Prison
Cat B/C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Swansea
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 28 November 2024
HMP Swansea is considered a safe prison, commendably addressing initial self-harm incidents and demonstrating good staff-prisoner relationships. However, it faces persistent challenges with severe overcrowding, inadequate disability access, and significant delays in estate maintenance. Staffing issues have impacted key worker sessions and purposeful activity, while mental health and post-release accommodation remain key concerns requiring targeted interventions and better funding.
Positive Findings
HMP Swansea is considered a safe prison, commended for its Listener services and for significantly reducing first-night self-harm incidents, with overall self-harm down 23% year-on-year. The prison has successfully introduced an electric razor pilot, further reducing razor-related self-harm. Positive developments include a dedicated full-time mental health in-reach team, a neurodiversity support manager, and generally good staff-prisoner relationships. Family engagement is strong, with numerous family days and child support initiatives, complementing robust resettlement and employment support links.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
The ineffectiveness of Amey Projects has led to significant problems with major works, causing cell refurbishment to halt and increasing costs.
Estate/Conditions
Disability access remains a problem, mainly due to the complex layout of the buildings.
Overcrowding
Overcrowding has been a significant issue, with two men sharing cells designed for one person, and some prisoners who need a single cell unable to get them.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Good order and discipline (GOoD) reviews take place at odd times, which often prevents IMB members from being able to attend for monitoring purposes.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The education and activities department was struggling to provide a coherent service, partly due to staff being on suspension.
Staffing
Key workers were appointed but had little interaction with prisoners, with sessions markedly down on the previous year due to staffing issues.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
The Big Word translation and interpretation service needs to be used more, and wing staff don't make sufficient use of it.
Mental Health
The mental health of many prisoners remains a major concern, particularly for those on short-term sentences, as the prison is not equipped to deal with the complexity of their problems.
Substance Misuse
A 12-step addiction programme operates but funding is very inconsistent.
Resettlement/Release
The bail information pilot has ground to a halt – the promised staff replacement had not materialised and the Bail Information Service were unable to assist due to work pressures.
Resettlement/Release
Accommodation on release remains a significant problem.
Safety
Repeated
Greater use of body worn video cameras (BWVCs) is needed.
Board Commentary
Staffing
HMP Swansea maintained an average of 290 full-time equivalent staff, with sickness absences fluctuating around the 9.0 performance target. However, staff suspensions (12 by September 2023) and detached duties severely impacted the regime, particularly key worker sessions which saw a marked decrease from the previous year. The low turnover of staff generally fosters good relationships with prisoners, and the prison is exploring a revised key working process to address current challenges.
Healthcare
Healthcare services are provided by Swansea Bay University Health Board, with GP, dental, and optician waiting times appearing within community norms. The dedicated healthcare team manages a high workload, ensuring timely access to services and excellent links with mental health support, including a 7-day crisis service. The prison has successfully implemented a full-time mental health in-reach team and a neurodiversity support manager. However, the Board notes that health board complaints are not reported to them and would value this information.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison continues to be overcrowded, with two men sharing cells designed for one, impacting privacy and leading to meals being eaten in cells adjacent to toilets. Staffing issues, particularly suspensions and detached duties, have significantly reduced purposeful activity and key worker sessions, which were notably down from the previous year. Meal times are also a concern, with a lack of hot breakfast due to staffing and an early last meal at weekends. Exercise, however, continues at national standards.
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 | 2 | 11 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 5 | 7 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 12 | 2 | |
| Equality | 0 | 0 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 9 | 12 | |
| Food and kitchens | 1 | 0 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 22 | 28 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 5 | 21 | |
| Miscellaneous | 3 | 6 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 3 | 9 | |
| Property within the establishment | 11 | 11 | — |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 4 | 7 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 15 | 14 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 25 | 14 | |
| Transfers | 1 | 2 |
Recommendations (6)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 1
Other: 1
Governor / Director: 3
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
The Board is particularly concerned about the number of prisoners who have significant mental health issues and who are often on short-term sentences. Short-term sentences mitigate against constructive interventions on their behalf and, in any event, the prison is not equipped to deal with the complexity of problems these prisoners have. When will the Minister introduce measures that enable prisoners to have better calculated interventions than imprisonment?
Ministry of Justice
mental_health
Recommendation 2
One major concern in the period covered by this report was the effectiveness of Amey Projects in providing an efficient service to the Prison. We are concerned that they have not been held properly accountable for their poor service and recommend that their appointment be reassessed and proper value for money achieved.
HMPPS
estate
Recommendation 3
Post-release accommodation remains a significant problem. We understand this is not an issue that can be easily resolved but would like to see the targeting of funding towards the resolution of this particular problem. The Board is very clear in its view that lacking a ‘roof over your head’ is a major contribution to reoffending.
Other
(other)
resettlement
Recommendation 4
From the Board’s observations, the education and activities functions have been in turmoil during the reporting period. We understand that major efforts have been put in place to rectify these problems and look forward to these functions being fully operational in the near future.
Governor / Director
education
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Once again, we are hoping that the GOoD reviews can be organised in a way that enables members to observer them. We feel that a fixed time and day for each week would be best, if possible.
Governor / Director
regime
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Issues remain around The Big Word and body worn video cameras (BWVCs). The Board feels that greater use of both is needed.
Governor / Director
safety
Other IMB Reports for Swansea
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
21 Feb 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 3
Activity: 2
Release: 3
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.
Prevention of Future Deaths Reports
Coroner PFD reports issued to this establishment.