Winchester Prison - the full report - Part 5

Main recommendations to the Governor 9.1 Formal first night arrangements should be introduced on wings and ensure at minimum that all new prisoners have an opportunity to shower and make a free telephone call on the day of their arrival and have any urgent needs dealt with. (HP43) 9.2 Managers should develop a strategy to deal with the underlying negative staff culture at Winchester and improve relationships between staff and prisoners, consulting prisoners about what improvements could be made and providing regular feedback to all staff and prisoners. (HP44) 9.3 Personal officers should introduce themselves to prisoners, get to know their personal circumstances and record contact in wing files to build up an accurate chronological account of a man's time at Winchester and any significant events affecting him. (HP45) 9.4 Anti-bullying procedures should be improved to ensure that all staff are fully aware of the strategy, all potential bullying incidents are investigated and wing staff fully monitor suspected bullies. (HP46) 9.5 ACCT procedures should be improved to include more multidisciplinary involvement in assessment and reviews and better case management, care plans and management checks. (HP47) 9.6 A diversity policy should be agreed that outlines how the needs of all minority groups will be met, including arrangements to monitor the treatment and equality of access of black and minority ethnic, foreign national, disabled and older prisoners. (HP48) 9.7 Sufficient work, education and training should be available to allow prisoners more time out of cell and to take part in activities that will help them on release. (HP49) 9.8 The resettlement strategy should be based on an analysis of needs of the population to ensure that the services match what is required in the prison and are integrated within the prison and linked to community provision. (HP50) 9.9 All prisoners should have a custody or sentence plan to ensure that their individual resettlement needs are identified and met. (HP51) Recommendation to the Chief Executive of NOMS Courts, escorts and transfers 9.10 Prisoners should be moved from court quickly after their court appearance. (1.8) Recommendation to the Regional Offender Manager Resettlement pathways 9.11 The regional offender manager should liaise with local housing providers to try to ensure appropriate priority for released offenders to reduce the likelihood of their reoffending. (8.38) Recommendations to the Governor Courts, escorts and transfers 9.12 Prisoners should be given advance information about what to expect at Winchester. (1.9) 9.13 Prisoners should be able to shower before and/or after attending court. (1.10) First days in custody 9.14 Reception and induction officers should introduce themselves to prisoners and address them by their title and surname. (1.30) 9.15 The reception area should be redesigned and refurbished to better meet the needs of prisoners. (1.31) 9.16 Closed-circuit television should be installed to enable staff to observe all areas including the rear holding room. (1.32) 9.17 New arrivals should be given a minimum of two sets of clothing and two towels. (1.33) 9.18 The cell-sharing risk assessment should be completed in private. (1.34) 9.19 Induction and resettlement staff should ask specifically about children or other dependants. (1.35) 9.20 The role of peer supporters should be extended and formalised in reception and induction procedures. (1.36) 9.21 All prisoners should receive a second stage induction the day after their arrival irrespective of their location. (1.37) 9.22 The quality and presentation of anti-bullying and race equality information at induction should be improved to reflect the importance of the topics, and wider diversity issues should be included. (1.38) 9.23 The names and status of vulnerable prisoners should not be displayed in the stage one induction office. (1.39) Residential units 9.24 Cells should be refurbished and decorated as part of a rolling programme. (2.18) 9.25 Single cells should not be used for two prisoners. (2.19) 9.26 All prisoners should have a lockable cupboard. (2.20) 9.27 Toilets in cells should be fully screened. (2.21) 9.28 Reasonable adjustments should be made to ensure that prisoners with a disability and those with mobility problems can access all facilities and services. (2.22) 9.29 Unconvicted prisoners should be allowed to wear their own clothes. (2.23) 9.30 All prisoners should be able to shower daily. (2.24) 9.31 Wing laundries should be provided. (2.25) 9.32 All showers should be maintained in working order and refurbished as necessary. (2.26) 9.33 All prisoners in West Hill should be allowed to wear their own clothes. (2.27) Staff-prisoner relationships 9.34 Staff on all wings should support prisoners and show respect in how they speak to, address and refer to them. (2.34) Personal officers 9.35 Personal officers should receive specific training and guidance on their role and what is expected of them. (2.40) 9.36 Prisoners with specific care needs, such as older prisoners and those with disabilities, should have regularly monitored care plans as part of their wing files. (2.41) 9.37 Managers undertaking checks on wing files should specifically follow up those with no entries within two weeks. (2.42) Bullying and violence reduction 9.38 Attendance at the safer custody committee should be improved and should include representatives from key areas of prisoner safety. (3.9) 9.39 The safer custody committee should analyse all indicators of violence and bullying to inform policy and strategy. (3.10) 9.40 Interventions to challenge bullying and support victims of bullying should be developed. (3.11) 9.41 Training in the anti-bullying and violence reduction strategy should be developed and should emphasise the important role of wing managers in promoting it. (3.12) 9.42 The safer custody manager should be at least at principal officer level to allow sufficient management authority to challenge staff. (3.13) 9.43 Wing-based safer custody liaison officers should be established and given profiled time for the task. (3.14) 9.44 Vulnerable prisoners should not be identified by their cell cards. (3.15) 9.45 Vulnerable prisoners who have asked for protection should be held separately from other prisoners. (3.16) Self-harm and suicide 9.46 There should be increased awareness of the need to support prisoners who have been recalled or have indeterminate sentences for public protection. (3.30) 9.47 Actions plans developed following death in custody investigations should be periodically reviewed by the safer custody committee. (3.31) 9.48 Residential managers and healthcare staff should work together more closely to improve the care and management of those at risk of self-harm. (3.32) 9.49 Procedures should be developed to investigate serious, near-fatal incidents of self-harm to establish what lessons could be learned. (3.33) 9.50 Alternatives to returning 'at risk' prisoners in West Hill to the main prison should be developed. (3.34) 9.51 Listeners should be readily available to prisoners in areas of the prison such as A wing and healthcare where vulnerability and risks are greater, and should not be required to listen outside cell doors unless a risk assessment indicates otherwise. (3.35) 9.52 Residential managers should ensure that all Listeners feel supported and valued. In particular, limits should not be imposed on time spent with prisoners at risk, the use of Listener suites should be encouraged and managers should ensure that prisoners have access to Listeners at all times. (3.36) 9.53 All direct telephone lines to the Samaritans from residential units should work and the facility be advertised to prisoners. (3.37) 9.54 Calls to the Samaritans from landing telephones should be free of charge. (3.38) 9.55 At least one first aid trained member of staff should be detailed to work each night. (3.39) Diversity 9.56 All prisoners who identify that they have a disability should have their needs assessed and a care plan drawn up. (3.51) 9.57 Prisoners with disabilities and older prisoners should be consulted about their needs and care. (3.52) 9.58 The disability equality policy should include an action plan and be based on an assessment of prisoner need. (3.53) Race equality 9.59 Black and minority ethnic prisoners' forums should be established to allow prisoners and staff to investigate and discuss the different experiences and perceptions of black and minority ethnic prisoners. (3.64) 9.60 The race equality action team meetings should include representatives from the outside community. (3.65) 9.61 Race equality action team meetings should identify and examine in depth issues of core importance to good race relations outcomes in the prison. Discussions and progress on action points should be reflected in the minutes. (3.66) 9.62 The race equality action plan should be updated, record progress or lack of it, and specify further actions to be taken. (3.67) 9.63 Any disparities identified by ethnic monitoring should be systematically investigated and reported back to the race equality action team meeting and prisoner forums. The details of investigations and outcomes should be recorded. (3.68) 9.64 Interventions should be in place to address the attitudes and beliefs underlying identified racist behaviour. (3.69) 9.65 Pictures and displays should reflect the racial diversity of the establishment. (3.70) Foreign national prisoners 9.66 The prison should make links with an independent immigration advice agency to assist immigration detainees and potential detainees. (3.83) 9.67 Foreign national information and support groups should continue to take place weekly. (3.84) 9.68 The foreign national committee should include prisoner representatives and have a wider strategic oversight of foreign national prisoner issues. (3.85) 9.69 The foreign national policy should be revised and have an accompanying action plan. (3.86) 9.70 Foreign nationals should be able routinely to obtain a free monthly international telephone call and should be informed of this provision. (3.87) 9.71 The foreign national coordinator should be enabled to develop knowledge and appropriate skills for the role. (3.88) 9.72 Immigration casework should be progressed speedily and information conveyed to prisoners and detainees regularly, and in good time. (3.89) Contact with the outside world 9.73 Prisoners should have daily opportunities to use telephones to make social and official calls. (3.103) 9.74 Telephones should be placed in booths. Additional telephones should be provided on B and D wings to meet prisoner need. (3.104) 9.75 The ban on visitors wearing jewellery should be lifted. (3.105) 9.76 Visits procedures should be carried out efficiently so that visits are not delayed. (3.106) 9.77 Closed visits should be authorised only when there is significant risk justified by security intelligence. (3.107) 9.78 Children under the age of 10 should not be considered as adults for the purpose of visits. (3.108) 9.79 A visitors' centre should be provided outside the establishment to provide support and information to prisoners' families. (3.109) 9.80 The visits waiting room should open at least one hour before and after visits. (3.110) 9.81 Access to the visits booking line should be improved and callers should be able to leave a message to be called back when no one is available. (3.111) 9.82 Prisoners and visitors should have access to toilets in the visits room. (3.112) 9.83 Prisoners and visitors using the closed visit facility should be able to do so in private. (3.113) 9.84 The fixed seating in the visits room should be made more comfortable. (3.114) 9.85 Prisoners should be able to play with their children in the play area. (3.115) Applications and complaints 9.86 A question and answer document for queries relating to recall processes should be available to residential staff. (3.126) 9.87 Information about contacting the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and external bodies should be reinforced through additional wing notices. (3.127) 9.88 External complaints should be subject to monitoring and tracking for timeliness of reply. (3.128) Legal rights 9.89 Staff should be made aware of the available legal services so that they know where to refer prisoners. (3.135) 9.90 Urgent queries should be dealt with in person and due note should be taken of extra information provided in legal services applications, and personal officers and other staff informed as necessary. (3.136) 9.91 Wing staff should pass applications to the legal services officer quickly. (3.137) 9.92 A well-ventilated and more spacious legal visits area that allows sufficient privacy should be provided. (3.138) Substance use 9.93 The detoxification landing should be segregated to reduce and restrict potential contamination of those subject to support. (3.150) 9.94 Psychosocial support, including peer support and group work, should be developed for prisoners subject to clinical management. (3.151) 9.95 The prison should create a voluntary testing wing to offer appropriate post-detoxification support. (3.152) 9.96 All staff on A wing should be trained in drug awareness and treatment awareness to help facilitate their role in supporting men withdrawing from drugs. (3.153) 9.97 The prison should ensure that prisoners identified for mandatory drug testing random tests are an accurate reflection of the prison population. (3.154) 9.98 Mandatory drug testing should be appropriately staffed to ensure that all testing, including suspicion and frequent testing, is carried out appropriately within identified timescales. (3.155) Health services 9.99 The prison health partnership board should meet at least every two months to ensure that the health needs of prisoners are being met. (4.35) 9.100 The beds in healthcare should not form part of the prison's certified normal accommodation and admission should be only because of clinical need. (4.36) 9.101 The bathroom facilities for inpatients should be decent, functioning and adequately heated and ventilated. (4.37) 9.102 The waiting room in healthcare should be refurbished to provide a safe, decent, comfortable, well-ventilated and welcoming environment. (4.38) 9.103 An untoward event procedure should be adopted that encourages learning and enables trends to be identified and preventive action to be taken. (4.39) 9.104 A procedure for recording and reviewing injuries and self-harm should be devised and followed by all staff. (4.40) 9.105 Regular reviews of all health service complaints should be undertaken and copies of documentation relating to all healthcare complaints should be retained within the health centre to support this. (4.41) 9.106 Information on the NHS complaints process and how to make a complaint should be provided to prisoners in simple English and on the touch-screen monitors. (4.42) 9.107 All healthcare staff should have at least annual resuscitation and defibrillation training. (4.43) 9.108 All staff should have access to clinical supervision. (4.44) 9.109 Infection control audits should be conducted in all clinical areas and action taken according to the findings. (4.45) 9.110 All staff should know what to do when there is a risk or suspected outbreak of communicable disease. (4.46) 9.111 Policies and procedures on information-sharing and confidentiality should be in place and monitoring conducted to ensure that all health staff act in line with legal and ethical requirements. (4.47) 9.112 All prisoners should be offered a secondary health screen no later than 72 hours after their arrival in custody. (4.48) 9.113 Prisoners should be able to apply in confidence for a healthcare appointment. (4.49) 9.114 Prisoners should not have to wait for long periods in healthcare before and after their clinic appointment. (4.50) 9.115 Waiting times to see the optician and the podiatrist should be reduced. (4.51) 9.116 All patients with long-term conditions should be offered the opportunity for regular review of their treatment and care in line with standard health service practice. (4.52) 9.117 The full range of sexual health advice and treatment, including immunisation, should be available to prisoners. (4.53) 9.118 Condoms should be freely available to prisoners both while they are in custody and on release. (4.54) 9.119 Prisoners should have access to an appropriate range of secondary specialist treatment and care, including confidential consultation, within the specified NHS waiting times and without undue security restrictions. (4.55) 9.120 Arrangements should be made for a wider range of medicines to be supplied by the pharmacist and nursing staff without recourse to a doctor's prescription. (4.56) 9.121 Prisoners should be able to have medication administered in confidence. (4.57) 9.122 Inpatients should have at least equivalent access to a range of activities as other prisoners unless their clinical condition precludes it. (4.58) 9.123 Additional nursing cover should be provided at night. (4.59) 9.124 Therapeutic and rehabilitative day care interventions should be provided for inpatients and people on the wings who require it. (4.60) 9.125 All prison staff should receive training in identifying mental illness and working with people with mental health problems. (4.61) 9.126 Patients who are severely mentally ill and need NHS inpatient care should be transferred without undue delay. (4.62) Learning and skills and work activities 9.127 Education and activity provision within the main prison should reflect the needs of short-term and vulnerable prisoners. (5.14) 9.128 A designated manager should be appointed to ensure activity places are used to their maximum capacity, with allocations reviewed and monitored regularly to enable fair access for all prisoner groups. (5.15) 9.129 The kitchen should employ prisoners who remain long enough to gain vocational qualifications. (5.16) Physical education and health promotion 9.130 The outdoor facility in West Hill should be refurbished as soon as possible. (5.23) 9.131 Staffing levels in the gym should be increased to the required level to meet the needs of the population and to offer some accredited courses. (5.24) Faith and religious activity 9.132 Washing facilities for Muslim prisoners should be provided close to the multi-faith room. (5.34) 9.133 Separate services should not be held for vulnerable prisoners. (5.35) 9.134 A chaplaincy representative should attend the safer custody committee regularly and play a more active part in assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCT) procedures. (5.36) Time out of cell 9.135 Prisoners should be unlocked for domestic activities during the day. (5.43) 9.136 Regime monitoring should accurately reflect time unlocked. (5.44) 9.137 Prisoners should be provided with suitable outdoor clothing for exercise when the weather is less good. (5.45) 9.138 Prisoners in West Hill should be allowed to exercise in the grounds. (5.46) Security and rules 9.139 Security information report investigations should be completed on time and actions cross-referenced to ensure that they are completed. (6.11) 9.140 Visitors banned because of alleged inappropriate behaviour towards staff should be written to, reminded of acceptable standards of behaviour and informed of the likely outcome if they cannot meet these requirements but should not be required to write an apology. (6.12) 9.141 Closed visits should not be imposed for a pattern of intelligence involving drugs in the prison unless there is clear information linked to visits. (6.13) Discipline 9.142 Quality checks on adjudications should be more robust. All evidence should be examined and outcomes investigated. (6.26) 9.143 Punishments of 100% loss of earnings should not be issued. (6.27) 9.144 Use of force and special accommodation paperwork should be closely monitored at the use of force quarterly meeting. The orderly officer incident report should accompany all paperwork. (6.28) 9.145 Individual risk assessments should take place on all prisoners located to the care and separation unit (CSU) to determine whether a full strip search should take place. (6.29) 9.146 The video camera should be used for planned use of force and a log kept of its use. (6.30) 9.147 Written reasons explaining to prisoners why they are being held in the CSU should be comprehensive and detailed. (6.31) 9.148 Fortnightly reviews in the CSU should have predictable times and days to enable a multidisciplinary attendance. (6.32) 9.149 The CSU should have a larger group of selected staff to ensure it always has authorised staff on duty. (6.33) 9.150 Daily history sheet entries should be more insightful about prisoners and have multidisciplinary input. (6.34) Incentives and earned privileges 9.151 The incentives and earned privileges scheme should be promoted consistently on all wings. (6.41) 9.152 There should be meaningful differentials between the different levels of the incentives and earned privileges scheme. (6.42) 9.153 There should be improved recording and monitoring of the operation of the incentives and earned privileges scheme across all wings, to evidence that the scheme is operated fairly and consistently in line with the published policy. (6.43) Catering 9.154 Breakfast should be served on the day it is to be eaten. (7.7) 9.155 Lunch should be served after noon and the evening meal after 5pm. (7.8) 9.156 Prisoners in the Hearn unit should be allowed to eat together. (7.9) 9.157 Prisoners in West Hill should have facilities to prepare some light snacks. (7.10) 9.158 Prisoners who have to eat in their cells should be provided with adequate tables and chairs. (7.11) Prison shop 9.159 Fresh fruit and healthy options should be included on the canteen list. (7.16) 9.160 The range of catalogues available to buy clothes and other items should be expanded to reflect prisoners' needs. (7.17) 9.161 Distribution of canteen should not take place at association times. (7.18) Strategic management of resettlement 9.162 Terms of reference should be agreed for the reducing reoffending policy committee, which should meet regularly to direct the strategic development of resettlement services. (8.6) 9.163 A reducing reoffending action plan should be developed that clarifies activity required under each pathway each year and identifies someone responsible for each pathway. (8.7) 9.164 Prisoner needs analysis from the BETA database should take place regularly and should inform the development of resettlement provision. (8.8) Offender management and planning 9.165 The deployment of the offender management model should be reviewed to give the probation department a more central role in implementing offender management and allow greater integration of offender management, probation and public protection staff. (8.25) 9.166 A single shared file should be developed for all prisoners subject to offender management. (8.26) 9.167 Key workers should be briefed on the offender management model and understand their contribution to the process. (8.27) 9.168 The lifer booklet should be revised and reissued. Specific reference should be made to the management of indeterminate public protection sentences. (8.28) 9.169 Life-sentenced prisoners and those subject to indeterminate public protection sentences should be assigned lifer officers who have received appropriate training. (8.29) 9.170 More use of release on temporary licence should be made to support prisoners' resettlement. (8.30) 9.171 Prisoners subject to licence recall should receive relevant information on the process and possible outcomes shortly after arrival at Winchester. (8.31) Resettlement pathways 9.172 An analysis should be undertaken of the reasons for prisoners being released without accommodation to go to in order to identify the causes. (8.37) 9.173 Prisoners due for release should have their health and social care and health promotion needs reviewed sufficiently early for these to be addressed and so that staff can make contact with the appropriate agencies in the community. (8.47) 9.174 All prisoners due for release should be given information and assistance to access health and social care services in the community. (8.48) 9.175 Health and discipline staff should work together on release and resettlement plans for prisoners. (8.49) 9.176 The CARAT team should reintroduce and extend the range of group work available. (8.58) 9.177 The CARAT team should introduce pre-release checklists to ensure pre-release information and harm reduction messages are delivered consistently. (8.59) 9.178 The prison should develop a specific alcohol strategy to complement the drug strategy and develop a range of appropriate treatment to reflect the need identified in the alcohol needs analysis. (8.60) 9.179 Prisoners subject to voluntary testing should be subject to second-level searching only where there is supporting intelligence. (8.61) 9.180 The windows in the voluntary drug testing facilities in West Hill should be screened off to ensure privacy. (8.62) 9.181 Resettlement information should be displayed for visitors. (8.71) 9.182 Prisoners on all wings should be able to access accredited programmes aimed at improving parenting skills and relationships. (8.72) 9.183 Evening visits and regular children and family days should be provided. (8.73) 9.184 Prisoners who do not receive visits should be able to exchange unused visiting orders for extra letters or telephone credit and this should be promoted to prisoners. (8.74) 9.185 Prisoners identified as carers should receive additional free letters and telephone credit. (8.75) 9.186 A qualified family worker should be employed to help prisoners maintain contact with their families. (8.76) 9.187 Release on temporary licence should be used to allow suitable prisoners to spend time with their families in the months before their release. (8.77) .188 Visitors should be able to share their concerns with a named advertised individual. (8.78) Housekeeping points First days in custody 9.189 Reading material should be provided in reception holding rooms. (1.40) 9.190 Prisoners should be offered pens and paper to make notes during induction. (1.41) Residential units 9.191 Discharge bags should be provided in reception. (2.28) Self-harm and suicide 9.192 The central ACCT log should be kept up to date. (3.40) 9.193 Protocols should be developed for the use of Listener suites. (3.41) 9.194 Auditable checks should be made of first aid and first response boxes in wing offices. (3.42) Race equality 9.195 The race relations helpline should announce itself as such and invite information. It should either be made accessible to prisoners or clearly indicate that it is for external callers only. (3.71) Foreign national prisoners 9.196 The foreign national prisoner representatives should have a job description. (3.90) 9.197 The information and available languages on the multi-lingual touch screens should be updated in line with the needs of the population. (3.91) Contact with the outside world 9.198 The prisoner information booklet should contain the correct visiting times. (3.116) 9.199 The display of information for visitors in the waiting room should be improved. (3.117) 9.200 Search staff should have somewhere safe to lay a baby during searching. (3.118) 9.201 Prisoners should be able to take their children's drawings back to their cells. (3.119) 9.202 Tap water in the visits room should be provided free of charge. (3.120) Legal rights 9.203 A single accessible log of applications for legal services should be kept by all staff dealing with legal services and reviewed regularly by managers to check that resources meet need. (3.139) Health services 9.204 Written responses to complaints should be in plain English and the opportunity to discuss the complaint in person should be offered. (4.63) 9.205 Drugs cabinets in treatment rooms should be kept locked at all times and all medication should be kept in these locked cabinets. (4.64) 9.206 Refrigerators used for the storage of thermolabile medicines should be locked and maintained at a temperature of 2-8C. (4.65) 9.207 Prisoners assessed as needing supervised administration of medicines should have each of their daily doses administered by nursing staff. (4.66) 9.208 If controlled drugs records are to be maintained on the same page, a register with the correct headings should be used for clarity. (4.67) Learning and skills and work activities 9.209 Hearn unit prisoners should be allowed to access the West Hill library during opening hours. (5.17) Resettlement pathways 9.210 Voluntary drug testing figures should be compiled on a wing basis to facilitate better analysis and evaluation. (8.63) Example of good practice Health services 9.211 Prisoners had regular direct access to a pharmacist for advice and some prescribing. (4.68)