Prison
Cat C, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Portland
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 6 December 2024
HMP/YOI Portland continued to face significant challenges during the reporting year, primarily due to staff shortages and overcrowding, which impacted regime delivery and the reintroduction of double cells. Violence and self-harm incidents increased substantially, although measures to improve safety and reduce illicit substances showed some positive results. Healthcare staffing improved, but mental health provision and transfers remained a concern, while resettlement efforts were severely strained by poorly implemented early release schemes.
Positive Findings
Fair and humane treatment improved significantly during the reporting period, and residents generally report feeling safe and well-treated by staff. Staffing levels for healthcare, and overall officer recruitment, showed positive trends. The prison demonstrated excellent hygiene, and the body scanner helped reduce illicit articles. There was a significant increase in activity spaces, with education and industry opportunities expanding and increasing the number of unique learners.
Key Concerns
Overcrowding
Overcrowding in the prison and doubling up in cells designed for one individual, impacting personal decency and privacy. Overcrowding also impacts the ability of the prison to transfer prisoners to other prisons that offer the training required to support their release.
Resettlement/Release
Serious shortcomings in the management processes in HMPPS, particularly with reference to the poorly planned early release scheme introduced to the service.
Staffing
The Prison Service is not an attractive profession with competitive remuneration, training and professional development.
Mental Health
Repeated
Increase in residents with poor mental health and the way they are treated in law, and the need for an integrated system to allow the humane treatment of such residents and provide facilities to transfer prisoners to more suitable establishments.
Resettlement/Release
The early release scheme (ERS) has been poorly thought through and rolled out, relying on the offender management unit (OMU) to fill the gaps in the resettlement process without the staffing increase to accommodate the extra work.
Other
Repeated
Poor service provided by external suppliers, with particular attention on the quality of service provided by Serco with regard to the transport of prisoners.
Estate/Conditions
Inadequate accommodation to allow for different prisoner cohorts segregated appropriately in order to address their specific needs.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Ventilation issues that exist on Beaufort wing during spells of hot weather and the funding to address the repairs required to re-open the laundry facility, which relies on another prison to deliver these services.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Key work sessions have not increased during the reporting year in the way the Board had hoped, mainly due to staffing shortages.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff shortages negatively impacted regime and key work sessions, but recruitment efforts saw officer numbers almost at the required level by year-end. However, recruitment remains challenging due to uncompetitive pay and conditions. Healthcare staffing improved, except for two mental health professional roles covered by agency staff. The early release scheme exacerbated pressures on offender management unit (OMU) staff, who were not provided with additional resources.
Healthcare
Healthcare services are provided by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, operating from a far-from-ideal Victorian building. Staffing levels improved, with a full-time psychiatrist and part-time psychologist, but two mental health professional positions are agency-filled. The mental health caseload is high at 110, leading to a three-week wait for psychiatrist consultations, and the prison has the highest antidepressant prescribing rate in the region. Dental waiting times are 12-18 weeks for non-urgent cases, and transfers to secure mental health units face protracted delays.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison often operated a restricted or reduced regime due to staff shortages, impacting daily life. All prisoners are guaranteed at least 30 minutes outside daily and two hours out of cell for basic activities; those in education or employment get around six hours. Activity and industry sessions are now at full capacity, occupying 450 men. Poor ventilation in Beaufort wing during hot weather remained an issue, and the in-house laundry facility was closed, affecting bedding and clothing availability.
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 | 13 | 8 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 6 | 28 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 1 | 4 | |
| Equality | 1 | 6 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 7 | 16 | |
| Food and kitchens | 6 | 4 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 29 | 52 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 6 | 16 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 13 | 14 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 25 | 34 | |
| Property within this establishment | 43 | 70 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 9 | 14 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, recategorisation | 43 | 50 | |
| Staff/resident concerns, including bullying | 14 | 24 | |
| Transfers | 8 | 14 |
Recommendations (10)
Ministry of Justice: 4
HMPPS: 4
Governor / Director: 2
5 repeated
Recommendation 1
What will the Minister do to increase funding to address overcrowding in the prison and eliminate doubling up in cells designed for one individual, impacting personal decency and privacy. Overcrowding also impacts the ability of the prison to transfer prisoners to other prisons that offer the training required to support their release.
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Recommendation 2
Will the Minister address the serious shortcomings in the management processes in HMPPS, particularly with reference to the poorly planned early release scheme introduced to the service?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
What steps will the Minister take to ensure that the Prison Service is an attractive profession with competitive remuneration, training and professional development.
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 4
Repeated
There continues to be national concern (raised in the draft Mental Health Bill) about the increase in residents with poor mental health and the way they are treated in law. Will the Minister undertake to work with other Ministers to ensure an integrated system to allow the humane treatment of such residents and provide facilities to transfer prisoners to more suitable establishments?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 5
In the Board’s view, the early release scheme (ERS) has been poorly thought through and rolled out, relying on the offender management unit (OMU) to fill the gaps in the resettlement process without the staffing increase to accommodate the extra work. This has had an adverse effect on the quality of the service provided and means that prisoners are not prepared for release. How will HMPPS ensure that the implementation is managed and delivered in a way that does not adversely impact on the safety, fair and humane treatment, health and wellbeing and progression towards a successful resettlement of all those entrusted to its care?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 6
Repeated
What steps is HMPPS taking to address the poor service provided by external suppliers, with particular attention on the quality of service provided by Serco with regard to the transport of prisoners?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 7
What steps will HMPPS take to ensure there is adequate accommodation to allow for different prisoner cohorts segregated appropriately in order to address their specific needs?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Will HMPPS, as a matter of urgency, arrange for the necessary funding to be made available to address the ventilation issues that exist on Beaufort wing during spells of hot weather and the funding to address the repairs required to re-open the laundry facility, which relies on another prison to deliver these services?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 9
Repeated
What steps will the Governor undertake to ensure that key work is increased for all prisoners.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Will the Governor continue to pursue funding for the ventilation issues on Beaufort and re-establish the in-house laundry facilities as a matter of urgency?
Governor / Director
Estate
Other IMB Reports for Portland
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.