Prison
Cat B
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Garth
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 26 July 2024
HMP Garth, a Category B training prison, generally provides a safe environment, though self-harm and violence incidents increased. The Board's key concerns include persistent staff shortages impacting regime stability, key worker schemes, and offender management. The prison's physical estate is in poor condition, and delays in mental health transfers for complex cases remain critical. The IMB highlights the ongoing challenges of the IPP sentence and issues with prisoner progression and property transport.
Positive Findings
The Board generally finds the prison safe and commends the ACCT process for generally working well. Staff demonstrate care and respect for prisoners, and family liaison officers provide good support. The search procedures for illicit items have been significantly improved, almost eradicating drug trafficking via paper. The Chaplaincy is well-organised, providing multi-faith pastoral support, and the incentives scheme works well with few complaints. Good working relationships are observed within the social and healthcare team, and the drug and alcohol team is efficient. The outreach education provision ensures learning access for all, and Family Days are much appreciated by prisoners and their families.
Key Concerns
Safety
Repeated
Self-harm continues to be a major concern, with an increased number of Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) documents, used to support prisoners who are at risk of self-harm and suicide, opened during the reporting year.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Constant changes to the regime, both daily and weekly, have caused unrest amongst the prisoners. Many of these changes, it is recognised, have been caused by staff shortages, including sickness absences.
Segregation
The Segregation Unit is frequently full to capacity.
Mental Health
Repeated
Many segregated men have serious and complex mental health needs and it is noted that many of these are IPP prisoners.
Segregation
Repeated
Prisoners are detained in the Segregation Unit for excessively long periods. This is usually because of the unavailability of suitable placements in other prisons and secure mental hospitals.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The prison, built in 1988, is in grave disrepair. There are significant leaks in flat roofs, broken flooring and abysmal shower/bathing facilities.
Healthcare
Applications (prisoners’ written representations) to the Board in regard to the range of healthcare services offered has increased by 282.3% this year, from 17 to 48.
Mental Health
Repeated
The time taken for prisoners requiring secure mental health assessments leading to appropriate transfers can be significant; on occasion, prisoners are left in Segregation Unit for exceptional periods of time.
Other
Many prisoners at HMP Garth have not been able to progress as usual, with some waiting two years or more to be allocated a category C placement.
Safety
There was an increase in the level of violence in the reporting year – 270 incidents compared to the previous year’s figure of 240.
Staffing
Repeated
The ability to manage violence is hampered by the fact that there are too few experienced officers at the prison and key work is under resourced.
Substance Misuse
Drone activity continues to be a significant problem and there have been regular finds, including drugs, mobile phones and chargers.
Staffing
Repeated
Recruitment of prison officers has been continuing, as has the number of staff leaving. At the time of reporting, in excess of 40% of staff have been in post for two years or less, with the majority of those recruited in 2023.
Staffing
Repeated
The key worker system has not functioned fully during the reporting period.
Other
Repeated
The ongoing scandal of the indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP). This injustice needs to be resolved immediately. The prison currently holds around 40 IPP prisoners, many of whom have been seriously damaged by the sentence.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
Major concerns continue about the transport of prisoners’ property from sending prisons.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
It has been known for prisoners to wait more than three months to get their post once it arrives at the prison.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff shortages, including high sickness absences, frequently disrupt the regime and key worker plans. Recruitment of prison officers is ongoing, but retention is an issue, with over 40% of staff in post for two years or less, leading to promotions without desired experience. The key worker system is not fully functional due to shortages and redeployment. The Offender Management Unit (OMU) is severely understaffed, with probation officers carrying double the recommended caseload, increasing pressure and impacting essential duties.
Healthcare
Applications to the IMB regarding healthcare nearly tripled, mainly due to staffing problems in healthcare and insufficient prison staff for escorts, leading to missed appointments. There are lengthy waits for non-urgent medical appointments (around 10 days) and outside hospital appointments are problematic. Demand for mental healthcare is increasing, with significant delays in transferring prisoners with complex needs to secure units; one prisoner was in segregation for over 23 months awaiting transfer. The IMB also noted concerns about the inadequate waiting area in the healthcare unit.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime experiences constant daily and weekly changes, largely due to staff shortages, causing unrest among prisoners. Time out of cell for domestic purposes suffers particularly, leading to frequent wing lockdowns. Access to library services is limited for non-education prisoners, and workshops operate mainly part-time due to staff availability. Long adjudication backlogs diminish the impact of disciplinary actions. There are also significant backlogs in processing prisoner mail and packages, with some waiting over three months.
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 | 14 | 12 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 15 | 2 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 8 | 4 | |
| Equality | 4 | 3 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 4 | 14 | |
| Food and kitchens | 5 | 11 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 48 | 17 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 12 | 11 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 21 | 30 | |
| Property within the establishment | 46 | 71 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 10 | 5 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 23 | 35 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 58 | 86 | |
| Total number of applications | 269 | 306 | |
| Transfers | 1 | 4 |
Recommendations (12)
HMPPS: 7
Ministry of Justice: 1
Governor / Director: 4
11 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How and when does the Minister propose to tackle the urgent issue of uniformed staff recruitment and retention? Specifically, it is strongly recommended that applicants who are interested in joining the staff at Garth should visit the prison before interview and should be interviewed by a panel that includes senior staff at the prison. This should help ensure that new entrants know what they are coming into and that senior management feel they are suitable for the prison. It should not be assumed that all prisons are alike and that all new staff are suitable for any prison.
HMPPS
Staffing
Response
The IMB’s concerns were acknowledged regarding the process for selecting and appointing new prison officers.
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Staffing shortages have meant that the key worker system cannot work effectively. The Board believes the key worker system is essential for the good management and support of prisoners. It is presently not working effectively because of staff shortages. When will the Minister increase staffing levels and funding to rectify this problem?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
When will the Minister properly address the ongoing scandal of the indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP)? This injustice needs to be resolved immediately. The prison currently holds around 40 IPP prisoners, many of whom have been seriously damaged by the sentence.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Response
The Minister informed the IMB that a new Justice Select Committee Action Plan has been drafted.
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Flat roofs in many areas of the prison are in urgent need of repair. In particular roofs leak in numerous areas of the main security corridor. It will be only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured by slipping and falling on puddles. This needs sufficient capital investment to rectify the problem.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Heating and ventilation systems on the wings are old and frequently ineffective and need investment to rectify problems.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 6
Repeated
For many years, complaints have been registered about the very inadequate waiting area in the healthcare unit. This needs to be addressed urgently.
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Major concerns continue about the transport of prisoners’ property from sending prisons (see section 4.1). Resolving this problem would benefit prisoners greatly and would also save much staff time and reduce compensation payments.
HMPPS
Fair Treatment
Response
New security measures imposed in February 2023 to find illicit items and drugs arriving at the prison. New procedures - see 4.5 - with no additional resources have created an increase in the time taken to locate and return property to the owner. Transfers in of prisoners’ property - see 5.8 - continue to be problematic.
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
As above, to the Minister: staff recruitment and interview procedures need to be substantially changed to improve the process.
HMPPS
Staffing
Response
The IMB’s concerns were acknowledged regarding the process for selecting and appointing new prison officers.
Recommendation 9
Whilst it is recognised that progress is being made, the Board receives complaints about staff culture, which largely reflects the inexperience of many members of staff. This suggests that increased work is needed to promote and maintain a healthy staff culture in the prison.
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Whilst it is recognised that the ACCT process works well, the incidence of self-harm continues to be a cause for concern.
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 11
Repeated
The population of the Segregation Unit continues to highlight the high number of prisoners with serious mental health needs. What steps are being made to improve mental health support and treatments, including timely move-on to more appropriate prisons and secure mental health hospitals?
Governor / Director
Mental Health
Recommendation 12
Repeated
Constant regime changes, which are frequently caused by staff absences and shortages, unsettle the prisoner population. What steps may be made to remedy this problem?
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Garth
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
29 Jul 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 3
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.