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 developing gang culture, illegal substance trade, and associated violence remain a significant safety concern within the prison.
- Persistent and unprecedented staff shortages across all departments profoundly impact the regime, prisoner wellbeing, and service delivery, including healthcare and offender management.
- Access to mental healthcare and timely transfers to specialist units continue to be problematic, exacerbated by the effects of long-term lockdown.
- The 'Offender Flow and Allocation' system, which directs younger, shorter-sentenced prisoners to a Category B training prison, negatively affects stability and resettlement efforts.
- Long-standing estate issues, such as overflowing sewage, broken showers, and non-functional industrial dryers, pose significant health, safety, and hygiene risks.
- IPP prisoners continue to face limited opportunities for progression and release, despite repeated recommendations for government review.

- 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.

- 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.