IMB Annual Reports

- Persistent gang culture, widespread illicit drug use (over 50% estimated) and associated debt, fear, and violence, including the manufacturing of bladed weapons.
- High levels of violence, including assaults on staff (107 in last 3 months) and prisoner-on-prisoner, with officers sometimes intimidated from reporting incidents or activating body worn video cameras.
- Chronic staff inexperience due to a large influx of new recruits, impacting fair treatment, staff-prisoner relationships, and leading to communication challenges.
- Inadequate regime provision, with insufficient time out of cell (7.25 hours per week reported) and frequent delays or cancellations of purposeful activity.
- Significant concerns regarding prisoner mental health, including insufficient in-reach staff, inappropriate use of CSRU for severe mental health cases, and extreme delays in transfers to secure units.
- Overcrowding pressures and inappropriate prisoner allocations, with Swaleside being used for purposes it is not equipped for, like resettlement, leading to further instability.
- Ineffective measures to combat contraband entry (drugs, phones, weapons) via drones and the main gate, with illicit items consistently ranked as a ‘serious risk’.
- Persistent issues with maintenance of kitchen equipment, delays in fitting new equipment, and the continued reliance on Swaleside’s kitchen to feed HMP Standford Hill, creating significant pressure.
- A backlog of adjudications, with a high number dismissed or unaddressed due to prisoners refusing to attend, undermining prison discipline.
- Lack of adequate support for prisoners upon release and persistent theft of stock from the DHL workshop.

- The disruption to the prison population has resulted in the prison struggling to maintain its effectiveness as a vehicle for rehabilitation. It is essential that open prisons are given the stability to focus on rehabilitation, and this can only come with a more stable and appropriate prison population.
- Standford Hill’s initiative in establishing a prison shop is to be commended, but it could be improved by employing staff with the right level of experience or provide training in running retail businesses. If the management of the shop can be improved, the service should consider a bigger premises with a more ambitious remit in order to serve the prisoners better.
- Staffing levels at night are very low, raising concerns about whether the prison is adequately resourced to respond effectively to unexpected incidents.
- Technology to validate release on temporary licence (ROTL) has been suggested in previous reports - we believe this needs to be implemented to save significant staff costs.
- The provision of PIN phones has been discussed for a very long time. It needs to be implemented to support relationships and rehabilitation.
- While we appreciate that the prison has tried to obtain authorisation for non-internet mobile phones, this needs to be pursued. The current telephony provision is inadequate.

- The poor condition of some prison buildings, showing signs of subsidence, with a lamentably slow response from the Prison Service to address these safety issues.
- Ongoing extreme dissatisfaction with the performance of Gov Facility Services Limited (GFSL) in maintenance and repairs.
- The failure to install scanning equipment at the open site, hindering security and the prevention of illicit items.
- Poor telephony provision, which is inconsistent with the need to enhance prisoners’ family contact.
- The concern that early release protocols could diminish the rehabilitative role and operational capacity of open prisons like Standford Hill.
- Unhappy with the condition of laundry equipment and a persistent roof leak in the laundry, impacting clean clothing provision.
- The lack of a Christian minister operating in the prison during the reporting year.

- The performance of Gov Facility Services Ltd (GFSL) remains unsatisfactory, with slow maintenance response times and bureaucratic procedures.
- The Temporary Presumptive Recategorisation Scheme (TPRS) could dilute resettlement work and reduce involvement in the Working Out Scheme.
- There is a lack of scanning equipment to deter illicit items, despite its availability elsewhere in the prison estate.
- Technological solutions for monitoring prisoners on ROTL and WOS are available but not approved, hindering efficiency.
- The quality and variety of food provision are regularly criticised by prisoners.
- Sporadic internet facilities and the overall condition of some buildings remain unaddressed issues from the previous year.

- Persistent and unprecedented staff shortages significantly impacting the regime, wellbeing, and staff morale.
- Humane treatment of prisoners compromised by regime restrictions, including long periods in cells and limited meaningful activity.
- The poor condition and lack of refurbishment for many wing showers.
- The concerning length of time some prisoners spend in the Care, Separation and Reintegration Unit (CSRU).
- Inadequacies in the Employability Hub, leading to prisoners being released without proper support.
- Disruptions and stability issues caused by the change in Offender Flow and Allocation system, bringing younger, shorter-term prisoners to a Category B trainer.
- The high number of deaths in custody during the year (10), following 7 in the previous year.
- The ongoing issue of drugs, especially spice, within the prison despite security improvements.
- Lack of suitable courses and programmes for IPP prisoners to demonstrate progression towards release.
- Continued reliance of HMP Standford Hill on Swaleside's kitchen, adding significant pressure.
- Unusable cells due to maintenance issues, despite some improvement from GFSL.
- Restricted keywork provision, limited to only the most vulnerable prisoners.
- Inadequate facilities for female officers, including shared locker rooms.
- A range of equality and access issues, including in-cell technology only in English, lift problems, and limited chaplaincy for some faiths.

- The woefully inadequate performance of GFSL in providing services, particularly evident in laundry maintenance and oversight of suppliers, with communications needing radical improvement.
- Sporadic internet facilities which restrict prisoners' ability to plan futures, communicate with employers, and develop technological skills, hindering rehabilitation.
- The deteriorating state of several older buildings, including the historic hangar and an unfinished, potentially dangerous patio area, requiring urgent refurbishment.
- The ongoing inefficiency of the food system, with meals transported from Swaleside, and the continued absence of a dedicated kitchen and dining room.
- A perception of inequality of accommodation arising from the introduction of new individual pods alongside older wings.

- The continuing low numbers of staff and inability to recruit, severely impacting prisoner well-being and regime provision.
- The number of deaths in custody during the year, requiring a national investigation.
- The unacceptably long periods some prisoners spend in the Care, Separation and Reintegration Unit (CSRU).
- The detrimental impact of the new prisoner flow and allocation system, mixing young, short-sentence prisoners with older, long-term residents.
- The lack of working body-worn cameras for operational staff.
- The continued reliance of HMP Standford Hill on Swaleside's kitchen, causing major issues and overstretching resources.

- The death of Mr Rahman and the inadequate healthcare oversight surrounding his discharge from hospital, raising concerns about recurrence.
- The absence of 24/7 onsite healthcare cover, particularly at weekends.
- The lack of an internet room to adequately equip prisoners with digital communication skills for resettlement.
- The reliance on HMP Swaleside for food provision and the absence of Standford Hill's own kitchen facilities and a dining room.
- The severe impact of Covid-19 restrictions on purposeful activity, ROTL, education, and family visits, leading to prolonged inactivity and hindering progression.
- The lack of soundproofing in the healthcare centre, preventing discreet and confidential discussions during medication dispensing.

- The kitchen's insufficient capacity for Swaleside's population and its reliance on catering for Standford Hill remains unaddressed.
- The Board is denied statutory access to the Governor's confidential complaints (Comp 2 paperwork), hindering its monitoring duties.
- Swaleside cannot provide adequate resettlement services for the increasing number of residents released directly into the community.
- Inequality of opportunity persists for MCOSO and vulnerable residents regarding activities, employment, and common facilities.
- The lack of in-cell telephony in the Inpatient Department (IPD) disadvantages residents in healthcare.
- The continued long-term occupancy of an end-of-life cell by a paraplegic resident with different needs is inappropriate and resource-intensive.
- The lack of sufficient Body Worn Cameras for staff needs addressing to properly establish facts after incidents.

- The lack of dedicated kitchen facilities, which restricts further development and poses health risks.
- The need for an internet room to equip prisoners with appropriate skills for resettlement and family links.
- The temporary C wing has far outlived its projected lifespan, requiring significant investment and dealing with ongoing issues like rats.
- Slow development of a national vocational qualification in gardens, with unsatisfactory oversight from Government Facility Services Limited.
- Funding constraints have halted educational initiatives, reversing progress and restricting available options for prisoners.
- Inconsistent and haphazardly applied property rules, particularly regarding items like X-boxes and music systems, cause prisoner frustration.
- Prisoners dislike the current roll call system, which they find demeaning.
- Administrative issues with external probation links leading to serious delays in ROTL clearance, frustrating prisoners.

- Continued unacceptably high level of violence, remaining at the head of its comparator group.
- Persistent poor performance of Government Facility Services Limited (GFSL) impacting maintenance, repairs, and general prison conditions.
- Kitchen capacity is severely overstretched due to catering for both Swaleside and HMP Standford Hill, leading to concerns about food quantity and equipment failure.
- Lack of meaningful employment, vocational training, and educational opportunities, particularly for MCOSO and vulnerable residents, and poor attendance.
- Ongoing issues with hygiene and cleanliness across the prison, including appalling showers, serveries, self-cook areas, littering, and a rat problem.
- Easy acquisition of mobile phones and weapons, exacerbating debt, violence, self-harm, and residents choosing to self-seclude.
- Unacceptable number of cancelled external hospital appointments due to lack of escorts, wasting NHS time and causing distress.
- Lack of in-cell telephony in the inpatient department (IPD) and some CSRU cells.
- Insufficient resettlement support for the small number of residents released directly from Swaleside, with no employment or accommodation arranged.
- High number of adjudications not proceeded with due to procedural issues.