This snapshot, taken on 01/03/2005, shows web content selected for preservation by The National Archives. External links, forms and search boxes may not work in archived websites.
 |
 |
ISBN 1 84082 207 4
Published by
Home Office
50 Queen Annes Gate
London SW1H 9AT
hasl981.html - Contents, preface and executive summary (this file)
hasl982.html - Chapter 1 (Introduction)
hasl983.html - Chapters 2 and 3 (The Estate,
and Management and Staffing)
hasl984.html - Chapter 4 (Life for detainees
and Prisoners)
hals985.html - Chapters 5 and 6 (Custody,
and Throughcare/Resettlement)
hasl986.html - Chapter 7 (Health Care)
hasl987.html - Chapter 8 (Recommendations
and Examples of Good Practice)
hasl98ap.html - Appendices
I say that because it is, for example, quite intolerable that educational provision should be cut by 50%, not in line with Immigration Service policy, but in line with cuts required of the Prison Service. The Prison Service is the agent of the Immigration Service, and, in the same way that I have recommended that a compliance monitor should be appointed in all private sector immigration centres, in line with Prison Service practice in all its contracted prisons, I believe that the same should apply to HMHC HASLAR. It is up to the Immigration Service to fund activities for its detainees, and the Prison Service to provide.
But I must repeat my earlier contention. I do not believe that asylum seekers or immigration detainees should normally be held under Prison Rules, unless they have committed a crime which makes such detention appropriate. They are not criminals, and this should be recognised in the new statutory rules for Immigration Detainees that are currently being drawn up. Of course there may be occasions when certain individuals may have to be held by the Prison Service on the Immigration Service's behalf, but such arrangements must be made subject to proper legal safeguards.
But, I am concerned that sentenced prisoners, sent, by the Prison Service, to Haslar to help with domestic and administrative tasks, are being denied the pre-release facilities that they would expect in normal Category D prisons. They must be prepared for release like any other prisoner, and require the normal Throughcare and resettlement arrangements, including the provision of Personal Officers. I accept that there are problems in achieving this at Haslar, because of the many other demands on the time of the permanent staff, but, in addition to caring for those whom it should not be their responsibility to hold, the Prison Service must not ignore the needs of its own.
It is quite clear that the Governor and his staff, supported by a variety
of volunteers such as those who come in to help the detainees with their
English language studies, are trying as well as they are able to care for
those in their charge. I am concerned that they should have been left with
an incomplete management team for so long, but, more importantly even than
this, they are trained to administer custody, under Prison Rules , which
do not contain rules or regulations covering the operation of Holding Centres
for the treatment of detainees, which make them wholly inappropriate for
the task. On their behalf, and of the Prison Service as a whole, I must
recommend that alternative arrangements for holding asylum seekers and
immigration detainees, including, particularly, children and those under
the age of 21, are made as quickly as possible.
Sir David Ramsbotham August 1998
HM Chief Inspection of Prisons
Haslar is unique in that it is the only Prison Service establishment whose main purpose is to hold detainees on behalf of the Immigration Service.
Recent inspections of Tinsley House and Campsfield House identified a number of issues which are specific to the detention of immigration detainees and the conditions and treatment to which they are subject.
We were impressed with the catering arrangements as the quality of food and its presentation was high. We recommend that meals should be served on plates rather than metal trays and that "dry rations" for making hot drinks on the wings should be issued to detainees.
The sentenced prisoners were all required to work for which they received wages. An increasing number of detainees had volunteered to work and they, too received a weekly wage. Detainees are not obliged to work but in other prison establishments, where they choose not to work they receive an unemployed rate of pay. This was not the case at Haslar at the time of our inspection but the Governor had recently received authority to do so.
Arrangements for dealing with foreign currency received as private cash for detainees were impressive.
The prison shop was located in a good position allowing easy access for detainees and prisoners. It was run by operational support grade staff who had a friendly manner: we have recommended that the process should be streamlined by a greater use of IT.
The Education Department provided a vibrant centre of activity for detainees. There were enthusiastic staff who responded to individual needs and adopted a flexible approach to learning. It was extremely disappointing that the education budget had been drastically reduced by 50%, thus decimating the major activity for detainees. We noted that the current education provider had not been short-listed for the new Education contract.
Clothing and bedding exchange procedures were generally sound. The stores area was clean although there was the potential for contamination of clean and dirty kit. We have made recommendations to help make kit issue and exchange more efficient.
Although there was a good physical education programme in reasonable facilities the Governor planned to contract out the PE service as a part of budget reductions. The existing provision catered for many activities and was a fine example of multi-national co-operation by detainees. It is important that such an atmosphere is sustained under the new system.
Religious activities were well covered by a team of part-time ministers. Haslar was unusual in having more than 10 religions represented with Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs comprising 64% of the population. Members of the Chaplaincy team therefore saw themselves as being there for all detainees and prisoners, often in a co-ordinating role to accommodate many requirements. The facilities for multi-faith worship were good.
The visits room was very pleasant, well furnished and in a good location. Drinks and light refreshments were available from a vending machine and toilets provided. There was no Visitors Centre. Visiting orders were not required and therefore detainees could receive unlimited visits. Sentenced prisoners had alternate weekend visits at home.
We were told that CCTV was to be installed in the visits room at considerable cost and questioned whether this was a financial priority at a time when education and other parts of the regime were being cut to achieve savings.
There was not a significant problem with bullying but nevertheless staff were far from complacent. The policy document was good and staff training ensured that anti-bullying was given a high profile. Effective shift hand-overs helped to ensure that staff were aware of any potential problems and that bullies rather than their victims were approached.
Suicide awareness was also given a high profile with regular management meetings on the subject and reviews. The quality of the entries in self-harm documentation (F2052SH) was good. We were impressed by the use of photographs of detainees on F2052SH's and felt it should become national practice in the Prison Service.
The reception facility and procedures could be improved. We were impressed by the holding room in which new receptions were held, the quality of information they were given and the refreshments offered. Additionally the issue of a free £2 phonecard was a positive gesture. However, we were concerned that the reception area was too small (there were plans to move it), that new arrivals were not strip searched (although sentenced prisoners were) and that arrangements to deal with receptions arriving over staff meal times were inadequate.
A sentence management unit was in operation to deal with the throughcare of sentenced prisoners. There were good links with the Probation Service. Sentence plans were of good quality but, again, we found that staff detailed to these duties were often redeployed to other duties.
There was a Throughcare Committee which was attended by the Probation Officer. The Probation contract was being reviewed at the time of our inspection. There were no accredited offending behaviour courses in place but other programmes run by Prison Officers and the Probation Officer did take place on a limited basis.
The dental provision was less impressive and the dental surgery itself was deemed unacceptable.
Communications and the staff information room in particular were generally good. There was a training programme and good records for staff were maintained but there was no identifiable training budget.
A work re-profiling exercise was to be undertaken in July to establish a better link between the work which needed to be done and the number of staff required to do it. We saw this as a positive way of making best use of resources and improving the regime. It should also include further use of operational support grades in areas such as the main gate.
"Her Majesty's Prison Service serves the public by keeping in custody those committed by the courts......."
It follows therefore that we believe that Haslar should not continue in its present role as a prison holding immigration detainees. This is not a reflection on the Governor nor on his staff who are carrying out their work in the best way they can. We also deplore the "lottery" by which detainees may be located in a holding centre run by the Immigration Service, a wing of a prison or at Haslar, depending primarily on vacancies. Worryingly, the same is true of young detainees who may be held inappropriately in holding centres or prisons whilst attempts are made to establish their age.
If prison staff at Haslar are required to continue to hold detainees until such time as the Immigration Service is able to provide other detention places to cope with the number of people it wishes to detain, there should be a formal contractual arrangement with the Immigration Service and statutory rules appropriate to the detention of immigrants which were recommended in the Campsfield House report should apply.
This may help to protect Haslar from the sort of Prison Service budgetary cuts inflicted in the past and assist in the provision of more positive and constructive activities for detainees to spend their time usefully whilst awaiting decisions on their future. The regime for detainees at Haslar was restricted by the available resources and the lack of any understanding about what was expected of the Prison Service by the Immigration Service, other than custody. Haslar was operating in line with many other prisons but sometimes this was at odds with the needs of the Immigration Service. There were, for example, problems over entry timings because Immigration commitments clashed with mealtimes for staff and detainees.
However, given these serious concerns, we found that prison staff at
Haslar were carrying out their tasks with humanity and care. Staff/detainee
relationships were generally very good and the conditions in which detainees
were housed, whilst far from perfect, were adequate.
Return to: