Prison
Cat local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Leicester
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 23 July 2024
HMP Leicester, a busy local prison, continues to be well led despite the challenges of old buildings needing investment and high prisoner churn. While staff-prisoner interactions are positive and resettlement planning is a strength, the Board remains concerned by rising self-harm incidents, delays in mental health transfers, prisoners leaving without accommodation, and deteriorating cell conditions. Key working remains insufficient, and the substance misuse unit is not delivering its full therapeutic regime.
Positive Findings
The prison continues to be well led by an energetic Governor and senior management team. There has been good use of intelligence to intercept weapons, drugs, and mobile phones. The Board commends the whole prison approach in supportive teamwork to ensure individuals are kept safe, and observed many positive staff-prisoner interactions. Education provision continued to develop, with good success rates in functional skills qualifications, and resettlement planning developed as a real strength with the new resettlement hub and excellent employer links. Physical and mental healthcare services were generally good. CSU staff were upbeat and enthusiastic, successfully supporting men with complex needs.
Key Concerns
Mental Health
Repeated
Some prisoners experienced very long waits for transfer to secure hospital accommodation; the number of prisoners waiting a place has increased and several of these men deteriorated while waiting in the care and separation unit.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Over the past year, 37% of prisoners released from HMP Leicester did not have accommodation to go to and the situation has worsened since with the recent increase in the numbers of prisoners on early release.
Resettlement/Release
Most short-sentence prisoners are being transferred to prisons further afield rather than being resettled locally, impacting contact with families, local employers and accommodation providers.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The conditions of cells are deteriorating, with broken windows and grills needing replacement to provide more decent accommodation and to reduce opportunities for delivery of contraband by drones.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The work available in the prison workshops fails to develop prisoners’ skills, motivate them or link to job opportunities in the community.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Vulnerable prisoners do not receive the same quality of induction as the general prison population, and induction is not sufficiently tailored to those with additional needs or lack of fluency in English.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The frequency and regularity of key working requires improvement.
Substance Misuse
Repeated
The substance misuse unit (My Recovery Unit) is not working as intended and the healthcare unit is not providing a comprehensive therapeutic regime.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The staffing situation was reasonably settled, with a full complement of prison officer grades in post for most of the year, exceeding the agreed profile. Many Band 3 officers were new, requiring ongoing training. The turnover rate for prison officers was approximately 22%, but reduced to 3.6% for those who completed training, suggesting a need to improve recruitment suitability. Despite good staffing levels, key working sessions were consistently well below target, averaging about 20% of expected hours.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision was generally appropriate despite an unhealthy and ageing prison environment. However, there were significant staff vacancies covered by temporary staff. Physical healthcare services were good, though a change in provider caused disruption and increased GP waiting times. Mental health services were good, but excessive delays in transferring individuals to secure settings persisted. There continued to be an absence of psychosocial treatment for substance misuse problems, despite being part of the healthcare contract.
Regime & Daily Life
The condition of the ageing prison cells continues to deteriorate, with broken windows and grills needing replacement to improve decency and security. There were occasional shortages of basic clothing and kit due to heavy prisoner throughput. Further capital investment is required to upgrade showers, and a program of cell refurbishment and redecoration is needed but stalled due to population pressures. Food is of a reasonable standard, but the budget is insufficient, and essential kitchen equipment often needs maintenance. Time out of cell on the induction unit was limited to 2.5 hours a day, and the general time out of cell was limited by available facilities, though open-air exercise was generally an hour daily.
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) | 45 | 38 | |
| Diet | 2 | 0 | |
| Discipline (adjudications, incentives, segregation) | 12 | 15 | |
| Education & Skills | 1 | 0 | |
| Finance (canteen, private money) | 2 | 1 | |
| Healthcare | 14 | 22 | |
| Legal | 10 | 13 | |
| Other | 14 | 10 | |
| Property (lost or damaged) | 30 | 26 | |
| Regime | 14 | 13 | |
| Safety (self-harm, violence, bullying) | 11 | 8 | |
| Staff (relationships, discrimination) | 13 | 9 | |
| Total | 193 | 170 | |
| Visits | 10 | 11 | |
| Work & Pay | 5 | 4 |
Recommendations (8)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 3
6 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What actions will the Minister take, together with colleagues in health commissioning, to ensure there are sufficient secure hospital places to cope promptly with the demand?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Response
The proportion of men waiting too long for transfer to a secure facility worsened in 2023. Nine of the eleven men waited more than the 28-day target, with waits ranging from 50 to 195 days.
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How does the Minister plan to work with colleagues who have responsibility for housing and local Government to increase opportunities for the accommodation of prisoners on release?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Response
There has been a marginal improvement in the percentage of men obtaining accommodation on release with the opening of the new CAS3 service (which offers those leaving prison temporary accommodation for up to 84 nights) in the latter part of 2023. However, the situation has worsened more recently, with many men who were released on end of custody release licences leaving prison without accommodation.
Recommendation 3
With the opening of HMP Fosse Way on the edge of Leicester, can more of these prisoners be transferred there to improve contact with families, local employers and accommodation providers to improve opportunities for resettlement and to reduce prisoner’s anxieties about transfer?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can funds be found for replacing cell windows and grills?
HMPPS
Estate
Response
The prison has remained full for most of 2023 and the programme of refurbishment and redecoration of cells has stalled. Due to heavy throughput of prisoners the conditions of cells and in particular the windows have continued to deteriorate.
Recommendation 5
Can HMPPS source more meaningful work for the prison workshops that develops skills relating to job vacancies in the local travel-to-work area?
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can the Governor review and improve induction so that it is equitable for all?
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
There has been a recent improvement in induction procedures with the opening of the new resettlement hub. However, there has been no improvement in arrangements for vulnerable prisoners or those who are not fluent in English or have learning difficulties.
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can the Governor develop a revised scheme that is deliverable within the resources available, which is predictable and routine and targets those most in need of attention and support?
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
Key working continues to average about 20% of expected hours during any week. However, plans are developing for re-scoping and targeting the scheme to improve the impact for priority groups and those in their early days in custody.
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can the Governor work with healthcare commissioners and the provider to ensure that the healthcare unit provides a more holistic, therapeutic regime for prisoners who are seeking to reduce their substance misuse?
Governor / Director
Substance Misuse
Response
The regime for the My Recovery Unit (MRU) has not developed, as the proposed psychosocial interventions have not been delivered by the healthcare provider.
Other IMB Reports for Leicester
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
13 Feb 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 3
Activity: 2
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.