Colnbrook was generally well managed and making progress, said Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons, publishing the report of an announced inspection of the immigration removal centre (IRC) near Heathrow.

Colnbrook is one of the more secure and ‘prison-like’ facilities in the IRC estate. It holds just over 400 mainly adult male detainees, as well as a small number of women. Provision for women was due to expand. Serco had decided not to re-tender to run the centre at the imminent conclusion of its current contract. Colnbrook had been on a consistent path of improvement and was safer than inspectors had found it in the past.

Inspectors were pleased to find that:

• levels of violence, the amount of administrative separation and the use of force had been steadily reducing;
• security was proportionate and many of the excessive restrictions seen at previous inspections had been lifted;
• initiatives were in place to assist the resolution of conflict;
• relationships between detainees and staff were constructive, but more could have been done to exploit this strength with better personal officer work and more active promotion of diversity;
• access to recreational facilities for men was reasonable and there was enough paid work for those who wanted it; and
• some good one-to-one coaching was offered in education.

Inspectors were, however, concerned to find that:

• there was still significant evidence of constant low-level anxiety and fear among detainees, linked to the uncertainties of lengthy immigration processes, exemplified by a notable number of detainees who had been held for extended periods without resolution of their cases;
• although the centre was relatively new, the cleanliness and decorative state needed improvement, and the worst environment was the cramped and dirty ‘first night last night unit’;
• welfare support was reasonable, but not administered systematically, meaning the needs of individuals could be missed;
• the use of the ‘first night last night unit’ and processes in managing the removal of the most complex cases and most vulnerable detainees were in many cases disproportionate; and
• the reasons why websites or foreign news media were blocked were unclear to both detainees and staff.

Nick Hardwick said:

‘Some of Colnbrook’s difficulties were structural – for example, the prison-like character of the institution – but others just required attention by managers, like cleanliness, diversity management and removing unnecessary impediments to communication. A more serious rethink was needed about the use of the ‘first night last night unit’, and there were too many cases of damaging long-term detention, which needed urgent resolution by UKBA. These are important shortcomings, but overall this report describes improving outcomes in a generally well-managed centre that has made noticeable progress since the last inspection.’

Notes to editors

1. A copy of the report. (695 kB)
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 announced inspection was carried out from 28 January – 8 February 2013.
4. Colnbrook IRC holds people detained under immigration powers. It was built to a category B prison standard. It houses mainly male detainees, but also a small number of women. One part of the centre, the first night last night unit, was used to hold people on arrival and before departure, but was no longer run as a short-term holding facility. It is run by Serco on behalf of UKBA.
5. Please contact Jane Parsons at HMI Prisons on 020 7035 2123 or 07880 787452 if you would like more information or to request an interview with Nick Hardwick.