People detained in court cells were looked after reasonably well but there were some concerns, said Peter Clarke, Chief Inspector of Prisons. Today he published the report of an inspection of court custody facilities in West Midlands and Warwickshire.

The inspection was part of a series of inspections of court custody carried out by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. At the time of inspection there were 13 courts that had custody facilities in use, including four Crown courts, seven magistrates’ courts, a youth court and an immigration and asylum tribunal. HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) had contracted GEOAmey to manage court custody and escort services on behalf of HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) in the region.

Working relationships among the three key agencies responsible for delivering court custody were good. It was positive that the key stakeholders, in particular HMCTS, accepted responsibility for the overall care and welfare of detainees.

Staffing levels were adequate and despite some weaknesses in training, custody staff dealt with detainees professionally and, on the whole, paid reasonable attention to their welfare needs during their time in court cells. Release arrangements were generally good and staff made sure that detainees left court custody safely.

Inspectors were, however, concerned to find that:

• the frequency of observations in a small number of cases, particularly for vulnerable detainees, was not adhered to as required;
• despite cases being prioritised, some detainees spent long periods in court custody due to delays in the attendance of duty solicitors, arriving at court early for an afternoon listing and delays in the authority to release from prison;
• investment in the estate was needed to address some of the conditions inspectors found; and
• handcuffs were applied in secure areas which was often unnecessary and, in the absence of individual risk assessments, could be disproportionate.

Peter Clarke said:

“This was a reasonably positive inspection. While we had significant concerns about some unnecessarily long stays, handcuffing practice and the physical environment in court custody facilities across West Midlands and Warwickshire, we found much good attention to detainee care. We have made recommendations to improve the safety and care of people detained in court custody.”

 

– ENDS –
Notes to editors:    

1. A copy of the full report, published on 21 April, can be found here.
2.  HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate, inspecting places of detention to report on conditions and treatment, and promote positive outcomes for those detained and the public.
3. This inspection was carried out from 2-15 December 2016.
4.  Please contact Jane Parsons in HM Inspectorate of Prisons press office on 07880 787452 if you would like more information.