Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Featherstone
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 24 September 2024
HMP Featherstone, a Category C training prison, faced significant challenges during the reporting year ending October 2023, primarily stemming from the dilapidated state of its infrastructure and chronic staffing shortages across key departments like healthcare and the OMU. These issues led to regime disruptions, delays in medication, and a persistent problem with property management. While there were positive developments such as improved education outcomes and a reduction in violence, the Board raised serious concerns regarding the inappropriate housing of mentally unwell prisoners in the CSU and inadequate gate security.
Positive Findings
The Board observed positive aspects including a welcoming reception area, an effective resettlement clinic, and reductions in violence and self-isolation. Chaplaincy and the library provided good services, and the reintroduction of the three-tier incentives scheme was welcomed. Educational course uptake and pass rates improved significantly (95% in English, 100% in Maths), and the prison's new Governor initiated a positive move towards a more regular, full-time working day.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
As previously reported over several years Featherstone is in a dilapidated state and does not provide the facilities expected in a modern prison. The cells and wings are in poor condition, temporary repairs are only acting as a sticking plaster and not resolving the underlying problems.
Staffing
Repeated
Issues with low numbers of healthcare staff have, on occasion, meant that the regime has been disrupted because of delays dispensing medication. This has been an ongoing issue and consideration should be given as to whether the system can be changed to increase its reliability and consistency. The offender management unit (OMU) had significant issues during the year, predominantly due to lack of staff. A further issue towards the end of the reporting year was the lack of leader for the department. This exacerbated the pressures caused by the low staffing levels.
Mental Health
Repeated
Mental illness is a serious issue within prisons. At Featherstone, the compassionate answer appears to be to locate some of these prisoners in isolation in the CSU, where largely untrained staff attempt to deal with them in a humane way. This is not acceptable and there needs to be a way of speedily transferring these prisoners to more appropriate accommodation that can better cater for their health needs.
Safety
The Board states that members were not challenged or searched properly when entering the prison. The enhanced gate security pod doesn’t pose as a deterrent for the smuggling of illicit items into the prison. Due to during the period of the report, it was frequently out of use, generally due to the lack of available trained staff. Because of this, the level of security at the gate was judged to be a grave concern.
Other
Repeated
Property, both on transfer and within the prison, remains a significant issue. The Board frequently receives applications (prisoners’ written submissions) regarding missing property during prisoner transfers. This has been exacerbated by poor staffing in reception, leading to insufficient time to deal properly with property. Also, there is not a set capacity of property allowed: it differs from prison to prison.
Food/Catering
The quantity and quality of the food were issues for prisoners. Some problems may originate in menu choices and could also be dependent on how food is distributed from the serveries. Prisoners complained about portion sizes, which vary among the house blocks, depending on the supervision of the staff.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing levels posed significant challenges across the prison, particularly in reception, healthcare, and the Offender Management Unit, leading to regime disruptions and service issues. The OMU also suffered from a lack of leadership. A cultural problem with a small group of staff persisted, requiring continued vigilance from senior management. Key worker activity was inconsistent, and there was a shortage of equality and diversity leaders.
Healthcare
Healthcare faced a challenging year primarily due to staffing shortages, impacting medication dispensing and causing regime disruptions. Dental services were severely hampered by Legionella detection and subsequent cancellations. Mental health services were limited by staffing and high psychoactive substance use. The Board noted issues with healthcare professionals not being present at GOoD reviews and a reluctance from other services to take on complex mental health cases, leading to prolonged stays in the CSU.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison's regime experienced significant disruption throughout the year, primarily due to staffing shortages in healthcare leading to medication dispensing delays and consistently incorrect roll calls. This impacted attendance at work and education. Towards the end of the reporting year, a new Governor initiated a shift from predominantly half-day working to a more regular, full-time working day, a change generally welcomed by staff, prisoners, and the IMB, though implementation was in flux.
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 | 9 | 1 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 12 | 1 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives schemes, sanctions | 6 | 1 | |
| Equality | 5 | 2 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 7 | 3 | |
| Food and kitchens | 6 | 0 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 16 | 20 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 10 | 3 | |
| Miscellaneous, including complaints system | 20 | 7 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 28 | 23 | |
| Property within this establishment | 16 | 15 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 4 | 1 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, recategorization’s | 26 | 18 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 9 | 10 | |
| Transfers | 16 | 4 |
Recommendations (5)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 1
Governor / Director: 3
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
As previously reported over several years Featherstone is in a dilapidated state and does not provide the facilities expected in a modern prison. The cells and wings are in poor condition, temporary repairs are only acting as a sticking plaster and not resolving the underlying problems.
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Mental illness is a serious issue within prisons. At Featherstone, the compassionate answer appears to be to locate some of these prisoners in isolation in the CSU, where largely untrained staff attempt to deal with them in a humane way. This is not acceptable and there needs to be a way of speedily transferring these prisoners to more appropriate accommodation that can better cater for their health needs.
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Issues with low numbers of healthcare staff have, on occasion, meant that the regime has been disrupted because of delays dispensing medication. This has been an ongoing issue and consideration should be given as to whether the system can be changed to increase its reliability and consistency.
Governor / Director
Healthcare; Staffing; Regime
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The culture amongst staff remains problematic in some cases. We believe this issue is understood by the Governor, but continued vigilance is necessary to ensure these issues continue to be addressed.
Governor / Director
Staffing; Respect
Recommendation 5
The use of body worn video cameras (BWVCs) needs to be increased to ensure staff are not subject to unfounded allegations.
Governor / Director
Safety
Other IMB Reports for Featherstone
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
23 Sep 2025
Unannounced
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.