Read the report: category C prisons

Prisons inspectors were concerned about the impact of prolonged severe regime restrictions in three category C men’s prisons and found that even modest local initiatives to allow more time out of cell were frustrated by national guidelines and the concerns of staff associations.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons conducted short scrutiny visits on 16 June at HMP Maidstone, HMP Onley and HMP/YOI Brinsford, the second set of such visits to category C prisons in the COVID-19 period.

Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said that little had changed since the first set of visits, to three different category C prisons, on 5 May. “Managers had taken effective measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 and were maintaining regime restrictions.”

Brinsford was challenged by the amount of transfers from other prisons, while Onley held many frustrated category D prisoners who needed to move to an open prison. Maidstone held 19 individuals under immigration detention, an unusually high number. Social distancing measures were still in place, although inconsistently practised at Brinsford and Maidstone.

Mr Clarke added: “Staff and prisoners were becoming concerned about the impact that such a prolonged restricted regime was having on prisoners’ well-being. Levels of self-harm varied across the three prisons. We were concerned that there were no systematic welfare checks in place at Onley or Maidstone to identify any decline in prisoners’ mood. At Maidstone, some prisoners had had no recorded contact at all since lockdown began.”

Inspectors found that the use of staff as key workers for vulnerable and complex prisoners had returned at Brinsford and Maidstone but was inconsistent. At Maidstone, it was also evident that the vital resource of Listeners (prisoners trained by the Samaritans to provide confidential emotional support) would be affected unless further training was carried out to increase their numbers. Maidstone’s foreign national population also faced additional anxiety about their immigration status. There was, though, effective partnership working at all sites to deliver reduced health care services and manage the response to COVID-19.

At all three prisons, prisoners were unlocked for no more than an hour each day. The report noted: “At all three sites, some 12 weeks into very restrictive measures, prisoners were desperate to hear about restrictions being eased but the governors were unable to provide any reassurance.”

Mr Clarke added: “Some managers had actively considered options to improve the very limited time out of cell or create additional physical education sessions, but had not felt able to do so due to national guidelines and the concerns of staff associations.

“Only Brinsford and Onley provided physical education sessions, and at Onley these took place during the same period of unlock allocated for showers and phone calls.”

Education providers were no longer on site. Attempts to provide in-cell education had not proven effective, though inspectors found good efforts to get some of the population out to work.

The suspension of visits continued to negatively affect many prisoners and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) had still not provided video calling at the three sites. Public protection procedures continued at all sites.

Overall, Mr Clarke said:

“Although all three prisons remained stable, this report illustrates some of the emerging frustrations and concerns felt by both staff and prisoners about the cumulative impact of restricted regimes. Given that the spread of COVID-19 has been well contained in these prisons, I am disappointed and concerned that at this stage even the most modest local initiatives from governors, which in their view could be safely implemented to increase time out of cell, had for whatever reason been frustrated.”

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Notes to editors

1. A copy of the full report, published on 3 July 2020, can be found on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website.
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. HMP Maidstone, HMP Onley and HMP/YOI Brinsford are category C prisons holding convicted adult male prisoners. Maidstone holds a foreign national population, Onley receives prisoners from the London area and Brinsford’s population consists mostly of young adults aged 18–21.
4. The report identifies nine examples of notable positive practice.
5. These announced short scrutiny visits took place on 16 June 2020.
6. Please contact John Steele at HM Inspectorate of Prisons on 07880 787452, or at john.steele@justice.gov.uk, if you would like more information.