A NEW report has praised staff for their work transitioning a Portland prison to an Immigration Removal Centre.

However the report has also highlighted concerns over the time taken to move detainees with mental health problems to more appropriate facilities and issues with legal highs.

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) has released its first report for The Verne, Portland, since it changed from a Category C prison to an Immigration Removal Centre (IRC).

In October 2013, after 64 years as a prison, The Verne closed its doors to prisoners. Following a year of "change and uncertainly" for the facility, it re-opened in March 2014 as an IRC.

The IMB said this period of change was not made any easier for the first six months after its re-opening as it was still operating as a prison and was required to accept numerous foreign national offenders who were completing a prison sentence prior to their deportation from the UK.

The IMB stated in the report that the establishment only became an IRC in September 2014, but despite this staff and management had coped "admirably" with all the variations and had "adapted well."

The report states: "The Board considers IRC The Verne to be a well-run centre. It provides a decent environment where detainees awaiting removal are treated humanely and fairly.

Management has high expectations of staff and there are many examples of good and dedicated work by officers and managers.

"The Board are satisfied that detainees have adequate accommodation, good food and access to top quality healthcare, as well as work opportunities and an impressive range of activities.

"The Board is pleased that the areas of welfare and resettlement are developing within the centre."

The IMB identified four areas where they require a response from the Home Office, including: lack of secure beds for detainees with serious mental health issues, too many detainees arriving from prisons with previously undiagnosed mental health problems and a lack of suitable housing for detainees with suspected Tuberculosis.

The report states that currently the men are housed in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) alongside detainees with mental health issues or those removed from association.

The IMB said they were concerned at the "unexpectedly large number of men with mental health problems and the time taken to move such patients to a more appropriate facility." They also remarked on the unsuitability of the ex-segregation unit as a CSU for those with mental health issues.

However, the report remarks that: "The officers who work in the CSU are to be congratulated on the superb way that they treat all detainees who go there. They deal with them in a caring, considerate and compassionate manner doing everything possible to help them. Many have complex problems and they often do not speak or understand English."

The report said that generally detainees felt safe at the IRC and that there was a wide variety of activities available to the men. The Chaplaincy and Healthcare teams were also praised for their "hard work and fortitude" during the transition period.

The report also highlighted an issue with legal highs. It stated: "Similar to that of many custodial establishments, psychoactive substances (Spice), continue to be a serious problem and are often the cause of violent behaviour. Recently the number of searches has been increased."

After the Echo went to print the Home Office sent this responce to the report:

A Home Office spokesperson said:

"Detention and removal are essential elements of an effective immigration system and we are committed to treating all detainees with dignity and respect.

"We take our responsibilities towards detainees' welfare extremely seriously. That is why the Home Secretary commissioned former prisons ombudsman Stephen Shaw to carry out an independent review of detainees' welfare. This is expected to be completed in the autumn.

"We are pleased the IMB has reported that The Verne is well run and that detainees are treated humanely and fairly.

“We have considered the IMB’s recommendations carefully and are committed to working with our contractors to implement our service improvement plan for the centre."

Further information:

•         Most people detained under immigration powers spend only very short periods in detention. Published statistics show that of the 29,655 people who left detention in 2014, just over 80% (23,928) had been detained for up to 2 months and just over 63% (18,783) had been detained for less than 28 days.
•         We are keen to ensure that detention is used only as a last resort and that periods in detention are kept as short as possible. Each case is reviewed at regular intervals to ensure detention continues only for as long as it remains necessary and reasonable.
•         Factors that can lead to prolonged detention include a history of absconding, non-compliance with immigration processes, a prolific offending history and the need to maintain detention for the public good.
•    Mental health conditions cover a wide spectrum. However detention policy states that that individuals suffering from serious mental health conditions that cannot be satisfactorily managed in detention should only be detained in very exceptional circumstances.
•    Since the IMB inspection in March, accommodation used to house detainees with mental health conditions has been updated and further improvements are being looked at.
•    The Verne IRC has a number of policies and procedures in place to prevent drugs coming into the centres in the first place, but also to support those who may be using drugs. This includes an NHS England-commissioned substance misuse team which undertakes regular surgeries for detainees with substance misuse problems. 
•    We are determined to ensure drugs do not get into IRCs but we do not comment on the detail of our security policies and procedures.