Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
The Verne
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 18 February 2025
HMP The Verne is a Category C training prison for sex offenders, holding 605 prisoners with an operational capacity of 608. The IMB noted generally good staff-prisoner relationships and effective healthcare, but raised significant concerns about the deplorable state of the healthcare building and kitchen roof. Key issues also include the barely functioning key worker scheme, a backlog in OASys assessments, and increased bullying linked to the prison's more moderate regime.
Positive Findings
The Board observes that HMP The Verne remains a prison where the great majority of residents generally feel safe, and prisoners are treated in a fair and humane way, with particular attention to protected characteristics. Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust continues to provide effective healthcare despite building issues, and the new social care suite has significantly contributed to elderly prisoners' wellbeing. The Board also welcomes the appointment of dedicated resettlement staff, the commendable increase in work opportunities, and notes the high standard of hygiene, food provision, and the dedication of the chaplaincy team. Food packing received an award for highest performance in prisons, and the gardens have doubled jobs and provided fresh produce.
Key Concerns
Staffing
The key worker scheme is barely functioning, with a compliance rate of just 11.5% for sessions allocated, causing unfairness to prisoners.
Estate/Conditions
The healthcare building is in a deplorable state, with damp damage, falling plaster and large cracks, leading to staff relocation and an urgent need for temporary and a new long-term facility.
Estate/Conditions
The fabric of the kitchen building is in a very poor state, with rainwater leaking through the flat roof causing extensive areas of mould and peeling paint.
Healthcare
The Board still feels that there should be a place for an end-of-life care suite that is staffed by a trained nurse 24 hours a day, given the six deaths in custody and 13,386 hours of officer time spent on bed-watches this year.
Resettlement/Release
A programme aimed at reducing the risk of re-offending, specifically a sex offence programme, needs to be offered at The Verne, as 119 prisoners were released without completing one.
Resettlement/Release
The offender management unit (OMU) continues to be understaffed, resulting in a backlog of 21 OASys assessments and 134 OASys reviews, which can delay parole hearings and cause anxiety for prisoners.
Safety
The more moderate regime with free association has unfortunately led to more bullying, coercive behaviour, and some grooming of more vulnerable prisoners for drugs, vapes and sexual favours, increasing instances of debt and distressed prisoners on ACCTs.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The key worker scheme is barely functioning, with only 11.5% of allocated sessions taking place, often cancelled due to staff shortages, particularly for bed watches. This failure to manage key working is deemed unfair to prisoners, though the Board notes the recent appointment of a senior custodial manager to oversee improvements. The OMU remains understaffed, relying on agency workers and staff on temporary loan, and external hospital escorts continue to place a burden on prison staffing.
Healthcare
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust provides effective healthcare, but the healthcare building is in a deplorable state, with damp and falling plaster, necessitating staff relocation and an urgent need for new temporary and long-term accommodation. The prison's elderly population presents complex health and social care needs, including long-term and terminal illnesses. Despite the welcome addition of a social care suite, the Board advocates for an end-of-life care facility staffed by a 24-hour trained nurse to reduce ambulance calls and bed-watch demands on prison officers.
Regime & Daily Life
The Verne offers a more moderate regime with mostly single cells and more time out of cell compared to remand prisons, which is generally positive. However, this has led to increased bullying, coercive behaviour, and grooming for illicit items and sexual favours among vulnerable prisoners. Time out of wings is restricted to 3 hours 45 minutes daily, with evening association only Monday to Thursday, and these times are subject to reduction due to staff shortages.
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 | 4 | 5 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 3 | 5 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives schemes, sanctions | 4 | 9 | |
| Equality | 10 | 4 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 3 | 9 | |
| Food and kitchens | 4 | 7 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 9 | 12 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 6 | 3 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 9 | 17 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 13 | 7 | |
| Property within this establishment | 4 | 7 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 8 | 14 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, recategorisation | 12 | 10 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 10 | 7 | |
| Transfers | 5 | 5 | — |
Recommendations (4)
Other: 1
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 1
Recommendation 1
The Minister to consider establishing an end-of-life care facility at HMP The Verne.
Other
(minister)
Healthcare
Recommendation 2
HMPPS to ensure funding for an alternative accommodation for the healthcare unit.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 3
HMPPS to expedite the introduction of a sex offence programme at The Verne.
HMPPS
Progression
Recommendation 4
The Governor to ensure that the kitchen roof is repaired as a matter of urgency.
Governor / Director
Estate
Other IMB Reports for The Verne
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
8 Jul 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 3
Activity: 2
Release: 2
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.