« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
3. SAFETY
Outcome
Appropriate steps are taken to ensure that individual prisoners are protected from harm by themselves and others.
3.1 Met. The prison is safe; relationships are good; prisoner escort arrangements are appropriate; and there have been no suicides since the last inspection.
Escapes, Absconds and Physical Security
3.2 There had been no escapes or absconds since the last inspection. The use of CCTV throughout the accommodation areas ensures that any incident within the prison is likely to be captured.
3.3 At the time of inspection the establishment's contingency plans were being reviewed and updated.
3.4 Fire evacuation procedures meet the required standards and evacuation drills take place every six months.
3.5 The establishment has set up an Anti Violence Confidential Free Phone, which is widely advertised through the establishment and visit room. This is an area of good practice.
3.6 Local Management use what is called the 'Back Field' Risk Matrix in order to ascertain whether a prisoner can access the back field or not. This Matrix excludes a number of prisoners from using this area. The 'Back Field' should be made more accessible to prisoners.
3.7 Overall, the prison is described as a safe environment by both prisoners and staff, and relationships between staff and prisoners are good.
Supervision Levels
3.8 Prisoner supervision paperwork is started on the first night in custody and allocated within designated timescales. The process commences in the residential area and is then reviewed by a senior manager, prior to final allocation. Remand and short term prisoner paper work is filed in the prisoners warrant file. Long term prisoners' supervision paperwork is filed in individual ICM folders. Reviews take place within allocated timescales. Whilst prisoners are not present at the reviews they are informed of changes to their allocation and sign the appropriate paperwork to confirm this.
3.9 Inspectors reviewed warrant files, ICM files, PR2 and documentation following first night in custody. All paperwork was completed correctly and prisoners' signatures were evidenced in all cases. Where changes had been made which perhaps did not follow the flow chart process the reasons for this were noted. The current system appears to be working well.
Escort Handover Procedures
3.10 There is good communication between the prison and the escort provider, Reliance Custodial Services ( RCS). RCS staff provide advance warning to the prison of pending admissions from each of the main courts in the area. For each part of the escort process the information shared is comprehensive.
3.11 Vehicles were clean and carried food and water. Prisoners said that escort staff treated them with respect and that they received food if they were required to be away from the prison over a meal time period. Each vehicle has a taped safety message . This message is not relayed prior to the start of every journey.
3.12 The prison is able to ensure that the escort vehicles park very close to the reception door and that prisoners can securely embark and disembark without the requirement for handcuffing. This speeds up the process. The two main courts in the area have secure holding cells so prisoners do not have to remain in the vehicle on arrival at court. Prisoners are regularly admitted to the prison before 6:30pm allowing time for quality risk assessments. Depending on the availability of transport at Stranraer Sheriff Court a female prisoner may have to travel to Cornton Vale via Dumfries prison with male prisoners in the vehicle. This practice should stop.
3.13 On long journeys comfort stops at a prison or police station are routine.
Admission and Induction Procedures
Reception
3.14 The reception area has a communal waiting room where prisoners are placed immediately after being identified and their warrant, cash and property checked. The room is bright and creates a relaxed and welcoming environment. There is soft seating and two low tables on which are magazines and newspapers. This is an area of good practice. There is a TV in the room and a good range of notices informing new prisoners about healthcare, language identification and the Samaritans. In addition there is a SHAP (religious festivals) calendar and an anti-violence notice. CCTV relays images from this room to a screen in the staff workstation adjacent to the waiting room. There is no drinking water in the room. Prisoners who may have difficulty with other admission prisoners are held in a separate waiting room.
3.15 There is also a second waiting room where prisoners are held until they can be taken to the accommodation area. Facilities in this room are reasonably good. Staff can supervise the prisoners via large windows which allow good sight lines.
3.16 The reception still has a number of small cubicles but they are only used for searching or for changing clothes prior to liberation or going to court.
3.17 New prisoners are taken from the waiting room and are offered a seat at the staff work station where their details are entered on to the computerised record system. Property and cash are opened and checked in the presence of the prisoner. Clothing, cash and property are then entered on to the prisoner's cash and property cards and are subsequently signed by the prisoner. Cash and valuable property are locked in the reception safe until this can be handed over to the office staff. Cell sharing and ACT2Care risk assessments are completed. These assessments are conducted in full view of prisoners in the second waiting room. Admission to prison can be distressing for some individuals, and to help maintain dignity, admission interviews should be conducted out of the view of other prisoners.
3.18 Following the initial admission interview the prisoner is searched. Following this, he is allowed to retain his underwear and socks and is given a boiler suit to wear until he is admitted to the residential area where he is provided with prison clothing. The prison does not make clean underwear and socks readily available. Some wear the same underwear and socks for several days, others hand wash their own or borrow a friend's. It was difficult to ascertain who would supply prisoners with prison based underwear and socks.
3.19 There is a medical interview room in the reception area. At the time of the inspection this room was being used for the storage of equipment while the dentist's room was being refurbished. A range of harm reduction literature is on display. All new admissions to the prison are seen by a nurse in this room.
3.20 There are two storage rooms for prisoners' property. Both rooms have clothing boxes stored on metal shelves. There is also an area to hang suits in each room. Both areas were tidy and smelled fresh.
3.21 When a non-English speaking prisoner is admitted to the prison staff have access to a telephone interpreting service.
3.22 Overall, staff interact appropriately with prisoners during the reception process and deal quickly with those who are considered to be vulnerable.
Induction - Short-Term and Remand Prisoners
3.23 All prisoners are given a first night induction designed to provide sufficient information to settle in. Within 72 hours (but usually the following day) the core screening tool is completed and passed to the Links Centre for subsequent referral to appropriate interventions. The information collected from the screening tool is added to the Community Integration Plan on the computerised SPS prisoner record system ( PR2).
3.24 An addictions harm reduction package is delivered as part of the induction programme. This package is delivered within the first week by the addictions nurse. Chaplains have no formal involvement in the induction process. This should be addressed.
Induction - Long-Term Prisoners
3.25 Long-term prisoners were previously admitted to 'B' Zero and staff there were responsible for the delivery of the induction programme. These prisoners no longer have a dedicated admission area and it was difficult to determine who was responsible for the delivery of long-term prisoners induction. The consequence of this is that induction is either not delivered on time or sometimes a prisoner is missed completely.
3.26 When induction does occur there is a first night check list and the core screen, needs identification, is completed. When the induction is completed PR2 is updated. There is no input from chaplains or healthcare or addictions, although if a need is identified a referral is made. A process should be developed so that long-term prisoner induction can be completed within 72 hours of admission.
Suicide Risk Management
3.27 There have been no suicides since the last inspection. There are two ligature reduced cells in 'A' hall which are used for prisoners "at risk" or "high risk". These cells are extremely spartan with a concrete plinth on which a mattress is placed. There is a stainless steel urinal and a small wash-hand basin recessed in the wall. There is no furniture and no electric power, The cells do not meet the current SPS design for safer cells. It is recommended that the two ligature reduced cells in 'A' Hall meet the current SPS design for safer cells.
3.28 It was regularly reported to inspectors that the prison is safe, and this may be a reason for the relatively low numbers of prisoners subject to ACT2Care. At the time of the inspection there were two prisoners on ACT2Care and both were removed from this status within a couple of days. In the month prior to the inspection there were three cases opened and the monthly average of cases for the past year was five. Case conferences are well attended with good multi-disciplinary attendance. Although the prisoner usually attends the case conference, he is not listed as attending and does not sign to say he has attended. This should be addressed.
3.29 Dumfries has a standard approach to prisoners placed "at risk" or "high risk" which is "safe cell, canvas clothing, no articles in use". There is no evidence of social stimulation; prisoners spend a long time in their cells when considered to be at risk. The individual will then go from the very spartan regime described above to "no risk" and a full regime in a very short period. SPS policy encourages individualised care plans based on the level of identified risk. It is recommended that standardised care plans for prisoners subject to ACT2Care should be discontinued and replaced with individualised plans based on need.
3.30 Inspectors observed the call bell of a high risk prisoner being unattended for over 15 minutes due to staff being out of the area. Cell call bells of prisoners on high risk must be answered promptly, and if staff have to leave the area the cell bells must be monitored from another area.
3.31 There were some gaps in the paperwork regarding dates and signatures. The prison should put in place a system for monitoring the accuracy of ACT2Care paperwork.
3.32 The Listener Scheme has recently been reinvigorated and Listeners and Samaritans were confident that they had the support of senior management. Samaritans felt that a number of the barriers which previously impeded the smooth operation of the scheme were no longer an issue. At the time of the inspection there were only two Listeners but a number of potential new Listeners had been interviewed and it was hoped that their training would take place in the near future.
3.33 The local Suicide Risk Management Group ( SRMG) meeting has been amalgamated with the Multi-Disciplinary Mental Health Team ( MDMHT). The new group aims to meet once per month although the minutes suggest that the meetings are sometimes at two monthly intervals. The ACT2Care policy states that SRMG meetings should be held at least once per quarter. The current structure diminishes the status of ACT2Care. There is no evidence for example that Samaritans or Listeners are in attendance and good practice dictates that they should be. It is recommended that Suicide Risk Management Group meetings are reinstated.
Violence
3.34 In the year prior to the inspection there, were no serious and three minor prisoner-on-staff assaults. In the same period there was one serious and 31 minor prisoner-on-prisoner assaults. This compares with figures in the 2005 report which had four serious prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, no serious assaults on staff, 13 minor prisoner on prisoner assaults and two minor prisoner assaults on staff.
3.35 During the week of the inspection there were two minor incidents of violence. Both incidents were managed swiftly and appropriately by staff, and initial investigations indicated that both were a result of conflict brought into the establishment from the outside community.
Night Duty
3.36 At the time that night duty was inspected, 201 prisoners were locked up. This included two prisoners placed on observations for their own safety. An electronic recording system is used to record and monitor patrol movements and also to ensure that any observations take place. The atmosphere within the accommodation blocks was relaxed and quiet.
3.37 Visibility into cells is good and ensures the safety of those held.
3.38 The establishment's contingency plans provide robust arrangements for a range of circumstances including medical and other emergencies.
3.39 Staffing consisted of a First Line Manager and five officers, who are deployed throughout the prison to provide adequate security and safety cover. Staff were confident and competent and able to provide detailed descriptions of how a range of incidents would be managed.
« Previous | Contents | Next »