People detained in court cells were looked after reasonably well
but there were some concerns, said Peter Clarke, Chief Inspector
of Prisons. Today he published the report of an inspection of
court custody facilities in West Midlands and
Warwickshire.
The inspection was part of a series of inspections of court
custody carried out by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. At the time of
inspection there were 13 courts that had custody facilities in
use, including four Crown courts, seven magistrates’ courts, a
youth court and an immigration and asylum tribunal. HM Prison and
Probation Service (HMPPS) had contracted GEOAmey to manage court
custody and escort services on behalf of HM Courts &
Tribunals Service (HMCTS) in the region.
Working relationships among the three key agencies responsible
for delivering court custody were good. It was positive that the
key stakeholders, in particular HMCTS, accepted responsibility
for the overall care and welfare of detainees.
Staffing levels were adequate and despite some weaknesses in
training, custody staff dealt with detainees professionally and,
on the whole, paid reasonable attention to their welfare needs
during their time in court cells. Release arrangements were
generally good and staff made sure that detainees left court
custody safely.
Inspectors were, however, concerned to find that:
- the frequency of observations in a small number of cases,
particularly for vulnerable detainees, was not adhered to as
required;
- despite cases being prioritised, some detainees spent long
periods in court custody due to delays in the attendance of duty
solicitors, arriving at court early for an afternoon listing and
delays in the authority to release from prison;
- investment in the estate was needed to address some of the
conditions inspectors found; and
- handcuffs were applied in secure areas which was often
unnecessary and, in the absence of individual risk assessments,
could be disproportionate.
Peter Clarke said:
“This was a reasonably positive inspection. While we had
significant concerns about some unnecessarily long stays,
handcuffing practice and the physical environment in court
custody facilities across West Midlands and
Warwickshire, we found much good attention to detainee care. We
have made recommendations to improve the safety and care of
people detained in court custody.”
- ENDS -
Notes to editors:
- A copy of the full report, published on 21 April, can be
found on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website: www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons
- HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent
inspectorate, inspecting places of detention to report on
conditions and treatment, and promote positive outcomes for those
detained and the public.
- This inspection was carried out from 2-15 December
2016.
