Prison
Cat Women's Closed / YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Downview
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 3 September 2024
HMP/YOI Downview experienced significant population pressures and a more complex demographic during the reporting year, leading to an unsettled environment and increased safety incidents. While healthcare saw some positive working relationships and good mental health support, there were critical delays in transferring acutely unwell women to psychiatric units and persistent issues with medication distribution. The Board raised concerns about the accuracy of education attendance data, the inconsistent key worker system, and a decline in library services.
Positive Findings
Downview has seen a more positive working relationship between healthcare and other departments, leading to a general reduction in healthcare-related complaints. The mental health in-reach team provides comprehensive care planning and cross-partner working. The Employment Advisory Board (EAB) has been cited as best practice, with the employment lead and community engagement manager making extraordinary efforts to secure employment opportunities for women. Staff in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) also show extraordinary resilience, patience, and compassion.
Key Concerns
Safety
There has been a rise in assaults on staff and in the use of force, presumably due to a more complex mix of prisoners and a higher prisoner population.
Segregation
The care and separation unit (CSU) has been at full capacity in periods during the reporting year, housing acutely mentally unwell women awaiting transfer to a psychiatric facility in an environment not intended to be therapeutic.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The key worker system is still not embedded as planned, despite clear acknowledgement of its benefits.
Other
The increase in applications relating to property being lost when transferred from other prisons has increased by 147%, which is out of all proportion to the rise in population.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Equalities work continues to appear to be a low priority in the prison, with disappointing utilisation of the lead and engagement of wider staff.
Mental Health
Prisoners requiring external secure mental health care are still waiting far too long for transfer to psychiatric units following assessment and referral, often exceeding the 28-day timeframe.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The Board does not have confidence in the accuracy of the data reported by the prison for attendance at education and activities for much of the reporting period.
Resettlement/Release
The number of women on release on temporary licence (ROTL) from the prison has decreased significantly because of the recent decision that most prisoners eligible for open conditions should be transferred to HMP East Sutton Park, impacting outcomes and viability of industry partners.
Resettlement/Release
There has been a significant increase in the number of women recalled to prison (50% increase in each of the past two years).
Resettlement/Release
Contracted family engagement services (PACT) continue to remain inconsistent and poorly managed at the prison.
Healthcare
There is still no commissioned provision for dementia testing in the prison, despite the trend towards a rising ageing population.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The decline of the library provision in this reporting period is disappointing, following staff resignations and reduced service.
Other
The Board has struggled with getting prompt and comprehensive information from certain staff when required to carry out our statutory role.
Resettlement/Release
Women were transferred to Downview far away from their families, which is counterproductive to the rehabilitative aim of maintaining family ties.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing was problematic early in the year, with instances of below-required levels and frequent rotations of managers across wings, leading to continuity issues. While overall staffing levels met targets by year-end, a significant portion (25%) were inexperienced, and staff sickness rates were among the highest in the women's estate. The key worker system struggled with consistent implementation, and the Board noted an embedded culture where staff often do not read or respond to emails effectively.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision shows both strengths and significant challenges. While there's a perceived positive relationship between healthcare and prison departments and good care for women with mental health issues, acutely unwell women face unacceptable delays in transferring to psychiatric units, often being held inappropriately in segregation. There are ongoing issues with medication distribution impacting the regime, and a lack of provision for dementia care and smear tests. GP waiting times were typically three weeks at year-end.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison experienced significant population pressure and a complex demographic, leading to an unsettled environment and a lockdown period in August 2023. The Care and Separation Unit was often at full capacity, subjecting acutely unwell women to 23-hour lock-ins in an unsuitable environment. Purposeful activity is capped at 22 hours per week, with observations showing as few as one-third of women out of cells. The key worker system remains inconsistently embedded, and the regime for transgender prisoners was limited and unstructured.
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 transfers) | 20 | 15 | |
| Adjudications (disciplinary hearings) | 12 | 11 | |
| Food | 2 | 2 | — |
| Healthcare | 35 | 53 | |
| Legal | 15 | 11 | |
| Property from other prisons | 47 | 19 | |
| Property within Downview | 31 | 28 | |
| Staff behaviour/attitude | 23 | 14 | |
| Total | 242 | 193 | |
| Unspecified / Other | 14 | 14 | — |
| Welfare | 14 | 10 | |
| Work/education/activities | 29 | 16 |
Recommendations (12)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 4
Governor / Director: 5
Other: 1
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
What plans does the Government have to ensure that there is a sufficient number of psychiatric places and, most importantly, in the right geographical locations for women in prison?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Can the Minister clarify what steps are to be taken to manage population pressures in the women’s estate?
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Recommendation 3
What additional external checks are carried out by HMPPS to ensure the accuracy of data reported by the prison?
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 4
Repeated
How does HMPPS intend to improve this dire situation [of property loss]?
HMPPS
Property
Recommendation 5
Can HMPPS provide clarity on how allocation criteria are set and managed for transfers [of women far away from their families]?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 6
How does HMPPS intend to resolve [the lack of commissioned provision for dementia testing in the prison]?
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 7
The Board does not have sufficient confidence in the accuracy of attendance data for activities and education collated by the prison (7.1).
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 8
The Board remains concerned about the implementation of key working (5.3).
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 9
The management of PACT’s contracted family engagement by the prison appears to be poor (7.4).
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 10
Last year, we looked forward to seeing a renewed focus on equality and diversity, following the appointment of a new lead (5.4). The utilisation of the lead and the engagement of wider staff has been disappointing.
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 11
It is disappointing to see the decline of the library provision in this reporting period (7.1).
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 12
What lessons have been learnt from the management of this situation [a suspected data breach involving Rule 39 correspondence]?
Other
(other)
Board Independence
Other IMB Reports for Downview
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.
Prevention of Future Deaths Reports
Coroner PFD reports issued to this establishment.