Morton Hall immigration removal centre was working well to
prepare detainees for removal or release, but safety had
declined, said Peter Clarke, Chief Inspector of Prisons. Today he
published the report of an unannounced inspection of the
immigration removal centre (IRC) near Lincoln.
Morton Hall had previously been a women’s prison until May 2011
when it was re-roled to become an IRC. It was last inspected in
March 2013. This more recent inspection found that the IRC was
generally well run, with good provision of activities for the
detainees and an impressive focus on welfare and preparing men
for release or removal. This was particularly impressive given
the high levels of frustration felt by many detainees, fuelled by
the fact that many of them had spent a considerable time in
detention and for many there was no clear pathway towards
release. Delays in casework created some of the frustration. In
these circumstances, it was to the credit of leadership and staff
that relationships between staff and detainees remained generally
strong. However, there had been a significant decline in safety
since the last inspection in 2013.
Inspectors were pleased to find that:
- staff engaged effectively with some very frustrated detainees
and maintained good relationships overall;
- detainees had reasonable access to activities and facilities
were good;
- there was a range of education provision and teaching and
learning were good, and there was enough work for the population;
and
- welfare staff provided a valuable service and work to prepare
men for release or removal was better than elsewhere.
However, inspectors were concerned to find that:
- levels of violence and antisocial behaviour had risen and the
IRC needed to do more to understand the causes to enable it to
take a more active approach;
- there had been a self-inflicted death since the last
inspection in 2013 and another man has died since this
inspection;
- self-harm had risen threefold, and the causes had not been
sufficiently analysed to inform a strategy to reduce it;
- too many detainees were held for prolonged periods – 31 for
over a year – and the average length of detention was also high
at over three months; and
- Morton Hall had suffered the impact of new psychoactive
substances becoming available.
The IRC looks and feels like a prison, with a great deal of razor
wire in evidence to prevent access to roof areas. While it might
not be feasible to change this in the immediate future, it should
be a longer-term aspiration so that the environment can more
properly reflect the principles of immigration detention.
Peter Clarke said:
“The very real challenges faced by this IRC should not be allowed
to overshadow the commitment and skill of the staff who clearly
had the interests of the detainees at the forefront of their
minds. We saw many examples of extremely positive interactions
between staff and detainees, professional de-escalation of
potentially violent incidents and creditable patience in the face
of the anger and frustration of the detainees.
“The challenge for Morton Hall is to halt the decline in safety
and secure the investment needed to prevent any further
deterioration in the condition of the residential units. The
inevitable wear and tear of ageing facilities had been
exacerbated in many places by vandalism and graffiti. Poor
physical conditions will do nothing to lessen the frustration
felt by many of the detainees when faced, in many cases, with
indeterminate uncertainty about their future.”
- ENDS -
Notes to editors:
- A copy of the full report, published on 21 March, can be
found on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website
at: 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.
- Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre holds adult male
detainees subject to immigration control. It is operated by HM
Prison Service on behalf of the Home Office.
- This unannounced inspection was carried out from 21-25
November 2016.
