Prison
Cat B, local, remand, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Altcourse
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 26 November 2024
HMP Altcourse experienced a contract transfer to Sodexo in June 2023, leading to initial staffing challenges that have largely been addressed. The Board commends staff for maintaining safety amidst population pressures and notes improvements in mental healthcare and a successful reading strategy. Key concerns include the kitchen's inadequacy, lack of education in CSU, delays in mental health transfers, and the impact of early release schemes on resettlement and accommodation provision.
Positive Findings
The Board commends senior managers and frontline staff for maintaining a safe prison during a contract transfer and staffing challenges. Positive developments include the impact of Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) and safer custody mentors, significant improvement in mental healthcare by Mersey Care, and the highly successful implementation of a reading strategy. The prison has also increased employment opportunities for released prisoners through local employer links and made progress in staff diversity and family support initiatives.
Key Concerns
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Late arrival of prisoners, particularly those from out of area courts, has increased pressure on an already stretched reception area.
Safety
Increased prison population has made the safe location of vulnerable prisoners and those with gang affiliations more challenging.
Safety
There is a concern that the introduction of Pava incapacitant spray and batons may detract from good staff/prisoner relations.
Food/Catering
The kitchen is not fit for purpose, bearing in mind the increased population and prisoners’ concerns regarding quality and quantity of food.
Education/Purposeful Activity
There is no longer any education provision for prisoners in CSU.
Mental Health
Repeated
The holding of mentally unwell men in CSU due to insufficiency of beds in secure facilities continues to be of concern for the Board.
Staffing
Staffing shortages have led to difficulties in escorting prisoners to outside hospital appointments.
Substance Misuse
Ongoing challenges in engaging with short term prisoners in the management of substance misuse is of concern.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The Board is disappointed about the loss of vocational workshops and the failure to deliver the planned workshop included in the Sodexo bid.
Resettlement/Release
The disappearance of a dedicated family unit and current lack of a visits hall creche have severely impacted upon maintaining good family relationships.
Resettlement/Release
The Government early release schemes have exacerbated pressures on both the Offender Management Unit, Resettlement team and Seetec and led to an increase in the number of prisoners released without accommodation.
Mental Health
Repeated
The statutory 28-day time limit for the transfer to hospital of prisoners requiring inpatient mental health treatment has not yet come into effect.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Locating prisoners outside their home area leads to negative consequences in terms of late arrivals, lost property and levels of violence.
Food/Catering
Repeated
The current daily allowance for prisoners’ food is inadequate, particularly in the current economic climate.
Estate/Conditions
Kitchen facilities are not enlarged or improved to take account of the increased prisoner population.
Safety
There is a need for monitoring the use of batons and Pava incapacitant spray.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Education provision in the CSU has not been reinstated.
Healthcare
The provision of hospital escorts is not prioritised.
Resettlement/Release
There is no timescale for re-opening the creche in the visits hall.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The contract transfer to Sodexo in June 2023 resulted in experienced staff departures and negative impacts on staffing levels. Despite this, sustained recruitment efforts have almost achieved full complement. However, staffing shortages led to difficulties escorting prisoners to outside hospital appointments, and ad hoc redeployment of OMU staff affected caseload management. The Board noted the professionalism of CSU staff and the improved gender and race profile within the workforce.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision saw significant changes with Mersey Care taking over mental health services and Practice Plus Group managing general healthcare. Mersey Care's provision has notably improved, while PPG overcame initial recruitment challenges. A key concern remains the detention of severely mentally unwell men in the CSU due to insufficient secure mental health beds. Staffing shortages also led to issues with hospital escorts, preventing prisoners from attending vital appointments, despite typical waiting times for GP and optician appointments being comparable to the community.
Regime & Daily Life
The daily regime remained largely constant, with positive changes in October 2023 allowing prisoners to associate and eat outside their cells, a welcome improvement from previous years. However, the weekend regime is considerably more restrictive, leading to longer lock-up times. The cessation of education provision in the CSU is a concern, and less experienced staff find managing larger unlocked groups challenging after the restrictive COVID-19 regimes.
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 | 1 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 1 | 2 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 11 | 6 | |
| Equality | 2 | 2 | — |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 7 | 4 | |
| Food and kitchens | 6 | 4 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 33 | 28 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 12 | 18 | |
| Miscellaneous | 24 | 42 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 6 | 9 | |
| Property within the establishment | 9 | 10 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 5 | 2 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 27 | 27 | — |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 12 | 4 | |
| Transfers | 3 | 2 |
Recommendations (8)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 4
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
When will the statutory 28-day time limit for the transfer to hospital of prisoners requiring inpatient mental health treatment come into effect?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 2
Can consideration be given to the negative consequences, in terms of late arrivals, lost property and levels of violence, when locating prisoners outside their home area?
Ministry of Justice
Regime
Recommendation 3
Repeated
The Board continues to hold the view, based on their observations and frequent discussions with prisoners, that the current daily allowance for prisoners’ food (which Sodexo follow) is inadequate, particularly in the current economic climate. How and when does the Prison Service plan to review and increase the food budget?
HMPPS
Food
Recommendation 4
Are there any plans to enlarge and improve the kitchen facilities to take account of the increased prisoner population?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 5
How will the prison monitor the use of batons and Pava?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 6
Are there any plans to reinstate education provision in the CSU?
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 7
Can an assurance be given that the provision of hospital escorts will be prioritised?
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 8
Is there any timescale for re-opening the creche in the visits hall?
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Other IMB Reports for Altcourse
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
7 Jul 2025
Unannounced
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.