Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Fosse Way
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 28 January 2025
HMP Fosse Way opened in May 2023 as a category C prison and quickly reached its operational capacity of 1715 prisoners by February 2024. The IMB's first annual report highlights significant building design flaws, including inadequate facilities and security concerns, alongside staffing shortages and regime limitations. Despite successful integration of vulnerable prisoners, the rapid population increase led to a rise in self-harm and violent incidents, coupled with insufficient purposeful activity and education provision.
Positive Findings
The initial opening of HMP Fosse Way was considered successful, with most prisoners settling in well and vulnerable prisoners integrating successfully into the house blocks/wings. Opening objectives were achieved, except for industries and education, and the IMB's only real issue during this initial period was missing property.
Key Concerns
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The gymnasium held a maximum of 15 prisoners for a prisoner population of 1720.
Estate/Conditions
Laundry: although each wing has a laundry room with domestic washing machines, there is no central laundry for washing larger items such as duvets.
Estate/Conditions
The washing machines, tumble dryers and other electrical items (e.g. fridges and toasters) on the house blocks appear to be of a domestic, and not industrial, standard.
Staffing
There is no staff training facility
Estate/Conditions
There is a significant shortage of office space with, in some instances, cupboards being used to accommodate staff. The IMB office is outside the secure prison zone, as there is no other space available.
Healthcare
The commissioned on-site health service finishes at 7pm, with no on-site healthcare between 7pm and 8am. There is also no on-site residential healthcare unit.
Estate/Conditions
Library: although the size is acceptable, its location is poor and the area can get very congested and noisy.
Estate/Conditions
Extra house block: on completion of the original build, a decision was taken to build a further house block.
Safety
Window design: a number of the cell windows are being smashed (deliberately) and there is clearly a design fault that is creating a potential security risk as there are no bars on any of the houseblock windows, including those on the ground floor.
Estate/Conditions
Cell design and cell furniture – The furniture installed is primarily made in MDF and it can very easily, and quickly, be damaged/destroyed by prisoners.
Segregation
The care and separation unit (CSU) has insufficient cells for a prison of Fosse Way’s population.
Safety
The fencing around each house block yard has no razor wire on top. The fences have already been climbed and create a security risk.
Staffing
ongoing staff retention issues, which have impacted on the regime at times during the reporting year.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Employment, due to a variety of factors, was behind schedule and there was a lack of employment for prisoners. There were a number of workshops that were not opened as per the plan.
Education/Purposeful Activity
A total of 396 seats in education was insufficient to meet the sudden increase in prisoner numbers. Only 52% of eligible prisoners were in education.
Staffing
The offender management unit (OMU) was not fully staffed, leading to a backlog of OASys (offender assessments) required for prisoner category C to D reviews.
Safety
Self-harm and violence incidents went up with the increase in prisoner numbers, putting added strain on the staff
Board Commentary
Staffing
The workforce, largely new to the Prison Service and young (85% aged 18-30), faced high pressure due to a speedy increase in prisoner population and reduced staff levels. This has led to ongoing staff retention issues and impacted the regime. Staffing numbers fell below planned levels, requiring secondments from other prisons to continue longer than anticipated.
Healthcare
On-site healthcare services conclude at 7pm, leaving no provision between 7pm and 8am. There is no residential healthcare unit, meaning prisoners with severe mental health issues, those requiring palliative care, or 24-hour watch are housed on wings or in the CSU, with staff not deemed qualified to manage their health needs. Emergency out-of-hours cases require transport to local A&E, straining NHS facilities and prison staffing.
Regime & Daily Life
The accelerated increase in prisoner intake, coupled with staffing issues, impacted the regime. Employment opportunities were behind schedule, with a lack of jobs for prisoners due to unopened workshops. Education provision was insufficient, with only 396 seats available, resulting in only 52% of eligible prisoners participating in education. Self-harm and violence incidents rose with the increasing prisoner population.
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 | 6 | — | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 4 | — | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 13 | — | |
| Equality | 2 | — | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 4 | — | |
| Food and kitchens | 2 | — | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 15 | — | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 9 | — | |
| Miscellaneous | 13 | — | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 34 | — | |
| Property within the establishment | 11 | — | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 8 | — | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, recategorisation | 22 | — | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 4 | — | |
| Transfers | 9 | — |
Recommendations (4)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 2
Recommendation 1
The Board is seriously concerned about prison build shortcomings, which have been identified in the report. What will the Minister do to avoid the same errors being repeated in future builds (one of which we believe is due to open near York in the coming year)?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 2
Prison population changes, such as the early release scheme, have had a huge impact on management and staff, through a significantly increased workload. Before making these decisions, what consideration does the Minister give to the individuals in the prisons affected?
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 3
The Board is seriously concerned about prison build shortcomings, which have been identified in the report. What will the Minister do to avoid the same errors being repeated in future builds (one of which we believe is due to open near York in the coming year)?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 4
Prison population changes, such as the early release scheme, have had a huge impact on management and staff, through a significantly increased workload. Before making these decisions, what consideration does the Minister give to the individuals in the prisons affected?
HMPPS
Staffing
Other IMB Reports for Fosse Way
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.