HMP Garth

Reports

• HMIP12 May 2025

  1.1 HMP Garth opened in 1988. It is a category B male establishment, part of the long-term and high-security estate directorate, holding a complex population, mainly consisting of convicted adults serving more than four years and those serving indeterminate sentences. 1.2 This review visit followed up on some of the concerns we raised at our last inspection in 2024. What we found at our last inspection 1.3 At our inspections of Garth in 2022 and 2024, we made the following judgements about outcomes for prisoners. Figure 1: HMP Garth healthy prison outcomes in 2022 and 2024 Note: rehabilitation and release planning became ‘preparation for release’ in October 2023. 1.4 Outcomes found at the 2024 inspection were disappointing, with the prison having become noticeably less safe than at the time of the previous inspection. For example, the ingress of drugs continued to be a major challenge, and the number of assaults had increased by around 45%. Staff were unable or unwilling to challenge frequent unruly behaviour and rule breaking by prisoners. 1.5 The prison was far from fulfilling its role as a training prison. A part-time regime had been implemented addressing safety and stability, so prisoners had much less time out of cell (see Glossary), making their access to activities and other services far more limited. Ofsted judged the provision of education, skills and work as inadequate. 1.6 In addition, high levels of sickness among officers were affecting the prison’s ability to operate effectively in many areas. For example, too many prisoners were not escorted to their health care appointments. Report of an independent review of progress at HMP Garth 1.7 Officers felt unsupported by a behaviour management system that had largely broken down and there were few incentives for prisoners to behave well. Living conditions had continued to deteriorate, with leaking roofs, peeling floors and parts of the older wings in an advanced state of dilapidation. What we found during this review visit 1.8 Overall, too little progress had been made in half of all the concerns and themes we reviewed, and it was particularly worrying to find that this was the case for the three priority concerns we had made in relation to safety. 1.9 More prisoners had tested positive for drugs, and efforts to stem the supply were thwarted by a huge increase in the number of drones flying to cell windows to deliver packages. Bids for funds to install better security had not been approved, and without such investment it was difficult to see how this large-scale, organised criminal activity within the prison would be addressed. 1.10 The regime available was better, as the restrictions in place at the time of the inspection had been lifted and there was some improvement to the enforcement of attendance by prisoners at their allocated education, training or work placement. The new regime also provided more time out of cell and the level of staff sickness had decreased, which meant that this was now delivered more reliably. Ofsted found reasonable progress in two of its themes, but too many prisoners were still not engaged in purposeful activity, and attendance and punctuality were still not good enough. 1.11 Care for the most vulnerable remained very weak. Many prisoners felt unsupported by officers and too many officers said that they did not have the time to get to know the prisoners in their care, which undermined efforts to promote good behaviour. Several prisoners said that rewards were not motivating them, and it was evident that prisoners were still allowed to get away with frequent breaches of basic prison rules. 1.12 Reasonable progress had been made in improving the environment, but far more investment was needed to address all of our concerns. While cleanliness and hygiene had improved, the standards were not consistently enforced across all wings. 1.13

  source

• HMIP29 Jul 2024

  This Lancashire category B training prison held 816 prisoners mostly serving long or indeterminate sentences. This was a disappointing inspection, with the prison having become noticeably less safe than at our last visit and some of the wings now feeling chaotic. The ingress of drugs continued to be a major challenge with 63% of prisoners saying they were easy to acquire. Men were using the elements from their kettles to burn holes in their inadequately protected Perspex windows, allowing drones to drop off contraband. The rate of assaults had increased by around 45% since our last inspection, with much of this likely to be driven by the illicit economy and subsequent debt. Although the prison was working well with local agencies to address the supply, only the replacement of the windows would reduce this substantially. Very high levels of sickness among officers were affecting the prison’s ability to operate effectively in many areas. Cross-deployment from the security team meant that searches were often cancelled, and the governor had recently implemented a part-time regime. Morale among staff members was poor and the many inexperienced officers had not had sufficient training or support in the role. Bids to the centre to bring in the Standards Coaching team to improve capability had been refused. Officers often congregated in offices and inspectors were disappointed by how few custodial managers or other middle managers they saw out on the wings. Staff were unable or unwilling to challenge frequent unruly behaviour and rule breaking by prisoners. Officers felt unsupported by a behaviour management system that had largely broken down. There were few incentives for doing the right thing and delays or cancellations of adjudications were so common that prisoners got away with very serious behaviour without any consequences. In addition, the prison’s systems for logging violence and self-harm were inadequate, with many incidents going unreported. At our last inspection in 2022, we reported on a prison in need of considerable refurbishment. Disappointingly, funds had not been provided and things had continued to deteriorate with leaking roofs, peeling floors, and parts of the older wings in an advanced state of dilapidation. Many cells did not have furniture, and new arrivals told inspectors they were being made to pay for chairs or storage units by other prisoners – another sign of the lack of supervision on the wings. While the decision by the governor to restrict the regime was understandable – at least in the short term – to reduce levels of violence, it meant that the prison was far from fulfilling its role as a training prison. Too many prisoners were locked behind their cell doors for hours. Even those who were employed had only been offered part-time work. There was poor attendance at medical appointments and at education, which was designated by Ofsted as inadequate, although it was positive that the prison incentivised prisoners to acquire their functional skills qualification. There were not enough activity spaces for the population; despite this, inspectors often saw workshops with many empty spaces. The governor had been without a substantive deputy for some and although he had a good understanding of the many challenges the prison faced, without better support from the regional team and the prison service Garth will continue to be a jail of real concern. Staff attendance and capability will need to improve significantly and without substantial investment from the prison service, drugs will continue to flow into this troubled jail. Charlie Taylor HM Chief Inspector of Prisons August 2024

  source

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

  The offender management unit (OMU) is managed by a Governor and two senior probation officers (one full-time and two part-time). There should be 13 probation officers, with 11.8 being in post, and 3.5 (full-time equivalent) band 4 officers. At the end of the reporting year, the department was up to date with recategorisations, OASyS assessments (which identify a prisoner’s risks and needs) and resettlement boards. We remain concerned that a community offender manager (COM) is not usually allocated to a prisoner until they are within nine months of release, and that restrictions frequently prevent them from visiting the prisoner. In our view, this may contribute to licence breaches, as a working relationship between the prisoner and the COM has not had enough time to develop. From our observations, good work is carried out with IPP prisoners to support their progress towards release, but it has long been recognised that this sentence is unjust. While no one would wish to see further victims harmed by any released prisoner, many IPP prisoners have been seriously affected by the nature and length of their sentence and should receive appropriate support and treatment on release. Contact with families is actively encouraged at HMP Garth. The visits hall is open Tuesday to Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. It has recently had some refurbishment to make it more welcoming. Security measures have been increased to ensure illicit items are not brought into the prison. 23 Once a month, [...]

  source

• NPM-uk-imb-safety1 Jan 2024

  4.1 Reception and Induction New arrivals at the prison are received at reception. There is a dedicated medical assessment room and a holding area. The escort duties have been amended during the year, and the Board has observed officers following these polices. The reception area was not designed for frequent arrivals or departures but seems to manage well most of the time. There are often considerable delays in prisoners receiving their property after arrival, due to the need for searches. This should improve with the training of new scanning operators. The reception area is usually crowded, with numerous bags of property waiting to be delivered to prisoners on the wings, and there are often complaints of property going missing. We have observed prison officers being polite and respectful with the prisoners, and signage supports expectations of the first few hours in the prison. IMB induction leaflets have been updated this year and are part of the pack of documents given to a new prisoner. During initial induction, prisoners should be informed of how to keep themselves safe from radicalisation and extremism. 4.2 Suicide and self-harm, deaths in custody Prisoners have continued to self-harm during the reporting period. A total of 303 new assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCT) documents have been opened. This figure is lower than the 386 ACCTs reported in the previous year. Unfortunately, there were five deaths in custody during the reporting period, the same number [...]

  source

• NPM-uk-imb-respect1 Jan 2024

  5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food HMP Garth, opened in 1988, is predominantly a concrete structure, and over the years little preventative maintenance has been carried out; remedial work is typically only undertaken once issues reach a crisis point. Throughout the year, the IMB has highlighted several areas where early action could prevent further deterioration, but the Governor appears to remain constrained by limited funding to address problems before they become critical. Despite submitting numerous bids for infrastructure and security improvements, success has been minimal, and significant investment is now required to resolve the growing number of issues. Several issues have been identified, including broken flooring that creates trip hazards and prevents effective cleaning; showers in need of repair, affected by mould, and often failing to drain; inadequate or non-functioning ventilation; and poorly equipped wing kitchens with damaged or unusable appliances. A more detailed discussion of the Board’s observations regarding the Amey contract is provided in Annex A. An HMIP Inspector’s report raised concerns that standards of cleanliness and decency needed improvement. Work is underway to upgrade some showers to support these improvements, though progress remains slow due to funding constraints. When inspectors returned six months later, they were pleased to note improvements in overall cleanliness. The IMB, however, continues to observe a build-up of rubbish in [...]

  source

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

  National funding cuts of 50% to the prison education budget have had a significant and adverse impact at HMP Garth. These cuts resulted in the loss of 1.5 administrative posts and 1.75 functional skills teaching posts. To preserve as much of the current education offer as possible, the education and skills provider has been changed from Milton Keynes College to Novus. There has had to be 50% cuts to functional skills (Maths and English) classes and a 50% reduction to the ‘Getting to know Garth’ and peer mentoring schemes. This comes at a time when engagement and interest from the prison population are increasing. However, from our monitoring, it seems that many prisoners still do not engage in any purposeful activity that would support their skills development or rehabilitation. In relation to library provision, prisoners can visit the library in person by appointment, and they can also order books for leisure or study using their in-cell tables. In addition, most wings continue to have library trolleys available (introduced during Covid), stocked with a selection of books to browse. There is a range of workshops in the prison that introduce and train prisoners in the skills needed to prepare them for employment on release, and there has been some success this year in expanding the available options. However, even with these additional efforts, too many prisoners still do not appear to be engaging in purposeful activity or education. Prisoners are expected to engage in [...]

  source

• HMIP7 Nov 2022

  A part of the long-term high secure estate, HMP Garth is a category B training establishment located near Leyland in Lancashire. With a capacity for 845 adult men, at the time of our inspection some 790 were in residence, most of them assessed as presenting a high or very high risk of harm and serving lengthy sentences for serious offences. Although Garth is a comparatively modern establishment by HMPPS standards – opening in 1988 – it was already showing its age and seemed to us to be in need of some significant investment and refurbishment. However, nearly every prisoner had their own cell, and their appreciation of this was evidenced by the good condition in which most prisoners kept their accommodation. This was our first return to Garth since 2019, when we reported on a much- improved prison that was achieving reasonably good outcomes in three of our healthy prison tests. Only in safety was improvement clearly required. At this inspection we found that the prison was still achieving some good rehabilitative outcomes and was also now much safer, but had deteriorated in respectful treatment, largely owing to the ageing infrastructure and weaknesses in relationships between staff and prisoners. We observed some very significant shortcomings in the delivery of purposeful activity, which on this inspection was judged poor.

  source

• NPM-uk-imb-respect1 Jan 2022

  5.1 Accommodation, clothing, food The prison is in a great need of refurbishment. For many years, maintenance has been done in reaction to a problem arising. The flat roofs leak regularly, particularly in main corridors, when buckets have to be put down to catch heavy rain. This is a major slip hazard. There is no real refurbishment plan. Improvements and repairs are done in an ad hoc manner, depending on money being available. On the reporting year, there have been some repairs and improvements to various showers on wings and some floor coverings that were totally worn. These areas need major investment from central funding. Intermittent problems occur with the heating and water supply. The ventilation in some wing accommodation is frequently problematic, leading to many applications and complaints by prisoners. In the summer, it can be stifling in the cells. The whole ventilation system needs renovating. Very few applications were made regarding food-just five during the reporting year. Food intolerances, faith requirements and lifestyle choices, such as vegan and vegetarian needs, are accommodated within a varied menu. 5.2 Segregation The care and separation unit, known in Garth as the Segregation Unit, has 24 regular cells, with a number of other short-term holding cells. These are usually fully occupied and it is not unusual for prisoners to be segregated on wings. IMB members monitored 76 segregation reviews during the reporting year. The number is far smaller than the [...]

  source

• NPM-uk-imb-purposeful-activity1 Jan 2022

  Throughout 2023, a new regime was introduced that allowed more prisoners the opportunity to attend education on a part-time basis (four sessions per week). The outreach education provision has continued to be provided throughout the reporting year so that all areas within Garth have access to some learning. The prison library has been relocated to the education department, where it is able to play a more effective role in the education of prisoners. The relocation has brought some issues in relation to access for those prisoners who are not attending education. No time is allowed in the daily regime for prisoners to visit to the library. This means they are being denied the opportunity to interact with library staff to discuss book recommendations or suggestions to broaden their knowledge and enthusiasm for books. The library, however, does offer an outreach service so that prisoners can submit applications via their in-cell laptops for specific books, which are then delivered to the wings. The library staff also ensure there is a stock of books available on library trolleys in all residential areas. The library at Garth has access to the full resources of the Lancashire Library Service. The increase in the regime throughout the second half of 2023 ensured that workshops were able to provide purposeful activities for most prisoners. Several workshops support industries (commercial workspaces in prisons set up by outside businesses and staffed by serving prisoners). These [...]

  source

• NPM-uk-imb-safety1 Jan 2022

  4.1 Reception and induction HMP Garth has been adversely affected by the national increase in the prison population. Transfers out have become much more difficult and the prison inappropriately holds a high number of category C prisoners. The number of transfers in and out has increased and the reception department is ill-equipped to cope both in terms of physical space and staffing. The property storage area is limited. Prisoners frequently bring multiple bags with them and other large quantities arrive later. Inevitably, it is taking much longer to process all this property, which is greatly increasing the number of complaints about property. This problem could be partially resolved by the transporting companies using secure trailers more widely. On arrival, prisoners receive full physical, medical and mental health checks. On occasion, medical records do not arrive with the prisoner and this causes delays in the prescription of necessary medicines, which results in distress for the prisoner. On arrival, prisoners are located on an induction wing, where they are seen by all relevant staff members, including those from healthcare, the offender management unit (OMU) and education and skills; a key worker is also allocated. It has not been possible for the IMB to monitor all inductions, but where this has been done it has been reported that staff have demonstrated care and respect for prisoners. 4.2 Suicide and self-harm, deaths in custody Mental health problems and self-harm [...]

  source

• NPM-uk-imb-preparation-for-release1 Jan 2022

  Staffing The performance of the offender management unit (OMU) is affected by staffing problems. During the reporting period, the Probation Service has been unable to allocate sufficient staff and the prison has been unable to allocate the required number of band 4 officers. The complement should be two senior probation officers (SPOs), 13 probation officers (POs) and five band 4 prison officers. In fact, there was 1 SPO, plus 7 POs (0.6 on long-term sick leave), one band 4 prison officer and three probation service officers (PSOs), the latter being unqualified officers with limited operational responsibilities. There was a promise of additional staff when resources allowed. --- Caseloads OMiC profiles the approved level of staff resource. In Garth, there should be 13 probation officers in the OMU, but throughout this period only about half of that number have been in post. With full staffing, a caseload should be between 60 and 65 prisoners, but the reality has been that those numbers should be doubled. The senior probation officer has been obliged to nominally carry about 160 cases and this places increased pressure on her. The OMiC workload management strategy is used to inform priorities, including essential duties and sentence planning, OASys (a tool used in sentence planning to complete risk and needs assessments), parole reports, re-categorisations and programme reviews. This is a substantial list of duties, but it misses out work such as advice and counselling and [...]

  source