HM Prison Huntercombe

Reports

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

  7.3.1 The anticipated outcome of foreign national prisoners transferred to HMP Huntercombe is that the majority of those of interest to the Home Office will ultimately be deported to their country of origin. 7.3.2 During 2024, the average monthly roll was 491 and through the reporting year a total of 407 were deported, this representing a monthly average of 34. This was a return to pre-Covid-19 numbers and a big increase on the preceding years’ total deportation numbers of 2023 (218) and 2022 (230). 7.3.3 The increase in the number of deportations was partly attributed to a recruitment drive by the Home Office to increase the number of case workers, which helped speed up the Home Office’s triaging stage. 7.3.4 Another aspect of the increase was the introduction in February of 2024 of the end of custody supervised license (ECSL) which initially reduced the sentence of those men permitted to remain in the UK by 18 days; on 8 March 2024 this was increased to 35 days and then increased again on 23 May 2024 to 70 days. 22 7.3.5 The above initiative was then abandoned and replaced with standard determinate sentence 40% (SDS40, a temporary early release scheme to tackle the ongoing overcrowding crisis in prisons, allowing certain prisoners serving ‘standard determinate sentences’ to have a reduction in their sentence from 50% to 40%) on 10 September 2024. This also increased the early removal scheme, (ERS, which allows foreign national prisoners to be deported from the UK before [...]

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

  7.1.1 Milton Keynes College (MKC) is the principal education provider. The contract is due for renewal from 1 April 2025. Overall interaction between MKC and the prison appears to be positive, supported by the appointment of two new HMPPS posts towards the end of 2023. 7.1.2 For most of the year the education facility operated with good levels of cover, a clear improvement over 2023. However, in the latter half of the year a vocational tutor went part time and a further member of staff is scheduled to leave in early 2025. Courses offered by MKC are in line with the contract and provide up to 84 places on a weekly basis for most of the year. Classes were, for the most part, full but early releases and some security restrictions prevented some prisoners from achieving their goals. 7.1.3 The library has run well during the reporting year. In line with the contract, the library is open on weekdays. Staffing issues have been resolved and a variety of book clubs have been restarted. The free flow system around the prison has also helped prisoner movement, making it easier for prisoners to get to sessions on time. 7.1.4 The amount of stock lost from the library has increased as more prisoners are released early and the increased flow of prisoners through the system means that an increased amount of time is spent on inductions. However, the staff have coped well with the increased volume and there is ample funding available for new stock. According to the prisoners with whom the IMB [...]

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• NPM-uk-imb-respect1 Jan 2024

  5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food 5.1.1 The accommodation in Huntercombe is generally clean and tidy. Association areas on wings are well organised. Whilst the aging infrastructure provides constant challenges, it is noted that the issue of broken cell window mechanisms reported in 2023 is now slowly being resolved with the government facility services (GFSL) having finally sourced replacement parts and a process of window renovation has begun. 5.1.2 The issue of a failing central heating and hot water system across the estate continues to cause frustration. This issue has been reported in the last five Board annual reports. At the end of the reporting year, it is still unclear when work will start. There are eight temporary boilers and five fuel tanks on site that have been there since November 2022. These are not only unreliable but cost a huge amount of money to hire and to run and are also a potential safety risk. The Board will continue to press and monitor this issue of poor infrastructure until work begins, and a new functional system is in place. 5.1.3 A knock-on effect caused by the aging hot water system is that showers on the wings and the gym are unreliable and often out of order. This causes tremendous anxiety amongst prisoners as they only have a limited time to shower in the day and queuing up, as an example, for just two working showers on a wing with up to 70 men, is unacceptable. Problems are logged correctly and in a timely fashion by wing staff and works [...]

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• NPM-uk-imb-safety1 Jan 2024

  4.1 Reception and induction 4.1.1 The reception area is bright and clean, with two holding rooms enabling the interview processes to be conducted in private. Healthcare has a dedicated room. There are two induction orderlies who help to interpret, alongside the use of the Big Word translation service, (which provides interpreting by telephone) and generally help with arrivals. There are welcoming signs and booklets in a variety of languages, a hearing loop facility and colourful information posters. 4.1.2 The Board notes that volumetric control is still repeatedly ignored by sending prisons, which is frustrating for both prisoners and staff. This is particularly relevant for those prisoners who will be deported and will have a luggage limit and is also a storage issue for the prison. 4.1.3 On arrival, there is an amnesty for illicit items, which is not often used by the men, but all are body scanned. In the reporting year, there were 1189 scans (2023: 1060), of which 51 were positive (2023: 115), 1066 negative (2023: 935) and 72 inconclusive (2023: 10). If positive, the men are put into the segregation unit and rescanned the following day. A further 13 reception staff have been trained in the use of the body scanner and in interpreting the results 4.1.4 Men are transferred to the induction wing, where they are well managed and supported by staff and peer supporters, their needs having been identified from the initial interview process. Induction takes place for around 2 [...]

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