Prison
Cat C resettlement YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Rochester
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 7 August 2024
HMP/YOI Rochester, a Category C resettlement prison for adult and young adult men, is grappling with increasing self-harm and violence, attributed to unsuitable prisoner transfers, drug-related issues, and new gang activity. Significant concerns include a deteriorating prison estate, a critical shortage of probation officers hindering resettlement efforts, and persistent problems with property management and the inefficient escort system. Despite these challenges, the report notes positive staff-prisoner interactions, satisfactory mental health provision, and commendable purposeful activity initiatives like the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.
Positive Findings
The Board views Rochester as a safe environment with good ACCT provision. Positive interactions between staff and prisoners are noted, and adjudications are fair. Mental healthcare and drug recovery arrangements are satisfactory, with the incentivised substance-free living area proving successful. The chaplaincy provides high-quality pastoral support, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme for young prisoners and officers is commended. Offender management is performing well, and education, vocational training (including a unique stonemason workshop), and resettlement planning efforts are praised. A new neurodiversity support manager has made a significant positive impact on awareness and support.
Key Concerns
Safety
Incidents of self-harm have increased, particularly since December 2023, although it is noted that some individuals are prolific self-harmers. There has also been an increase in the number of prisoners arriving at Rochester with a history of self-harming.
Safety
Levels of violence have increased. Analysis shows this increase is related to the transfer of prisoners who, in the past, would not have been considered suitable for a resettlement prison such as Rochester. Much of the violence is caused by drug-related debt and intimidation, and, for the first time, gangs.
Safety
The large open footprint of the prison makes it easy for illicit items to be thrown over its fences, and the use of drones delivering such items has been seen for the first time.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The majority of wings at the prison have a failing infrastructure and are just about meeting an acceptable level of accommodation.
Estate/Conditions
There is a continuing issue with vermin.
Staffing
The lack of probation officers at the prison has greatly impacted negatively on how prisoners are progressed towards release.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Education, skills training and behavioural programmes offer prisoners an opportunity to gain more life-skills. However, lack of trainers impacts on delivery of these services and affects a prisoner’s ability to follow their sentence plan.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The Board’s view is that more activity for prisoners is required, and it supports the prison in its aim to provide more meaningful occupation.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
While noting the Minister’s comments from last year, the Board is still aware of the limitation of suitable bail accommodation in the South East. The Board retains its view that re-offending rates cannot be reduced unless there is support for all prisoners who have completed their sentence or are being released on home detention curfew (HDC).
Staffing
The introduction of the early release schemes, while understandable given the pressures on the prison estate, have had repercussions for those staff managing this change. In particular, the lack of probation officers, both in the community and within the prison, is a serious problem.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The introduction of volumetric control of property does not seem to be working. As a prison from which prisoners are released, Rochester regularly receives property in excess of the volumetric control number. This in turn has to be sorted and stored, and is a time-wasting exercise for all concerned.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Many of the buildings at Rochester continue to deteriorate and, in the Board’s view, are barely meeting acceptable standards of accommodation. It would be useful to learn if Rochester is still part of the Long-term Prison Estate Strategy – as the Board’s continuing view is that it should be completely redeveloped.
Segregation
While there has been some improvement in cell-checks when a prisoner is moved to the CSU, there is still an ongoing problem with loss of the individual’s property in these circumstances.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The provision of escorts for all kinds of prisoner movements has been an ongoing issue for some time – causing delays to activities and missed healthcare and other appointments.
Resettlement/Release
Too many transferring prisoners arrive without their possessions, including family photographs (the loss of which is detrimental to their wellbeing). It is a needless source of frustration for both prisoners and hard-pressed wing staff who are left to deal with the consequences.
Resettlement/Release
Too many prisoners are released to be homeless.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Rochester faces staff shortages due to temporary promotions, high sickness, and other absences, despite appearing fully established on paper. The majority of officers are inexperienced, with many having less than five years’ service. The Board recommends increasing the allocated number of officers for greater flexibility. A critical issue is the severe lack of probation officers, with the prison having only a senior probation officer from January and no probation officers from March, significantly impacting offender management and early release schemes.
Healthcare
Healthcare services are provided by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, but consistently face staffing shortages in both physical and mental health. While mental healthcare and drug recovery are satisfactory, the Board continues to receive many prisoner applications expressing dissatisfaction with primary healthcare. A key challenge is the escorting system, which leads to missed in-prison and hospital appointments. GP waiting times are typically two weeks or longer, dental waits range from three to six weeks, and optician appointments can take 24 weeks. The mental health team is currently one staff member down.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime has settled well after an initial review, allowing prisoners on standard and enhanced incentives extra time out of cells in the evening. However, the Board believes more purposeful activity is needed, with a lack of trainers impacting education and vocational programme delivery. The current escort system is not working effectively, causing frustrating delays to activities and missed appointments, as controlled freeflow has not resumed since COVID lockdowns.
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 | 22 | 14 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 24 | 12 | |
| Equality | 10 | 11 | |
| Food and kitchens | 5 | 5 | — |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 103 | 103 | — |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 52 | 59 | |
| Miscellaneous | 92 | 70 | |
| Property within the establishment | 162 | 215 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 33 | 27 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 103 | 84 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 37 | 26 | |
| Total number of applications | 660 | 660 | — |
| Transfers | 17 | 25 |
Recommendations (3)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 1
Governor / Director: 1
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board urges the Minister to look into this further, and to see how more accommodation can be provided.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Response
New commissioned rehabilitative services (CRS) accommodation contracts being reviewed
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board believes it should be implemented more rigorously.
HMPPS
Regime
Response
Referred to Property Policy Framework
Recommendation 3
The Board is asking for a form of controlled freeflow to be considered.
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Rochester
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
2 Jun 2025
IRP
30 Aug 2024
Urgent Notification
12 Aug 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 1
Activity: 1
Release: 1
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.