Standards and Inspection

The Corrections Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network publishes the standards to which every one of its establishments is held so that those in custody, their families and the public can see what is expected and can hold the Department to it. The standards apply from 6 September 2026 to every establishment listed on the Custody page.

The standards are drawn from the interim rules under which the establishments were operated during the transition period, revised to a single common text. Where the interim rules of the establishments differed, the Department has adopted the more protective provision in every case. The standards will be reviewed after the first cycle of inspections is complete.

The seven standards. Each establishment is assessed against the seven standards below.

Safety

Every person in custody is protected from violence, intimidation and self-harm. Each establishment keeps a first-night unit, a care plan procedure for those at risk, and a record of every use of force, which is reviewed by a manager within 24 hours.

Decency

Accommodation is clean, heated, lit and ventilated. No cell certified for one is used for two without the written approval of the head of the establishment. Every person has daily access to showers, clean clothing and bedding, and at least one hour in the open air.

Food and health

Three meals are provided daily, with a choice that meets medical, religious and cultural needs. A nurse is on duty at all times and a doctor attends daily. Medicines prescribed before custody are continued unless a doctor decides otherwise.

Contact with the outside world

Every person may send and receive letters without limit, make telephone calls daily and receive visits in accordance with the published timetable. Correspondence with legal representatives and with the Department's inspection unit is confidential.

Purposeful activity

Every sentenced person is offered at least 25 hours of education, work, training or programmes each week. Time out of cell on a weekday is not less than eight hours in closed establishments and is unrestricted during the day at Westbrook Resettlement Centre.

Fairness

Rules are published and available in the languages of those held. Disciplinary charges are heard within 48 hours by a manager who was not involved in the incident, and the person charged may call witnesses and see the evidence. Every decision may be appealed.

Preparation for release

Every sentenced person has a sentence plan, reviewed at least every six months, and a resettlement plan agreed not less than twelve weeks before release covering accommodation, income, identification and continuity of healthcare.

Inspection. Until an independent inspectorate of custody is constituted, inspections are carried out by the Department's inspection unit, which reports directly to the head of the Department and not to the heads of the establishments it inspects. The unit has unrestricted access to every part of every establishment, to records, and to anyone held or employed there, and may visit without notice. Its reports are published in full on this site.

A full inspection lasts one week and assesses the establishment against all seven standards, drawing on a confidential survey of those held, interviews with staff and families, observation of the daily routine and examination of records. A short inspection covers safety, decency and fairness only. Each report gives a rating against each standard and a list of recommendations, to which the establishment must respond with an action plan within eight weeks.

Complaints. Anyone in custody may complain about any aspect of their treatment. The procedure below applies in every establishment, and no one may be disadvantaged for having made a complaint.

1. 1

   Step 1: Raise the matter locally

   Most concerns are resolved by speaking to a member of staff on the unit. Anyone in custody may instead complete a complaint form, available on every unit, and place it in a sealed box that is emptied by the complaints clerk each working day.

2. 2

   Step 2: Receive a written reply

   A written reply is given within seven working days, or within three working days where the complaint concerns safety, property or a visit that has been refused. If more time is needed the complainant is told why and given a new date.

3. 3

   Step 3: Appeal to the head of the establishment

   A complainant who is dissatisfied with the reply may appeal in writing within fourteen days. The appeal is decided by the head of the establishment, or by a manager who was not involved in the original decision, within a further seven working days.

4. 4

   Step 4: Refer the matter to the Department

   If the appeal is refused, the complainant may write in confidence to the Department's inspection unit, which reviews the file and may direct the establishment to reconsider. Families and legal representatives may also write to the Department on a person's behalf with their consent.

The number of complaints received, the proportion upheld and the time taken to reply are reported for each establishment on the Statistics page. Deaths in custody are reported to the Justice Department of the Network and to the family on the day they occur, and are investigated independently of the establishment.

Families and legal representatives may raise concerns about a person's treatment by writing to contact@corrections.gov.vin. For practical guidance for families, see Families and Visitors.