Prison Series: Birmingham Prison
HMP Birmingham is a category B adult male prison serving West Midlands Courts.
About the Prison:
Over 60% of prisoners were unsentenced or on remand
On average there are around 303 releases per month
There are around 160 foreign nationals
42% of prisoners were from black and minority ethnic backgrounds
On average 120 prisoners were referred for mental health assessment each month
Wings on the Prison:
A, B, C WING - Closed for refurbishment
D WING - Drug recovery wing
G WING - Enhanced level prisoners
J WING - Older prisoners
K and L WING - Main population
M WING - Drug treatment unit
N WING - Prisoners convicted of sexual offences
P WING - Early days and induction wing
Healthcare - Inpatient unit and clinics
Charlie Taylor - HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
The inspection of HMP Birmingham in Summer 2018, led to an Urgent Notification to the Secretary of State. The Chief Inspector of Prisons described the prison as being "rife with drugs and violence, and prisoners held in conditions of utter squalor". The prison remains understaffed and there is a struggle in recruitment. An issue found that inspectors were concerned with the amount of time that prisoners were spending in their cells - unemployed, with little education, and no qualifications.
Concerns for the prisons:
Little time out of the cells - 90 minutes a day
Overall negative perceptions of safety and victimisation by staff
No sufficient activity spaces for education, training, work, attendance
Resettlement services were poorly staffed and support disjointed
Body worn cameras were not used routinely - limited oversight of the use of force
Clinical and medication rooms do not meet patient safety, control standards or infection prevention
Positive practices:
Heatmap = Spectrum matrix. Issues related to safety include violent incidents, gang members, and self-harm. Communicate risks, coordinate and respond to trends.
Crime Clinic = Regular with prison police liaison officers. They screened charges against prisoners following adjudication to ensure serious offences were dealt with appropriately.
Self-Harm Data = Determine measures leading to reductions.
Early Days in Custody:
Prisoner transfers must be safe and fair, with prisoners treated with respect. Risks of the prisoners must be identified and addressed at reception. Induction is comprehensive.
From the escort vehicle to reception the men should not be placed in handcuffs. For those who arrive late in the evening, there is a limit on time available to help the individuals settle in.
Induction staff carry out interviews in private to assess a prisoners safety. There are risk factors to be considered such as suicide and self harm prevention. Safety checks must be taken place throughout the first night, however it is not always followed through during their visit. There was a lack of structure with too much information provided to new arrivals - it has been proven to be overwhelming.
Suicide and Self Harm Prevention:
Leaders have implemented action from Prisons and Probation Ombudsman reports and coroner inquests. In 2023 there has been 481 recorded incidents of self harm. Caremaps did not reflect the needs of prisoners and there were insufficient quality reviews. The use of interventions such as constant supervision and anti-ligature clothing has not been recored or monitored.
Equality, Diversity and Faith:
Promoting equality of opportunity, eliminate unlawful discrimination and foster good relationships. Prisoners are able to practise their religion. Lead staff were visible, well known and properly focused on the issues. Professional telephone interpretation services were rarely used, and staff relied on gestures or other prisoners to interpret. A number of prisoners said they have not communicated with a member of staff in their own language since they have arrived in the prison.
Prisoners with disabilities were identified on arrival - physical disabilities were located in health care centre or J wing. Work to support neurodivergent prisoners was developing but was not widespread enough. Three prisoners identified as transgender - staff was not aware a trans woman who had not showered for about 4 months following a traumatic incident.
Access to faith provisions was good and diverse chaplaincy catered for a range of religions. Friday services for Muslim prisoners were well attended in three locations across the prison. Chaplaincy is visible throughout the prison with pastoral support provided.
Purposeful Activity:
Time out of cell: Sufficient time out of cell and encouraged to engage in activities supporting rehabilitation. Impact of limited time out of the cell. Small time out of the cell each day - exercising, shower, domestic tasks. Employed prisoners working in the workshops or wing have more time out of their cell - roughly 6 hours a day during the week.
Gym and Showers: The gym and shower facilities have been refurbished and a range of exercise equipment was available. Access the gym once a week. Regular deployment of gym staff had meant that prisoners do not always receive their allocated weekly slot. Early morning gym sessions for workers had been introduced.
Policies and risk assessments: Workshops and areas. Health and safety issues in the workshops. Wing workers carried out cleaning, catering and painting tasks. Prisoners considered the pay to be too low and the work being unappealing. Commitment to education training and skills through their investment in information technology. Prioritised support for prisoners with poor mental healh, physical disabilities and those were vulnerable.
Prisoner attacked a child killer on the same wing. He received 6 weeks in segregation and lost privileges. Lloyd Neels approached Sean Sadler from behind and punched him in the head on N Wing in 2020. Neels had bragged about the attack via Instagram, but was 'shocked' at being charged over it. Neels had pleaded guilty to inflict grievous bodily harm in relation to the attack on Sadler.
Shania Begum worked at Winson Green Prison since 2018. She was caught having sexual intercourse with an inmate in a store cupboard. A covert camera was installed in a store cupboard, which filmed her behaviour with prisoner Joshua Mulling's. It had escalated from flirting and heavy petting to sexual intercourse. She ignored her work radio, and was interrupted by a colleague. She felt "cherished" by Mulling's at a time when she had been arranged to be married who was controlling. She had admitted misconduct in a public office. She was jailed for 16 months.
Prison staff unlocked Floyd Carruther's cell and found him slumped in a chair where he later died in hospital. He refused evening meals and did not leave his cell for 96 hours before his death was neglected by staff. An inquest found prison staff had failed to take sufficient steps to safeguard the formal football coach who was diagnose with paranoid schizophrenia in 2003. The jury reached a verdict that staff were insufficiently trained in safeguarding adult prisoners. His family raised concerns about his welfare after he was jailed for anti-social behaviour injunction. He was diagnosed with sepsis from an infection at the site of his pacemaker - he died 2 weeks later. His death was contributed by neglect.
Prisoner accused of murdering wife killed himself after multiple care failures. He was found in his cell and died at City Hospital midnight the next day. A post-mortem found Singh had brain damage, multiple organ failure and suffered a cardiac arrest. Key failings identified by the jury included: failing of safe custody to appropriately communicate and document family concerns, failure to use interpretation services, not communicating between custodial and healthcare team, no welfare checks. He did not undergo an assessment for Section 48 transfer.
Until the next Legal Thought,
Elicia Maxwell
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