Prison
Cat B, local, remand
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Altcourse
IMB Annual Report 2025 · Published 19 December 2025
HMP Altcourse experienced a challenging reporting year due to significant prisoner movement and increased population, impacting various aspects of prison life from reception to resettlement. While positive strides were made in staff-prisoner relationships, key worker schemes, and diversified mental health provision, critical issues persist. Key concerns include the inadequacy of kitchen facilities, lack of education in segregation, delays in mental health transfers, and a high proportion of prisoners released without accommodation.
Positive Findings
The Board notes that a positive culture and good staff and prisoner relationships have contributed to low levels of use of force. Improvements in consistency for the complaints clerk role and dedicated senior management for equality and diversity are welcomed. Mental health provision has improved with new disciplines and reduced reliance on multiple agency nursing staff. The introduction of 'bite-size' education courses and the progress of reception refurbishment are seen as beneficial, alongside the reinstatement of weekend social visits for vulnerable prisoners.
Key Concerns
Safety
Repeated
The late arrival of prisoners, particularly those from out-of-area courts, has increased pressure on an already stretched reception area.
Safety
Increased prison population and intake of prisoners from different areas have made the safe location of vulnerable prisoners and those with rival gang affiliations more challenging
Substance Misuse
High mandatory drug testing figures (MDT) have been identified as a priority within the prison for 2025.
Food/Catering
Repeated
The kitchen is not fit for purpose, bearing in mind the increased population and prisoners’ concerns regarding quality and quantity of food.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
There is no longer any education provision for prisoners in the care and separation unit (CSU).
Mental Health
Repeated
The Board continues to be concerned about the holding of mentally unwell men in the CSU, due to an insufficient number of beds in secure facilities.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The Board is disappointed about the loss of vocational workshops and the failure to deliver the planned workshop included in the Sodexo bid.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The lack of a permanent visits hall crêche has severely affected prisoners’ ability to maintain good family relationships.
Resettlement/Release
The Board remains concerned about the high proportion of prisoners released with no accommodation to go to.
Mental Health
When will the statutory 28-day time limit for the transfer to hospital of prisoners requiring in-patient mental health treatment come into effect?
Safety
How does the Minister intend to address the negative consequences, in terms of late arrivals, lost property and levels of violence, when locating prisoners outside their home area?
Food/Catering
The Board continues to hold the view, based on our observations and frequent discussions with prisoners, staff and User Voice, that the daily allowance for prisoners’ food (which Sodexo follows) is inadequate, particularly in this economic climate. How and when does the Prison Service plan to review and increase the food budget ?
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Does the Prison Service plan to enlarge and improve the kitchen facilities to take account of the increased prisoner population? If not, what is the reason behind the decision ?
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
When will education be reinstated for prisoners in the CSU?
Regime/Time Out of Cell
What is the timescale for full-time re-opening of the crêche in the visits hall?
Estate/Conditions
What is the schedule for rolling repairs of netting and kitchen equipment?
Substance Misuse
How does the prison plan to tackle high MDT levels, in line with the stated priorities for 2025?
Safety
Are there any permanent solutions to the problems caused by housing an overspill of vulnerable prisoners on the induction unit (Bechers)?
Equality/Diversity
When will the Director prioritise replacing the Catholic priest and Imam?
Education/Purposeful Activity
How and when will the Director increase employment opportunities for vulnerable prisoners (VPs)?
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing levels in the kitchen are frequently at full stretch, with ongoing recruitment and retention issues, at times leaving only one staff member to manage the entire kitchen. However, the prison maintains a good reputation for positive staff and prisoner relationships. Management has focused on improving the key worker role, leading to a significant increase in sessions from 18.09% to 81.7% by the end of June 2025.
Healthcare
The retention of GPs remains challenging, with four leaving during the year and vacancies for a public health nurse, a GP, and a pharmacist. While the proposed in-patient mental health facility has not materialised, mental health provision has enhanced and diversified, with the team at full strength, including 15 mental health nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and neurodiversity nurses. A significant concern remains the number of unwell prisoners awaiting beds in secure units, a long-standing issue, compounded by increased pressure on the mental health team due to a high volume of admissions and foreign national prisoners arriving with limited medical history.
Regime & Daily Life
The daily churn of prisoners limits staff's individual time with prisoners. Time out of cell has remained constant, with slightly longer weekend association, but evening association has ceased for most units. While prisoners are now eating some meals outside cells, the transient nature of the population, particularly short-term and remand prisoners, has hampered rehabilitation work by Phoenix Futures. Workshops often run below capacity due to constant population changes and occasional staff shortages, though management has prioritised them more this year.
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 | 13 | 4 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 15 | 1 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives schemes, sanctions | 23 | 11 | |
| Equality | 2 | 2 | — |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 19 | 7 | |
| Food and kitchens | 9 | 6 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 80 | 33 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 31 | 12 | |
| Miscellaneous | 36 | 24 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 35 | 6 | |
| Property within the establishment | 32 | 9 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 22 | 5 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 96 | 27 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 18 | 12 | |
| Transfers | 11 | 3 |
Recommendations (11)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 7
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
When will the statutory 28-day time limit for the transfer to hospital of prisoners requiring in-patient mental health treatment come into effect?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 2
How does the Minister intend to address the negative consequences, in terms of late arrivals, lost property and levels of violence, when locating prisoners outside their home area?
Ministry of Justice
Safety
Recommendation 3
The Board continues to hold the view, based on our observations and frequent discussions with prisoners, staff and User Voice, that the daily allowance for prisoners’ food (which Sodexo follows) is inadequate, particularly in this economic climate. How and when does the Prison Service plan to review and increase the food budget ?
HMPPS
Food
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Does the Prison Service plan to enlarge and improve the kitchen facilities to take account of the increased prisoner population? If not, what is the reason behind the decision ?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 5
Repeated
When will education be reinstated for prisoners in the CSU?
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 6
What is the timescale for full-time re-opening of the crêche in the visits hall?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 7
What is the schedule for rolling repairs of netting and kitchen equipment?
Governor / Director
Estate
Recommendation 8
How does the prison plan to tackle high MDT levels, in line with the stated priorities for 2025?
Governor / Director
Substance Misuse
Recommendation 9
Are there any permanent solutions to the problems caused by housing an overspill of vulnerable prisoners on the induction unit (Bechers)?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 10
When will the Director prioritise replacing the Catholic priest and Imam?
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 11
How and when will the Director increase employment opportunities for vulnerable prisoners (VPs)?
Governor / Director
Education
Other IMB Reports for Altcourse
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
7 Jul 2025
Unannounced
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.