Upheld complaint against the Governor of HMP Full Sutton
Complaint category:
Property
Month investigation completed:
March
Year investigation completed:
2026
The prisoner complained about missing stored property when he transferred from HMP Long Lartin to HMP Full Sutton.
Recommendations/outcome:
We found that the stored property was missing and recommended that Full Sutton pay compensation for this as it appeared to have arrived at the prison. We also recommended that the Governor ensure staff are reminded of the requirement to list details of all property held in storage locally in line with national policy.
Upheld complaint against the Governor of HMP The Mount
Complaint category:
Adjudication & IEP
Month investigation completed:
March
Year investigation completed:
2026
The prisoner complained about being kept on the basic regime in HMP The Mount.
Recommendations/outcome:
We upheld the complaint as the prisoner had been placed on the basic regime a fixed term beyond seven days which is not supported by national policy. We recommended that the Governor apologise to the prisoner for this decision and reimburse him for any monies lost during his time on the basic regime beyond the initial seven days. We recommended that The Mount review their local IEP policy to ensure it is in line with national policy, remove any references to ‘tiered offences’ and the requirement for a prisoner to spend a predetermined time on the basic regime; We also recommended that the Governor to remind staff of the need to answer IEP appeals as quicky as possible, particularly when a prisoner has been downgraded to the basic regime and of the requirement to answer complaints and appeals within the timeframes set in national policy.
Partially Upheld complaint against the Governor of HMP Durham
Complaint category:
Staff behaviour
Month investigation completed:
March
The prisoner complained about being assaulted by another prisoner who he had shared a cell with.
Recommendations/outcome:
We found that key risk information was missed by staff at Durham when conducting the perpetrator’s Cell Sharing Risk Assessment (CSRA) which led to him being deemed safe to share a cell with the complainant. We recommended that Durham apologise to the prisoner for the shortcomings in the CSRA process. We said that Durham should review their current CSRA process for prisoners on arrival at the prison and ensure they are being completed in line with policy. We also recommended that their local violence reduction policy be reviewed in line with national policy.
Upheld complaint against the Governor of HMP Bure
Complaint category:
Property
Month investigation completed:
March
Year investigation completed:
2026
The prisoner complained that he had not received books that were posted to him at HMP Bure. IPCI’s investigation established that the books had arrived at the prison but could not be located. As the books were lost before they reached the prisoner, the complaint was upheld.
Recommendations/outcome:
IPCI recommended that the Governor should apologise to the complainant for the missing books and establish, with the complainant and the sender of the parcel, the value of the items. The Governor should then compensate either the complainant or the sender, as appropriate. We also recommended that the Governor should conduct an audit of the other parcels received on the same date to ensure they were processed correctly.
Partially upheld complaint against the Governor of HMP High Down
Complaint category:
Accommodation, food, education & other facilities
Month investigation completed:
March
Year investigation completed:
2026
The prisoner complained that while they were self-isolating, they were missed at a mealtime. They said this happened frequently and also at times missed receiving their medication.
Recommendations/outcome:
The complaint was partially upheld on the basis that a comment made by an officer in response to the internal complaint was inappropriate. Following IPCI’s enquiries, we were informed that HMP High Down addressed this matter with the officer concerned. Although the complainant was initially overlooked, the prison provided assurances that once staff became aware, a meal was delivered promptly. HMP High Down also confirmed that they have already implemented a more robust system for identifying prisoners who are self-isolating. In relation to medication, HMP High Down confirmed that it is not delivered to cell doors. Instead, prisoners are escorted to the medication hatch to receive it, which reduces the likelihood of individuals being missed.
Partially upheld complaint against the Governor of HMP Lowdham Grange
Complaint category:
Property
Month investigation completed:
March
Year investigation completed:
2026
The prisoner complained that three storages boxes had not been sent from HMP Lowdham Grange to HMP Manchester following his transfer. Following IPCI’s involvement, the storage boxes were located at Manchester. Although the property had been forwarded to the prisoner, the complaint was partially upheld because there had been a significant delay in Lowdham Grange sending it.
Recommendations/outcome:
The missing property was located, and the delay was highlighted to the Governor so she is aware of this issue.
Upheld complaint against the Governor of HMP Bullingdon
Complaint category:
Security
Month investigation completed:
March
Year investigation completed:
2026
The prisoner complained that staff conducted a full search in a closed visits room where there was a CCTV camera. IPCI upheld the complaint as the prison breached national policy by carrying out a full search in a room which is covered by CCTV. The prison also breached policy by failing to recognise and process a Subject Access Request (SAR) contained within the prisoner’s complaint.
Recommendations/outcome:
The prison had already apologised to the complainant for the full search. IPCI recommended that the Governor should also apologise for not processing the SAR and should ensure that processes in place to maintain compliance with full search policy are properly monitored and enforced. We also recommended that staff are appropriately trained to identify when a prisoner is making a SAR and to ensure such requests are correctly processed.
Partially upheld complaint against the Governor of HMP Lowdham Grange
Complaint category:
Property
Month investigation completed:
March
Year investigation completed:
2026
The prisoner complained that staff incorrectly confiscated property during a cell clearance. IPCI found that some of the items that the prisoner said had been confiscated were still in his possession. However, some items had been incorrectly confiscated. The complaint was therefore partially upheld.
Recommendations/outcome:
IPCI recommended that the Governor apologise to the prisoner for staff not correctly following the requirements of the Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework when clearing his cell. We also recommended that relevant property should be returned and that property cards should be reviewed to identify whether any further items were wrongly confiscated. IPCI further recommended for the correct Cell Clearance Certificate is used and that record-keeping and oversight arrangements are improved, including auditing compliance with policy and ensuring complaints are responded to in line with the Prisoner Complaints Policy Framework.
Partially upheld complaint against the Governor of HMP Springhill
Complaint category:
Property
Month investigation completed:
March
Year investigation completed:
2026
The prisoner complained that his property went missing following his transfer from HMP Springhill to HMP The Mount and that some items had been incorrectly confiscated by HMP Springhill. IPCI partially upheld the complaint. We found that some items were missing and, as a cell clearance had been conducted, responsibility lay with HMP Springhill. However, some items were found in the prisoner’s cell but were not recorded on his property cards, and there was no evidence that they had been legitimately obtained, so the prison acted in line with policy by confiscating them.
Recommendations/outcome:
A significant amount of property was found to be missing. We attempted to resolve this matter locally with HMP Springhill, but as an agreement could not be reached, we issued a report. We recommended that the prisoner receives an apology for the lost property and the poor handling of this matter. We also recommended compensation for the lost property and that the Governor should ensure that staff handle prisoners’ property and conduct cell clearances in line with the Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework.
Upheld complaint against the Director of HMP Oakwood
Complaint category:
Property
Month investigation completed:
March
Year investigation completed:
2026
The prisoner complained that property was lost following his transfer from HMP Oakwood to HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
Our investigation found that several parcels of follow-on property did not reach the receiving prison and could not later be located. HMP Oakwood did not notify HMP Wormwood Scrubs that the property was being sent, despite this being a requirement of national policy. There was also inadequate recording of the property, with documentation missing key information required by the Prisoners' Property Policy Framework.
We found that Oakwood did not follow up the failed deliveries or pursue a compensation claim with the courier company after the property went missing.
Recommendations/outcome:
Some of the missing property was later recovered and compensation was offered for items that remained unaccounted for. Oakwood apologised to the prisoner. We made recommendations to HMP Oakwood about improving property record keeping, completing required transfer documentation, notifying receiving prisons when follow-on property is sent, and introducing arrangements to monitor parcel deliveries and pursue courier claims when property goes missing. We also made a recommendation to the HMPPS Policy Team to clarify responsibility for tracking property and making compensation claims when property sent by courier is lost.
