The prison population has soared in the last year to well beyond pre-pandemic levels (from 82904 on 30 August 2019 to 87,063 on 25 August 2023) and is projected to rise to over 106,000 by 2027, as sentence lengths continue to increase and discretionary release becomes subject to greater scrutiny.
Yet, information about what exists to support people in prison to change is not readily available.
Earlier this summer, I asked the following question under the Freedom of Information Act:
“Can you please provide me with list of all the specialist PIPE*, progression and other specialist regimes within the prison estate and any brochures or written information about them?”
*Psychologically informed planned environment
In June 2023 I received a response – which you can read in full here. Attached to the response was lots of information that will be useful to practitioners, people in prison and anyone supporting them.
The key points from the response are:
Progression Regimes:
HMPPS operate four Progression Regimes (PRs) in closed, adult male category C prisons which provide opportunities for prisoners meeting both the eligibility and suitability criteria.
- HMP Buckley Hall (see Annex A – HMP Buckley Hall ASPIRE Unit – Welcome Leaflet)
- HMP Erlestoke (Annex B – HMP Erlestoke – The View – Welcome PR resident leaflet 2022)
- HMP Humber (see Annex C (i) – HMP Humber – HOPE Unit – Welcome Information; Annex C (ii) – HMP Humber – PR Promotion PowerPoint for Prisoners)
- HMP Warren Hill (see Annex D (i) – HMP Warren Hill – TC Criteria; Annex D; (ii) – HMP Warren Hill – Public Protection Information; Annex D (iii) – HMP Warren Hill -Referral Pack for Prisoners 2022; Annex D (iv) – HMP Warren Hill – TC Promotional Booklet 2022; Annex D (v) – HMP Warren Hill – TC Constitution 2022; Annex D (vi) – HMP Warren Hill – TC Medication policy)
Whilst there is a particular focus on those serving indeterminate sentences, the PR aims to enable all on the regime to gain a fuller understanding of their risks and problematic behaviours, and the required support to address them. The PR operates a three-stage progressive process with reviews at each stage linked to the Enhanced Behaviour Monitoring (EBM) process.
The PR at HMP Warren Hill was awarded Enabling Environment (EE) accreditation in 2019. The EE award recognises healthy psychosocial environments, whilst supporting the development of good practice in constructing and sustaining them. This gives prisoners the opportunity to build evidence – in an environment that requires them to take personal responsibility for their lives and their progress – to demonstrate to the Parole Board that their risks can be safely managed in the community upon release.
The Progression Regime Policy Framework can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/progression-regimes
Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway
The Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway programme is an initiative, jointly commissioned with the NHS, that aims to provide a pathway of psychologically informed services for a highly complex and challenging offender group, who are likely to meet the criteria for a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’, and who pose a high risk of harm to others, or a high risk of reoffending in a harmful way.
What is available is set out in two brochures covering theses services, for men (see Annex E (i) – OPD Pathway Service Criteria Men May 2023) and women (see Annex E (ii) – OPD Pathway Service Criteria Women May 2023)
‘Discrete Units’ within the Directorate of Security, including Long-Term High Security
There are also specialist units within the long-term high security estate (see Annex F – DoS Discrete Unit Brochure Jan 2022)
Substance Misuse Units
Incentivised Substance Free Living Wings are dedicated recovery wings, which pair incentives with regular drug testing and engagement with treatment. There are currently 58 open across the estate.
Drug Recovery Wings provide more intensive support for prisoners who are ready for abstinence from both illicit drugs and prescribed substitutes such as methadone. There are currently 7 open across the estate.
Youth Estate
By this the letter is clearly referring to prisons for children under the age of 18.
HMP/YOI Feltham (A) have a ‘Respite and Reintegration’ (R & R) Unit for children who would benefit from a short period of separation and prompt reintegration back into mainstream services. HMP/YOI Feltham also has and an Enhanced Support Unit (ESU) for children not responding, and not likely to respond, to either a mainstream or specialist pathway.
HMYOI Wetherby also has an ESU, as well as a specialist Girls Unit, and Keppel Unit, which it is a specialist unit for children who need the safety and security of a specialist environment, but whose behaviour is not as exceptionally complex as to need the enhanced support at a level provided in the ESU. Additionally, HMYOI Wetherby also have a ‘Progressive Unit’ which is similar to the R & R unit at HMP/YOI Feltham.
HMYOIs Werrington and Cookham Wood are currently developing their specialist support units, to provide a type of R and R function at each site.
No further information is provided about these services.
Transgender Prisoners
HMP Downview’s E Wing provides separate accommodation in the women’s estate for transgender women with Gender Recognition Certificates (GRC) who pose, or face, too high a risk to be located in the general women’s or men’s population. The circumstances in which a transgender woman may be considered for placement in separate accommodation is detailed in ‘The Care and Management of Individuals who are Transgender’ policy framework’.