Prison
Cat B, C, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Pentonville
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 24 August 2022
Pentonville, a Category B/C YOI, operated with an average population of 1,043 against an operational capacity of 1,000, facing severe overcrowding and infrastructure issues. The reporting year was marked by significant staff shortages, leading to a restricted regime with many prisoners locked in cells for nearly 23 hours a day, hampering rehabilitation efforts. Key concerns include dilapidated buildings, disrupted mental health services, a critical gap in resettlement support for remand prisoners, and an underperforming Offender Management Unit. Positively, the prison saw success with its new drug-free wing and continued effective Covid-19 management.
Positive Findings
The launch of a drug-free wing has been an impressive success, allowing prisoners in recovery to avoid drug culture. Initiatives like online co-education and the Time4Change programme are beacons of excellence, alongside outstanding chaplaincy and vital resettlement services from partners. Staff demonstrated compassion and robustly managed Covid-19, and efforts for a neurodiverse wing have been noteworthy.
Key Concerns
Estate/Conditions
The lack of privacy and cramped conditions, with men still forced to share cells designed for single occupancy, are not decent or humane. This situation is exacerbated by the crumbling fabric of the buildings, leading to vermin infestations and recurrent failures of heating and hot water.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Many prisoners are locked up for almost 23 hours a day under the Structured On-Wing Activity (SOWA) regime, which offers significantly less time out of cell than pre-Covid times. This, combined with wing-based activity, severely limits opportunities for education, training, and rehabilitation.
Staffing
Persistent staff shortages and low morale have led to the curtailment of the regime and an almost complete lack of key work, denying prisoners important support and causing significant frustration.
Mental Health
Mental health services are severely disrupted with a three-month waiting list, and the award-winning wellbeing centre remains massively under-utilised, indicating low expectations for its use.
Resettlement/Release
There is a critical gap in resettlement services for remanded prisoners, who now comprise nearly 75% of the population, as many agencies are not contracted to work with them.
Complaints/Property
The poor performance of the Offender Management Unit consistently leaves prisoners without basic and crucial information about their sentences, parole, and release dates for weeks or even months.
Substance Misuse
Drugs and other contraband remain ubiquitous in the prison, contributing to problems of debt-related violence which pose a constant threat to safety.
Equality/Diversity
Black and minority ethnic prisoners and young adults (YAs) are disproportionately overrepresented in use of force incidents, adjudications, and segregation, requiring further exploration and targeted support.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff numbers were severely depleted throughout the year, exacerbated by the Omicron variant, leading to low morale and prisoner frustration. Despite this, staff showed commitment and resilience, with many working extra shifts. However, the lack of staff resulted in minimal key worker provision and challenges with less experienced officers, impacting the regime and prisoner support.
Healthcare
Healthcare managed Covid-19 outbreaks and mass testing scrupulously, but communication issues regarding appointments caused prisoner anxiety. Mental health services faced severe disruption with a three-month waiting list, and the wellbeing centre was underutilised, though acute cases received excellent inpatient care. Addiction rehabilitation services remained strong and integrated into the drug-free wing.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime was heavily impacted by ongoing Covid-19 restrictions and staff shortages, leading to frequent lockdowns and an average of 1.25 hours out of cell daily for many. Wing-based activities severely limited opportunities for education, training, and general mixing, effectively warehousing prisoners and hindering rehabilitation. Quarantine periods for new prisoners were often extended due to accommodation pressures.
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 transfers) | 45 | 38 | |
| Canteen | 12 | 10 | |
| Care and separation unit | 7 | 3 | |
| Discrimination | 1 | 0 | |
| Drugs | 2 | 3 | |
| Education | 11 | 6 | |
| Employment/activity | 22 | 14 | |
| Equality | 2 | 0 | |
| Healthcare | 75 | 39 | |
| Incentives and earned privileges | 0 | 1 | |
| Legal | 16 | 10 | |
| Letters/phone calls | 20 | 14 | |
| OMU/release/parole | 30 | 15 | |
| Other | 30 | 16 | |
| Property | 95 | 43 | |
| Staff behaviour | 12 | 5 | |
| TOTAL | 401 | 230 | |
| Violence/safety | 10 | 7 | |
| Visits | 11 | 6 | |
| Work opportunities | 0 | 0 |
Recommendations (14)
Ministry of Justice: 6
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 5
Recommendation 1
Given the major (infra)structural problems at Pentonville and overcrowding, how does the minister justify the instruction to the Governor to continue to increase the population?
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Recommendation 2
When will you invest more in the fabric of the prison to provide a safe, decent and rehabilitative environment?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 3
Will you commit to providing the necessary resources for the Governor to increase opportunities for education and activities in order to minimise the number of men who are locked up for almost 23 hours a day?
Ministry of Justice
Regime
Recommendation 4
Will you commit to provide increased staffing to allow those who do not wish to engage in education or activities to be out of their cells for at least an hour morning and afternoon?
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 5
When will you invest in pay for prison staff in order to increase recruitment and retention rates?
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 6
Remanded prisoners are given few services to assist them with their release: given the big increase in the number of prisoners on remand, when will you address this critical gap in resettlement services?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 7
Will the Prison Service increase the capacity of offending behaviour programmes and interventions at Pentonville, so that prisoners can benefit from these without needing to transfer to another prison?
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 8
Will you introduce more initiatives (like Graduates Unlocked) to help raise the calibre of people applying to be prison officers?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 9
Property transfer between prisons, and systems regulating how much property prisoners may have, appear to be unworkable and unenforceable: will the Prison Service overhaul these at a national level?
HMPPS
Complaints
Recommendation 10
Will you commit to a detailed review of the impact of the wing-based provision of education and activities on opportunities for all prisoners to engage in activities that are central to rehabilitation?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 11
Will you commission a robust interrogation of the allocations process for activities to ensure that it serves prisoners and teaching staff better?
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 12
Will you undertake a comprehensive overhaul of the property store and systems at Pentonville to improve this function for the decency of prisoners (and to avoid wasting unnecessary staff time)?
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 13
What systems will you put in place to ensure both that the offender management unit’s performance never falls to the unacceptable levels of the past year ever again, and that prisoners will get prompt and accurate information, in particular about sentence calculation/release dates?
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 14
How will you improve physical access to the library for men who are on wings without direct access?
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Pentonville
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
16 Mar 2026
IRP
16 Jul 2025
Urgent Notification
30 Jun 2025
Unannounced
11 Apr 2023
IRP
11 Jul 2022
Unannounced
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.