Prison
Cat Women's Closed YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Drake Hall
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 24 April 2025
HMP/YOI Drake Hall, a women's closed prison, averaged 317 prisoners during the reporting year, demonstrating a safe and humane environment despite an increasingly complex population. The prison experienced significant increases in self-harm (782 incidents) and assaults (87 prisoner-on-prisoner, 18 on staff). Key concerns include dilapidated accommodation units needing replacement for over 20 years, the use of segregation for acutely mentally ill prisoners, chronic property issues, and a restrictive regime with limited exercise.
Positive Findings
The Board believes that Drake Hall generally provides a safe, calm, and structured environment, with multidisciplinary and trauma-informed support for women who self-harm. Disruptive incidents are managed professionally, and women are treated fairly and humanely with positive staff-prisoner relationships. Healthcare provision received a positive review from the CQC, and efforts to prepare women for release with accommodation and employment are commendable. The prison also benefits from an excellent prisoner council and diligent chaplaincy team.
Key Concerns
Safety
The increasingly complex nature of the prison population means that self-harm, violence and reported bullying have increased.
Safety
The presence of women with complex needs, challenging behaviour and a history of offending leads to management problems in an open environment with limited cellular accommodation.
Staffing
Concerns about the staffing resources available; on a regular basis, the number of officers available to support the basic regime is minimal.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The poor condition of Richmond and Plymouth houses remains a continuing concern; the Board, the women, prison staff and management all agree that these facilities need to be replaced. The Board has now complained about the suitability of these facilities for over 20 years.
Mental Health
The Board is extremely concerned about the use of the CSU to manage women who have an acute mental illness and are awaiting transfer to hospital.
Other
Property remains a significant and ongoing issue across the prison estate and Drake Hall is no exception. The Board continues to receive applications (written representations) from women, particularly following transfer from other establishments. Frequent failings in the handling of prisoners’ property continue and often cause unnecessary distress.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The regime is more restrictive when compared with the position prior to the pandemic. Women are particularly vocal about the lack of fresh air and opportunities for meaningful exercise.
Education/Purposeful Activity
It is not acceptable that there has been no increase in the budget for education for over 10 years.
Other
Repeated
Property delayed or lost on transfer remains a significant problem and causes unnecessary distress. As noted repeatedly in previous reports, it is a systemic issue that requires action across the prison service.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Again, the Board must raise the issue of the increasing number of women subject to short sentences or being transferred shortly before their release date. This makes both rehabilitative work and preparation for release at best difficult and at worst impossible.
Healthcare
The Board is concerned about the ongoing problems regarding medication management. This has three components: The process for administration of medications needs a complete and radical overhaul. A means of controlling prescription medication needs to be found to reduce the risks associated with trading medications. The design of the dispensary does not facilitate the effective administration of medication.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing resources are a significant concern, with a minimal number of officers available to support the basic regime, impacting provision and staff morale. Healthcare staffing levels, while comparable to the NHS, suffer from high turnover and vacancies, often covered by agency staff. Shortages also hinder key work sessions, affecting women's wellbeing, communication, and response times to applications. The Board welcomes the ongoing review of staffing requirements.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision at Drake Hall operates predominantly Monday to Friday, with reduced weekend and bank holiday services. While a recent CQC review was positive, the Board receives negative feedback and many applications from women. The increasingly complex health needs of the population exceed available resources, necessitating additional funding following a rapid health needs analysis in 2024. Issues also exist with medication management, including administration processes, control of prescription trading, and dispensary design.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime is more restrictive than pre-pandemic, with women and inspectors noting a lack of fresh air and opportunities for meaningful exercise. The prison maintains high standards in food provision, with women preferring to eat in houses over communal dining. Opportunities for work and education are provided, though the range has decreased since the pandemic. A new incentivised substance free living unit and a 'community payback' initiative for minor infractions have been introduced.
Recommendations (9)
Other: 2
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 5
6 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board has, yet again, to raise the conditions observed in Richmond and Plymouth houses. It has raised concerns since 1999 and makes no apology for any repetition. As noted in last year’s report, despite considerable efforts by the prison to improve conditions, problems remain. Maintaining these facilities is a time-consuming and pointless task. Structural problems make attempts at improvement short term and, ultimately, futile. The process of cosmetic improvement cannot and will not resolve the underlying issues. Women should not be expected to live in such conditions. The Board again asks the Minister why these facilities have not been replaced.
Other
(minister)
Estate
Response
No action has been taken. The issue remains unresolved.
Recommendation 2
The use of segregation to manage prisoners experiencing a mental health crisis is an increasingly disturbing and unacceptable situation. The lack of available secure beds cannot continue to be used as an excuse for a systemic problem in the prison system. The criminal justice system, in its entirety, must urgently address this complex problem. Some of these women should never have come to prison, while others should be transferred out for treatment as a matter of urgency. Alternatively, some bespoke initiative developed between the health and prisons systems should be considered.
Other
(minister)
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board must again report that property delayed or lost on transfer remains a significant problem and causes unnecessary distress. As noted repeatedly in previous reports, it is a systemic issue that requires action across the prison service.
HMPPS
Fair Treatment
Response
No action has been taken. The issue remains unresolved.
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Again, the Board must raise the issue of the increasing number of women subject to short sentences or being transferred shortly before their release date. This makes both rehabilitative work and preparation for release at best difficult and at worst impossible.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Response
Women continue to be transferred with minimal time to serve. The issue remains unresolved.
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Applications relating to missing property continue and the Board again asks if it is possible to appoint a single point of contact responsible for property. This should ensure better cooperation from transferring prisons and more accountability within the prison for the resolution of property-related issues.
Governor / Director
Fair Treatment
Response
No single point of contact is available, so dealings in relation to property remain inconsistent. Issue remains unresolved.
Recommendation 6
The Board remains concerned about the implementation of offender management in custody (OMiC) and is interested in further action to improve the amount of key work undertaken.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board remains concerned about the low number of prisoners released on temporary licences (ROTLs), particularly for childcare resettlement.
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Response
The number of ROTLs remains low and the issue was also noted by HMIP in their recent report. Issue remains unresolved.
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board is concerned about the ongoing problems regarding medication management. This has three components: o The process for administration of medications needs a complete and radical overhaul. o A means of controlling prescription medication needs to be found to reduce the risks associated with trading medications. o The design of the dispensary does not facilitate the effective administration of medication.
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Response
This has been addressed to some extent via work undertaken on the drugs strategy and the management of medications more broadly. This remains an ongoing issue, even though it has be partially addressed.
Recommendation 9
Given recent discussions about the regime and comments made by HMIP about the limited exercise available, the Board is interested in how the prison will work to change this situation as we are also concerned that the current regime should facilitate more exercise and fresh air for the women.
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Drake Hall
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.