, the Board remains concerned about the high level of self-harm.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
While acknowledging that the building structures do not lend themselves to easy access for prisoners who have mobility difficulties or are wheelchair bound, are there any plans further to improve disabled access to all parts of the establishment?
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The exercise yard that is currently out of use.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
There is still a concern that the prisoners allocated to kit distribution are underemployed.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff-prisoner relationships are generally positive and supportive, aided by increased staff numbers allowing for more individual interaction. Early issues with inexperienced officers have largely been overcome, and the key worker scheme is working well. Recruitment has improved across healthcare and education departments, with the healthcare team almost fully staffed and a significant increase in full-time teaching staff, though some vacancies remain.
Healthcare
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides general and mental health services, with Addaction for substance misuse. Recruitment has improved, leading to an almost fully staffed team. Dentistry and optometry are reasonably catered for. Despite a high number of prisoners with mental health problems, they are well managed, with 'drop-in' sessions introduced on wings. A robust drug strategy is in place, and ambulance calls have reduced due to improved in-house capability. Healthcare staff played a vital role in managing a legionella outbreak. The provision of services is comparable to, and in some cases better than, community services.
Regime & Daily Life
The core day arrangements have led to a predictable and settled regime with no unplanned lockdowns, and prisoners generally receive their full exercise entitlement. However, one exercise yard remains unusable, requiring two wings to share one. Prisoners with full-time work spend eight hours out of cell, while part-time workers spend four. In-cell telephones are available until 11pm nightly, and the 'red telephone' system has been extended to workshops and education.
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 | 11 | 11 | — |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 2 | 10 | |
| Confidential applications to the IMB Chair | 32 | 41 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 3 | 4 | |
| Equality | 3 | 8 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 6 | 3 | |
| Food and kitchens | 4 | 2 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 31 | 37 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 3 | 13 | |
| Miscellaneous | 40 | 51 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 7 | 15 | |
| Property within this establishment | 16 | 30 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 4 | 16 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 14 | 22 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 26 | 28 | |
| Total number of IMB applications | 209 | 306 | |
| Transfers | 7 | 15 |
Recommendations (9)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 4
6 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
As in previous years, the Board remains concerned about the tardy manner in which numerous repair and maintenance jobs across the establishment are dealt with (see paragraph 7.6).
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 2
Despite the great efforts made locally, the Board remains concerned about the high level of homelessness of discharged prisoners (see paragraph 11.16).
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
The Board is still concerned about the lack of closed-circuit television (CCTV) on E wing (see paragraph 4.8). When can we expect it to be installed?
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 4
Repeated
The Board continues to question when we can expect the ceiling of the CSU to be replaced as previously advised (see paragraph 6.7), or is it no longer considered to be required?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 5
A decision should be made on whether or not funds will be provided to repair or replace the long-out-of-action main lift (see paragraph 5.9).
HMPPS
Equality
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Although it is noted that there was no further increase in the number of self-harm incidents reported in 2019, the Board remains concerned about the high level of self-harm (see paragraph 4.5).
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 7
Repeated
While acknowledging that the building structures do not lend themselves to easy access for prisoners who have mobility difficulties or are wheelchair bound (see paragraphs 5.9, 5.10 and 5.13), are there any plans further to improve disabled access to all parts of the establishment?
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 8
When can we expect to see the exercise yard that is currently out of use (see paragraph 7.9) made available for the use of prisoners again?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 9
Repeated
There is still a concern that the prisoners allocated to kit distribution are underemployed (see paragraph 10.8).
Governor / Director
Purposeful Activity
Other IMB Reports for Lincoln
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.