Foreign inmates kept in prison after release date

THE number of prisoners still being held at HMP Huntercombe in Nuffield despite completing their sentences increased due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Twenty-four men remained at the prison for foreign nationals under immigration powers in December compared with three a year earlier.

The prison’s independent monitoring board says the impact on the men concerned was “neither fair nor humane”.

In its annual report, released on Friday, the board said: “Foreign national offenders who have passed their conditional release date become eligible for immigration bail.

“However, releases on bail have been adversely affected by the lack of approved and suitable accommodation in the community, which is further impacted by the lack of available spaces within immigration removal centres.

“Additionally, there is a lack of spaces within the local prison estate, where those who are suitable for a centre could be held on remand conditions rather than convicted conditions.

“This has become a matter of concern for the board. The impact of remaining in confinement for men who are no longer sentenced prisoners is neither fair nor humane and, with few exceptions, creates tensions within the establishment which we witness regularly, and results in various and multiple expressions of frustration and also exacerbates mental health issues, all of which the prison is left to deal with.”

The board said the problem was caused by delays in initiatives by the Home Office introduced during the pandemic and a lack of suitable flights or alternative approved accommodation.

It added: “Quite apart from the additional cost of continuing to house these detainees, who occupy spaces that should be taken by other prisoners, it is of concern to prison staff and, most importantly, to those who should have been released and their families.”

The board said that while the pandemic had a major impact on the administration and running of the prison, it believed that prisoners were treated fairly and humanely as far as the covid restrictions allowed.

The prison went into full lockdown on March 24 last year, resulting in a reduction in receptions and transfers.

Early on, a landing of one of the wings was converted into an isolation unit, which enabled 14 men to be received, subject to negative testing prior to arrival. Twenty-six temporary mobile accommodation units were brought in at the beginning of the pandemic in order to enable the population to be spread out more and reduce the risk of transmission of covid-19.

But throughout the year prisoners became frustrated over access to telephones, the charges levied by British Telecom and the lack of in-cell phones. At present, only the “enhanced” wing has these.

The board said: “Until such time as every telephone available to all prisoners throughout the prison is in-cell, the rate BT is charging the men is higher than at other establishments where there is in-cell telephony throughout.

“The board considers this to be unfair and would encourage the minister to enable this disparity to be overcome.

“Huntercombe is a foreign national-only prison, thus many prisoners need to make calls overseas. These calls are currently charged at between 37p and 70p a minute, with no weekend discount for calls made on a foreign pin number.

“The board believes the charges levied for overseas calls are difficult for many men to meet.”

An initiative taken by the governor to roll out the availability of video calls at the onset of the national lockdown enabled prisoners to make more than 4,000 video calls by the end of the reporting year. This initiative has now been adopted nationally.

No deaths in custody were reported during the year but a total of 21 prisoners refused food in what was the first year these results were registered.

The total number of violent incidents from January to December was 70, down from 87 in the previous 12 months and from 97 in 2018.

But due to the pandemic, a restricted regime has been in place which curtailed or severely restricted movement between wings while workshops, the library and gym were closed for much of the year, creating fewer “flashpoints” for violence.

There was a spike in incidents in May with 13 incidents, almost double that of the next highest month. This was due in part to one incident in which three officers were assaulted.

In June, a prisoner managed to gain access from a communal area to the roof, remaining there for several hours before agreeing, through negotiation, to come down. He was re-categorised and transferred to more secure conditions.

Meanwhile, the prison kitchen is to be replaced in the spring, more than three years after it was deemed not fit for purpose.

The gym flooring, which was also criticised, has been renewed and equipment provided under a rental contract by Origin Fitness.