Prison
Cat Category A, dispersal
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Frankland
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 9 October 2024
HMP Frankland, a Category A dispersal prison, operated close to its 852 capacity, maintaining a generally safe environment despite some serious assaults. The IMB noted improvements in healthcare provision, reducing a previous 'enhanced surveillance' status, and a 75% achievement rate in education. Persistent concerns include outdated CCTV, ongoing kitchen equipment breakdowns and heating issues causing lost workdays, and long-standing problems with prisoner property during transfers. The Board also highlighted challenges in mental health provision for complex cases and inadequate facilities for older and disabled prisoners.
Positive Findings
The IMB is overall satisfied that HMP Frankland is a safe environment, with wings frequently reported as calm and settled. Staff demonstrate a strong focus on intelligence and risk assessments to minimise conflict, and the establishment compares favourably with other dispersal prisons. The kitchen consistently provides high-standard, nutritious food with six choices daily. Staff and prisoner relationships are generally good, with chaplains providing a visible presence and support for religious festivals. Healthcare provision has improved, leading to the standing down of 'enhanced surveillance'. The education department has fostered positive relationships, resulting in a 75% overall achievement rate for learners, including high-risk prisoners outperforming peers on GCSE English. OMU backlog for OASys reviews was significantly reduced, and family visits are well-organised and popular, with in-cell telephone installation nearing completion.
Key Concerns
Safety
The safety of prisoners and staff is compromised by the outdated CCTV provision, which leads to blind spots around the estate.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The frequent issues arising from kitchen equipment breakdown and the time taken to replace or repair it does sometimes affect the provision. This is a consistent issue.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The loss of working days for prisoners at HMP Frankland, due to ineffective heating, has been an issue reported on over a number of years in our annual reports.
Segregation
There is an issue regarding prisoners being held in segregation for a longer period than regulations stipulate.
Other
Repeated
Prisoner transfer to and from Frankland consistently leads to numerous complaints regarding property, as in, late arrival or, in some cases, property not arriving at all. This has been a problem for many years and never seems to get resolved.
Healthcare
Complaints regarding healthcare from prisoners have been a concern throughout the reporting year, especially in relation to medication.
Healthcare
The facilities for pharmacy dispensing on the lower wings are inadequate and in need of upgrading to make them fit for purpose.
Mental Health
Mental health provision for complex cases is a concern.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The cells on wings are unsuitable for these prisoners (with social care needs). Showering provision is also inappropriate. Although provision has been made to use toilets on nearby wings, there are no disabled toilets in the healthcare waiting rooms.
Mental Health
Dementia care services remain a concern.
Substance Misuse
Repeated
The issue of illicit drug availability is still a major concern.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing remains a constant challenge, with reliance on agency staff to mitigate shortages, particularly affecting primary healthcare. The Board notes that irregular key worker meetings can occur due to staff absence and leave. The number of new operational staff sometimes leads to prisoner complaints about their approach to the regime. However, the Offender Management Unit saw an improvement, with the percentage of posts filled increasing to 90% compared to 60% last year, helping to reduce the backlog of OASys reviews.
Healthcare
HMP Frankland's healthcare provision 'required improvement' according to the CQC in December 2022, leading to 'enhanced surveillance'. Significant improvements, however, resulted in this surveillance being stood down by November 2023. Complaints, especially regarding medication, have been a consistent concern throughout the year, partly due to a pharmacist vacancy. Facilities for pharmacy dispensing on lower wings are inadequate and need upgrading. Plans are underway to improve mental health provision and address cramped working conditions, while dementia care services remain a concern, though a 'dementia pathway' is planned.
Regime & Daily Life
Heating issues in some workshops remain a significant problem, leading to lost working days for prisoners and their confinement to cells. The MPU regime, offering daily phone calls, exercise, and shower time, is occasionally challenged by staff absence. While the recovery of the regime post-pandemic, with prisoners on furlough until March 2023, initially impacted attendance, education adapted by continuing delivery during lockdowns, increasing access and engagement. Association room activities are generally settled and enjoyed, with good staff-prisoner relationships observed.
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 | 21 | 9 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 4 | 10 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 7 | 4 | |
| Equality | 7 | 4 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 7 | 5 | |
| Food and kitchens | 10 | 7 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 17 | 13 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 13 | 15 | |
| Miscellaneous | 54 | 90 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 4 | 4 | — |
| Property within the establishment | 11 | 22 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 11 | 12 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 2 | 18 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 26 | 52 | |
| Transfers | 11 | 13 |
Recommendations (4)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 1
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
The preparation of food for religious beliefs often challenges an already limited daily prison meal allowance. When will the Minister raise the allowance, in line with the rise in the cost of food?
Ministry of Justice
Food
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What can be done to replace and /or repair essential kitchen equipment, so that extra costs involved in preparing food do not occur?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The loss of working days for prisoners at HMP Frankland, due to ineffective heating, has been an issue reported on over a number of years in our annual reports. What are your plans to rectify this ongoing issue?
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 4
Repeated
With the new band 6 dedicated neurodiversity support manager in position, when will there be an additional training programme to develop specialist wing staff to work with prisoners who have dementia and autism?
Governor / Director
Staffing