IRC
Cat IRC
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Yarl’s Wood IRC
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 17 October 2024
Yarl's Wood IRC experienced a challenging year with a marked increase in violence and self-harm incidents, linked to higher occupancy and a greater proportion of TSFNOs. The Board raised significant concerns about the length of detention, the fragility of the centre's infrastructure, and the unsuitable environment of the CSU for detainees with mental health crises. Despite staffing improvements, issues persist with communication about immigration cases and the oversight of Rule 35 reports.
Positive Findings
The Board commends the efforts of officers to diffuse potential altercations and engage in mediation. They welcome additional healthcare posts, health promotion campaigns, and the quality of in-house mental health care. The increase in Skype terminals for family contact is also welcomed, alongside the expansion of paid employment for detainees, including NVQ level 1 training in the kitchen.
Key Concerns
Safety
Repeated
There has again been a marked increase in violence at Yarl’s Wood over the course of 2023, with many altercations between detained persons and an increase in damage to property, as well as physical and verbal assaults on both female and male officers.
Estate/Conditions
The fragility of the centre’s fabric has been exposed by major incidents, and the Board questions the fitness of Yarl’s Wood for the purpose of detention.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Length of detention remains an issue with the average detention in 2023 being 53 days for men and 13 days for women. The percentage of persons detained more than two months increased to 23% from 14% in 2022.
Mental Health
The centre continued to see increasing numbers of detained persons arriving with mental health issues, including those transferred from the prison estate. Information coming from prisons about the mental health and vulnerability of men being transferred to Yarl's Wood could be improved, creating unnecessary risk and increasing staff workload.
Mental Health
Persons with severe mental health crises are being kept in the CSU whilst waiting to be transferred to mental health beds outside of the centre. The CSU does not provide a suitable environment for managing persons with severe mental health crises, both for their own safety and that of the staff.
Healthcare
There appears to be little or no oversight of Rule 35 applications. It is unclear which governing body oversees the quality of the Rule 35 process.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The removal process for FNOs is not started in prison before the end of an individuals’ sentence, leading to concerns for the length of time that TSFNOs spend detained at Yarl’s Wood, having served their sentence.
Equality/Diversity
Some of the women have told the Board that they feel exposed and uncomfortable with the behaviour of some of the men who are able to see them in the outdoor exercise area from the first floor Crane unit windows.
Estate/Conditions
Intermittently the Board has noted that centre did not look clean, and that plates and rubbish were left lying about. At times, the communal gardens were littered and the rule banning smoking indoors was not adequately enforced.
Estate/Conditions
Basic maintenance issues, such as non-functioning tumble dryers, are not being resolved within a reasonable timeframe (e.g., more than four weeks).
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Lack of case progression and poor communication about cases contribute significantly to the sense of frustration felt by detained individuals and for some, subsequent challenging behaviour.
Staffing
Recruitment and retention of suitable staff is a constant challenge, despite efforts to increase diversity and language skills.
Other
There has been an increasing number of problems related to property, with some individuals having real problems retrieving belongings from police stations prior to detention.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Recruitment and retention of suitable staff remains a constant challenge, though the Board commends the appointment of an increasingly diverse staff bringing important language skills. Healthcare staff turnover continues at a slow pace. The Board observed that a small number of confrontational detainees sometimes caused tensions, especially between those of different nationalities, which staff had to manage.
Healthcare
Healthcare services are provided by Northampton NHS Foundation Trust, with appointments generally available within three days for a doctor or mental health professional. There is regular access to specialist services. However, healthcare assessments are sometimes hindered by a lack of detainee medical history from prisons or other IRCs. A significant concern is the unsuitability of the CSU for managing detainees with severe mental health crises while they await transfer to external mental health beds, and the lack of oversight regarding the quality of Rule 35 reports.
Regime & Daily Life
Detainees were locked in their rooms from 9pm to 8am (8:30am weekends) with a daily one-hour lockdown for roll count, allowing approximately 12 hours out of cell for free association and activities. Educational uptake is generally low due to the unpredictable length of detention, but arts, crafts, and cultural kitchens are popular. The expansion of paid employment in the centre, including kitchen and cleaning roles, is welcomed.
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, showers | 3 | 0 | |
| Equality | 0 | 0 | |
| Escorts | 0 | 0 | |
| Finance including detained persons’ centre accounts | 0 | 0 | |
| Food and kitchens | 0 | 1 | |
| Health including physical, mental, social care | 2 | 5 | |
| Issues relating to detained persons’ immigration case, including access to legal advice | 20 | 17 | |
| Letters, faxes, visits, phones, internet access | 0 | 0 | |
| Other | 5 | 4 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 2 | 0 | |
| Property within centre | 0 | 1 | |
| Purposeful activity including education, paid work, training, library, other activities | 0 | 0 | |
| Staff/detained persons conduct, including bullying | 3 | 2 | |
| Use of force, removal from association | 0 | 1 |
Recommendations (6)
Other: 1
Home Office: 2
Governor / Director: 1
NHS / Healthcare Provider: 2
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board repeats the recommendation to introduce a time limit for immigration detention.
Other
(minister)
Regime
Response
Recommendation rejected.
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The removal process for FNOs is started in prisons well before their sentence is due to end and in advance of their transfer from prison to the immigration estate.
Home Office
Resettlement
Response
This recommendation was accepted and progress was stated to be ongoing with a dedicated Custodial Decision Team to focus on this.
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The length of stay is reduced by improving the processes related to asylum status/and or removal.
Home Office
Resettlement
Response
Partially accepted. The Board was advised that reforms have focused on ensuring, with adequate safeguards in place, that detention is for the minimum period necessary.
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. addressed
the culture of professional conduct and behaviour is maintained through the officer’s training, inductions and ongoing review of culture amongst staff.
Governor / Director
Staffing
Response
Recommendation accepted. Recruitment and training have been maintained.
Recommendation 5
The Board is concerned with the length of time between identification of need and the sourcing of mental health beds and/or secure mental health beds for vulnerable persons. The Board does not consider the CSU to be an appropriate place for a detained person who is having a mental health crisis.
NHS / Healthcare Provider
Mental Health
Recommendation 6
R35 medical reports should be audited. The IMB should have access to oversight of this process.
NHS / Healthcare Provider
Healthcare