Prison
Cat Category B/C, Remand
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Berwyn
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 21 August 2024
HMP Berwyn operates as a Category B/C resettlement and training prison, with a population settling at its operational capacity of 2000. The Board observes a generally safe environment with improving regime delivery, although significant staffing churn, particularly among band 3 officers, remains a challenge impacting various aspects of prison operations. Key concerns include persistent long waiting times for mental health transfers, a halted cell refurbishment program, and issues with missed medical appointments and key worker awareness. Despite these, the prison demonstrates positive outcomes in resettlement, with above-target employment and housing rates for prison leavers.
Positive Findings
HMP Berwyn has shown gradual improvements in regime delivery, available activities, and staff retention, while maintaining a positive relationship between the Board and prison management. The prison is considered safe, and healthcare provision has improved to be comparable with community standards. There are commendable education and vocational training opportunities, including a successful scaffolding course, and resettlement outcomes for employment and housing on release are above target.
Key Concerns
Staffing
The significant proportion of inexperienced staff, with over 40% of band 3 officers having less than 12 months’ service.
Other
The time taken to address and resolve issues within the prison.
Mental Health
Repeated
Persistent long waiting times for men with severe mental health issues or personality disorders to be transferred to a secure unit.
Mental Health
Repeated
The ever-increasing numbers of prisoners with severe mental health problems in the segregation unit, requiring extra, targeted staff training.
Estate/Conditions
A serious problem with paint peeling off the walls in cells, where the refurbishment programme has been halted due to increased prison population, leaving inadequate progress given the scale of the issue.
Healthcare
Many instances of men not attending medical appointments, which the Board recommends putting in place measures to radically improve.
Staffing
Repeated
Many instances of men not knowing that they have a key worker, despite Nomis records, and the need for improved clarity for both prisoners and staff.
Healthcare
Repeated
The ongoing problem with the lack of sufficient dementia training for staff.
Board Commentary
Staffing
While the overall staffing situation has improved, a significant proportion (over 40%) of band 3 officers have less than 12 months' service, leading to ongoing issues with proper task execution and a need for more training and mentors. Staff retention has seen a positive trend with a reduction in resignation rates. The Board noted that many prisoners are unaware of their key worker, prompting the introduction of a new key worker strategy.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision has improved to be comparable with community standards, operating from a clean and modern centre without in-patient facilities. However, significant concerns remain regarding the long waiting times for mental health transfers to secure units, which can take many months. Late arrivals at reception limit healthcare screening, and the mental health and learning disability units are understaffed. An increasing number of missed healthcare appointments and prisoner complaints about stopped medication (often due to positive drug tests) also highlight areas needing attention.
Regime & Daily Life
Regime delivery is steadily improving and is a Governor's priority, with increased association time and good use of recreational facilities like gym and soccer pitches. However, the Board notes that insufficient staffing levels, often due to escort duties, frequently prevent prisoners from being out of their cells. Specifically, orderlies and cleaners often face immediate lock-up after their shifts, an issue that persists from the previous reporting period, denying them yard time.
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 | 38 | 44 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 11 | 17 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 21 | 14 | |
| Equality | 9 | 10 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 17 | 13 | |
| Food and kitchens | 16 | 8 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 44 | 43 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 41 | 64 | |
| Miscellaneous | 58 | 43 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 31 | 32 | |
| Property within the establishment | 42 | 59 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 20 | 20 | — |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 44 | 57 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 58 | 78 | |
| Transfers | 12 | 50 |
Recommendations (5)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 2
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How does the Minister plan to tackle the very serious issue of long waiting times for men with severe mental health issues or personality disorders to be transferred to a secure unit, given that transfers can take many months to accomplish?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 2
Does the Prison Service agree with the Board’s recommendation that extra, targeted training would be appropriate for staff in segregation on how to deal with severe mental health problems, and if so, what steps will it take to make this happen?
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
What will the Prison Service do to address the serious problem with paint peeling off the walls in cells, given that the refurbishment programme has been stopped due to the increase in the prison population and current measures are inadequate?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 4
The Board recommends putting in place measures to radically improve the take up of internal medical appointments.
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 5
Repeated
How will the Governor improve the situation where many men do not know that they have a key worker?
Governor / Director
Staffing
Other IMB Reports for Berwyn
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
27 Jan 2025
Unannounced
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.