Prison
Cat D open
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Kirklevington Grange
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 30 May 2025
HMP Kirklevington Grange is a Category D open prison that performs well across key areas, including safety, healthcare, and resettlement, as evidenced by 'good' HMIP ratings and strong staff-prisoner relationships. Despite positive outcomes in education and employment preparation, the Board highlights ongoing concerns regarding a lack of progress on new accommodation units and persistent issues with property transfers. The prison continues to manage population pressures and policy changes while striving to provide a constructive environment for release preparation.
Positive Findings
HMP Kirklevington Grange is a thriving and innovative open prison, achieving a 'good' rating across all four healthy prison tests by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. The Board observes good relationships between staff and prisoners, high-quality healthcare provision, and a strong focus on resettlement and employment. Education provision, delivered by Novus, was graded 'good with outstanding features' by Ofsted, contributing to successful outcomes for prisoners preparing for release.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
There is still no visible progress on the development of replacement accommodation units at Kirklevington under the rapid development cell programme (RDCS).
Complaints/Property
Repeated
There continue to be issues with property on transfer between establishments, with prisoners’ items being lost or mislaid. This appears to be a national problem and is something we have referred to in past reports.
Other
Funding and budgets will continue to be an issue, but it would be helpful if the establishment could have more autonomy to purchase locally, which could result in financial savings.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The issue with bed-bug infestations continued, despite the best efforts of managers, who followed established protocols.
Equality/Diversity
Support sought for two Jewish prisoners remains outstanding.
Overcrowding
Doubling up in the 20 cells in the induction block had been necessary and this was perceived as a regressive step by prisoners transferring to an open prison.
Resettlement/Release
Some men arrived at Kirklevington with too little time remaining in their sentence to benefit from the opportunities provided, leaving them feeling that the move to open conditions was pointless.
Resettlement/Release
changes to Government policies undermined the successes achieved in prisoner employment in several ways.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison maintains a calm and respectful atmosphere with good staff-prisoner relationships, as staff actively promote positive interactions. While the rapid turnover of prisoners due to schemes like SDS40 created staffing challenges, particularly in the kitchen, staff demonstrated flexibility and responsiveness. Healthcare staffing levels are detailed, with specific roles and hours outlined.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision at Kirklevington Grange, contracted to Spectrum Community Health CIC, is of good quality and generates very few prisoner complaints. The mental health service is effective, with clear referral pathways, and the DART team provides comprehensive support, including the introduction of Buvidal therapy and Naloxone training. While there is no 24-hour nursing coverage, transport to hospital is provided when needed.
Regime & Daily Life
As an open Category D prison, the regime offers considerable freedom; prisoners have keys to their rooms and access communal areas from 6:30 am to 9:30 pm. Many engage in outside paid employment or internal prison work, with relatively free movement across the site. However, national population issues necessitated doubling up in the induction block, which was seen as a regressive step by some prisoners.
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 | 1 | 0 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 0 | 0 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 0 | 3 | |
| Equality | 1 | 0 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 0 | 0 | |
| Food and kitchens | 0 | 1 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 4 | 2 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 0 | 0 | |
| Miscellaneous | 0 | 1 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 5 | 0 | |
| Property within the establishment | 2 | 0 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 1 | 0 | |
| Sentence management, including home detention curfew (HDC), release on temporary licence (ROTL), parole, release dates, recategorisation | 6 | 1 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 2 | 2 | — |
| Transfers | 1 | 0 |
Recommendations (3)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 2
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Minister should address the lack of visible progress on the development of replacement accommodation units at Kirklevington under the rapid development cell programme (RDCS), which affects the ability of the establishment to introduce more prisoners to outside paid employment.
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Prison Service should take steps to address the national problem of prisoners' property being lost or mislaid on transfer between establishments.
HMPPS
Complaints
Recommendation 3
The Prison Service should consider implementing a local purchasing policy to provide the establishment with more autonomy, which could result in financial savings.
HMPPS
Other
Other IMB Reports for Kirklevington Grange
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
2 Sep 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 4
Activity: 4
Release: 4
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.