Prison
Cat B training prison
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Woodhill
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 3 October 2023
HMP Woodhill, a Category B training prison, faced significant challenges during the reporting year, primarily due to persistent staff shortages that severely impacted regime consistency and access to purposeful activity. Key concerns included high levels of violence, the deteriorating state of the prison estate, and overburdened mental health services leading to long waits for transfers. The IMB called for urgent action on staff recruitment, infrastructure maintenance, and improving opportunities for prisoner progression and resettlement.
Positive Findings
The IMB found positive aspects in the induction process, noting high professionalism and care from staff, which new arrivals commended. The Segregation Unit generally maintained a fair and safe regime. Staff in House Unit 6 were observed developing supportive relationships with highly challenging prisoners. Furthermore, improvements were noted in complaints monitoring, and prisoner-led initiatives, like a weekly podcast tackling ethnic issues, were highlighted as beneficial. The hard work of the Chaplaincy to increase the frequency of faith meetings was also welcomed.
Key Concerns
Safety
Prisoner on prisoner assaults remain among the highest in the Long-Term High Security Estate.
Safety
The number of assessment, care in custody and teamwork documents (ACCTs) remains high, and the Board is concerned that reviews are not regularly carried out by the case co-ordinator.
Segregation
The levels of violence on the wings have led to a significant increase in the use of segregation during the year.
Staffing
Due to lack of consistency of staffing, developing positive relationships between prisoners and staff has been challenging. The Board has noted many occasions where inexperienced staff are unable to provide the support individual prisoners need, even at a basic transactional level.
Estate/Conditions
The fabric of the building is beginning to show wear and tear. The showers in the majority of House Units are of an unacceptable standard and the flooring in some of the ground floor cells is breaking up making it impossible to clean.
Mental Health
Concerns are increasing about the use of segregation for those with complex and severe mental health needs.
Mental Health
Mental health services were unable to cope with the demand, and prisoners requiring secure mental health care waited too long for assessment and transfer.
Estate/Conditions
There is insufficient suitable accommodation across the LTHSE to meet the needs of older and disabled prisoners.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Access to education, library services and workshops have been severely impacted by prison staff shortages.
Education/Purposeful Activity
There are insufficient jobs and education opportunities for the number of men, resulting in long waiting times.
Resettlement/Release
Prisoners are concerned about sentence progression and said there was a lack of access to suitable programmes.
Food/Catering
Lack of supervision by wing staff leads to vulnerable men being at the back of the queue for clothing, bed linen and food.
Other
Repeated
The property system within the prison service is inadequate, causing significant issues for prisoners and requiring a radical overhaul.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Persistent staff shortages significantly impacted regime consistency and the development of positive staff-prisoner relationships, with many staff being inexperienced or cross-deployed. In May 2023, almost two-thirds of prison officers had less than two years' experience. There remains insufficient capacity for every prisoner to have a key worker, with allocations only made for immediate needs. Recruitment is not keeping pace with staff leaving, with projections indicating a likely staffing level of 50% by December 2024.
Healthcare
Overall, health and wellbeing requirements were generally met, though the Board questioned the appropriateness of caring for physically ill alongside severely mentally ill prisoners. Mental health services struggled with demand, leading to long waits for assessment and transfer to secure care, with some men needing CAU or Compass Unit places housed in Segregation. Physical healthcare waiting times were comparable to the community, but dental care had a long waiting list of 12 weeks. The pathway to secondary care remained challenging, especially for prisoners transferring between establishments.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime was assessed as amber/red for most of the year due to inadequate staffing, which restricted time out of cells. Most men were unlocked for only three hours daily, spending the rest of the day in their cells. Those engaged in work, education, or gym received six hours out of cell. This inconsistent regime severely limited opportunities for purposeful activity, earning money, and exercise, while access to education, library services, and workshops was heavily impacted by staff shortages.
Applications to the IMB
Prisoners can apply to their IMB about any aspect of their treatment. This table shows application counts by category.
| Category | Current | Previous | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 19 | 6 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 3 | 3 | — |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 8 | 10 | |
| Equality | 8 | — | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 6 | 2 | |
| Food and kitchens | 6 | 20 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 13 | 23 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 13 | 6 | |
| Miscellaneous | 37 | 9 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 27 | 21 | |
| Property within the establishment | 25 | 12 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 4 | 10 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 10 | 6 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 35 | 14 | |
| Transfers | 2 | 0 |
Recommendations (7)
Ministry of Justice: 1
HMPPS: 4
Governor / Director: 2
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
To work with colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care to consider how the pathway through secondary care could be streamlined for prisoners who are transferred after their referral.
Ministry of Justice
Healthcare
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
To develop a meaningful plan for the recruitment and retention of prison staff.
HMPPS
Staffing
Response
Prison staff pay was increased by at least 4% in Jul 2022. Apprenticeships were launched in Aug 2022. The leaving rate has fallen; however the recruitment rate is not currently keeping pace.
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. addressed
To review the daily spend for prisoners in the light of the current rise in the cost of living.
HMPPS
Food
Response
Funding for food is part of the local budgetary allocation to allow the prison and is at the Governor’s discretion. Food budget was increased to allow portion sizes to increase.
Recommendation 4
To review how capital budgets can more effectively be used to maintain the fabric of the prison estate.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
To radically overhaul the property system within the prison service.
HMPPS
Other
Response
A prison property framework was issued in Aug 2022 improvement in the management of property across the service. Locally there have been initiatives to clear property more quickly but this does not happen consistently.
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
To ensure practical plans are in place to increase the access to meaningful activity for all prisoners within the current resources.
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
The education and work placements will be expanded as staffing allows.
Recommendation 7
To work with partners to improve the access to suitable programmes for long term prisoners.
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Other IMB Reports for Woodhill
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
17 Mar 2026
Urgent Notification
14 Aug 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 1
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 2
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.
Prevention of Future Deaths Reports
Coroner PFD reports issued to this establishment.