HM Prison Deerbolt

Reports

• NPM-uk-imb-preparation-for-release1 Jan 2024

  Deerbolt continues to benefit from access to a prison employment lead on a one-day-per-week loan from HMP Durham. Through this arrangement, the team continues to work towards offering every prisoner the opportunity for full-time employment on release. The Board will continue to monitor the long-term effectiveness of this approach. The ‘jobs unlocked’ initiative was closed down and, while a replacement has been expected, it has not yet been established. Ingeus and People Plus staff continue to be proactive in identifying prisoner career options and setting goals. The IMB did not receive any applications regarding a lack of support in this area. --- 8. The work of the IMB Board statistics Recommended complement of Board members 14 --- --- Number of Board members at the start of the reporting period 7 Number of Board members at the end of the reporting period 6 Total number of visits to the establishment 246 Total number of shifts on the 0800 telephone line N/A Total number of segregation reviews attended - If relevant. Applications to the IMB Code Subject Previous reporting year Current reporting year --- --- --- --- A Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions 2 2 B Discipline, including adjudications, incentives schemes, sanctions 0 8 C Equality 0 1 D Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell 7 15 E1 Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions 4 - E2 Finance, including pay, private monies, spends 2 [...]

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• NPM-uk-imb-progression1 Jan 2024

  The main concern for the IMB during the reporting year is the reduction of employment and education in the majority of areas to half-day sessions. Whilst this is in no way a criticism of Deerbolt’s regime and education providers, or the management team, the IMB believes this is a backward step in terms of purposeful activity in a category C training prison. The restriction of movement times within the prison has always impacted how much actual time is spent in workshops/ classrooms, and it is felt by both prisoners and staff that only being able to access part-time activity affects morale. Some areas of the regime still have full-time work, including the gardens, the kitchen, the Orbio cleaning team, and waste management.

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• NPM-uk-imb-purposeful-activity1 Jan 2024

  Staff shortages and absences result in regime restrictions, with areas of the regime unable to proceed as planned with shorter sessions. This is frustrating for prisoners. The prison’s transformation from a young offender institution (YOI) to a category C training prison (where young offenders are now, typically, around 11% of the population), has still not yet been reflected in this area. As highlighted in last year’s report, the Board continues to be concerned about the lack of educational opportunities for the increasingly older prisoner and that the programmes are aimed at the lower end of the ability level. This is as it should be for some of the population, but there are men within Deerbolt who wish to progress to a higher level of education, such as with the Open University, and they have found this difficult. As no prisoner can have two ‘jobs’ (education is classed as paid activity), during his time in Deerbolt, the stark choice can be between ‘earning’ and ‘learning’. More than one prisoner has expressed a wish to study in their own time and it is the Board’s view that this should be facilitated, if possible. As per last year, no more money has been assigned for the change in age profile and prison category. From our observations of the education department, tuition appears to be of a high standard. The statistics suggest that prisoners are succeeding in their core subjects and that standards are being maintained. Prisoners are generally well engaged, and the [...]

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• NPM-uk-imb-respect1 Jan 2024

  As noted from observations during our five previous reporting periods, staff, both individually and collectively, try to do their best to treat the prisoners fairly and humanely. Moreover, the Board also believes that prison staff hold quality one-to-one communication with the most vulnerable prisoners and those with challenging behaviour. However, from our conversations with prisoners, we are concerned about the interaction between the staff and the wider population and with individuals who often do not comply with the prison regime. There may also be an issue with how this message is coherently relayed to the prisoners via some staff. As a result of this, on multiple occasions, the now more experienced and ‘savvy’ prisoners have complained to the Board about how, on some days, staff have not completed basic tasks, such as facilitating medications to wings or giving prisoners adequate yard time. The IMB would like to, again, praise Deerbolt staff in the care and separation unit (CSU) for their organisation and compassion. They show commitment to prisoners with more complex needs, particularly when they often have to manage challenging behaviour. Whilst the prison still does not have suitable facilities to deal with many of those with complex needs, the staff have continued to try to understand the challenges by developing relationships and showing patience. The CSU staff have continued to communicate with the IMB and keep us informed of prisoners’ circumstances. 5.1 [...]

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• NPM-uk-imb-safety1 Jan 2024

  4.1 Reception and Induction Reception of prisoners continues to appear thorough and competent. As noted in our previous report, there remains considerable frustration around personal possessions failing to arrive with prisoners, resulting in the inevitable financial loss and the additional time and expense required to resolve these issues. The position has been clearly outlined in the recent Key Findings Paper by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons: ‘Unpacking Prisoner Property: A Hidden Source of Conflict and Complaint.’ In light of this, further comment would add little value. Continuing through 2025, Deerbolt has had an approximate 50% increase in prisoner numbers as part of the transition from a YOI to a prison with a much wider age range. At the time of writing, in October 2025, the prison holds 470 category C men. In this population, 25 prisoners require a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP), due to medical needs, and around 70 individuals have been identified as representing an assault risk to staff. 4.2 Suicide and self-harm, deaths in custody There continues to be a downward trend in the number of assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCT) plans (used to support those at risk of self-harm and suicide) opened. However, as in previous years, this remains an area of significant concern, albeit one that staff appear to monitor and manage closely. Self-harm rates were slightly up, at on average 45.08 per month, compared with 40.33 per month in the last reporting [...]

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