Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Brixton
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 27 April 2023
HMP Brixton experienced significant challenges in the reporting year, emerging from pandemic lockdowns with a loss of momentum in improvements. An unannounced inspection in March 2022 found the prison 'in trouble', noting declines in safety, respect, and purposeful activity since 2019. Key issues included increased violence, inadequate accommodation, insufficient purposeful activity, and significant difficulties with resettlement, particularly regarding Category D transfers and post-release accommodation.
Positive Findings
The Board welcomed the excellent quality and quantity of food and noted that healthcare provision for both physical and mental health needs was good. Positive developments included the opening of an employment hub and improvements in equalities data collection and the complaints system. In-cell telephony was installed, which is seen as a significant asset for maintaining family contact and external support.
Key Concerns
Overcrowding
Repeated
Overcrowded and inadequate accommodation: many prisoners share cramped, dilapidated cells.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Insufficient purposeful activity: not enough work or training places, leading to a restrictive regime.
Safety
Repeated
Increase in violence: assault rates were higher than in previous years.
Staffing
Lack of consistent key worker provision: impacting prisoner support.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Shortage of Category D places and delays in transfer to open conditions: hindering resettlement.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Lack of accommodation for men on release: particularly in London, undermining resettlement efforts.
Other
Repeated
Inappropriate allocation of prisoners: many arriving without sentence plans or unsuitable for the prison's profile.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing issues, including shortages and high turnover, were prevalent throughout the year, impacting key worker provision, safer custody investigation capacity, and the offender management unit. The pandemic also reduced staff confidence. Healthcare services relied on agency nurses due to staff turnover, and the clinical substance misuse service was short-staffed. Refresher training for key working was shelved due to other priorities.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision was generally good for both physical and mental health needs, though access was at times limited by regime restrictions, staff shortages, and escort problems. High staff turnover necessitated reliance on agency nurses. A comprehensive mental health service was delivered, with urgent referrals seen within 48 hours, though non-urgent waits were inconsistent. Medication management and distribution periodically suffered from inadequate supervision.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime was restrictive for much of the year due to Covid restrictions, limiting purposeful activity and time out of cell. Many prisoners shared cramped cells, and the general condition of accommodation was inadequate, though some refurbishment was underway. Laundry services were insufficient and prone to breakdowns. Gym access improved later in the year, and purposeful activity, while increasing, often remained part-time due to cohort restrictions.
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 | 25 | 10 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogue(s) | 9 | 6 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, IEP, sanctions | 14 | 10 | |
| Equality | 5 | 6 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 20 | 8 | |
| Food and kitchens | 8 | 4 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 80 | 33 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 16 | 13 | |
| Property during transfer or in another establishment or location | 42 | 40 | |
| Property within this establishment | 16 | 12 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, regime, time out of cell | 17 | 4 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC, release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 66 | 32 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 105 | 44 | |
| Transfers | 16 | 16 | — |
Recommendations (3)
Other: 2
HMPPS: 1
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
As last year, the shortage of category D places is impacting negatively on the prison’s efforts to resettle prisoners. In addition, the delays in transfer to open conditions, including some men missing out completely on this step towards successfully re-entering the community, reduce the incentive to work towards achieving category D status. Accordingly, an increase in the number of category D places is still urgently required.
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The provision of accommodation for men released from prison during Covid was most welcome but, since the relaxation of restrictions, the number of men with no accommodation to go to has again risen. The scarcity of affordable accommodation in London in particular militates against successful re-entry into the community and undermines good work undertaken in prison. Accordingly, increasing the supply of accommodation for men released is still urgently required.
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The impact of Covid and the delays in the criminal justice system have combined to continue to require Brixton to accommodate men who do not fit the profile for the establishment or do not arrive with sentence plans or OASys assessments, and some who need to complete courses that are not offered at the prison. As the Board reported last year, this sets up both the men concerned and the prison to fail. The allocation of prisoners should correspond to the profile for the prisons to which they are sent.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Other IMB Reports for Brixton
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
3 Mar 2025
IRP
4 Jun 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 1
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.