Prison
Cat YOI, LTHSE
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Aylesbury
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 17 December 2021
This report covers a year dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic at Aylesbury YOI, which saw a reduced prisoner population of around 209. Despite a severely curtailed regime and poor education provision, the prison maintained stability, low infection rates among prisoners, and provided daily showers and exercise. Key concerns include the lack of mental health beds, the weakening of the key worker scheme, and the risk that post-pandemic priorities will shift from prisoner outcomes to risk management as population numbers increase.
Positive Findings
The Board welcomed good progress on equality work and the effective management of Covid-19 protocols, which maintained stability and low infection rates among prisoners. Noted improvements included the provision of free in-cell telephone credit and supportive staff interactions. Significant investment in refurbishment improved accommodation, and a new facilities manager addressed maintenance issues. The chaplaincy provided vital support, especially through virtual family contacts and welfare schemes, and events like Black History Month were marked well. Staff were also commended for their hard work and flexibility during the pandemic.
Key Concerns
Resettlement/Release
Lack of a stronger national commitment to young adult prisoner rehabilitation, backed by research evidence, shared best practice and sufficient resourcing.
Mental Health
Reduce the number of the seriously mentally ill being sentenced to incarceration; at the same time, ensure that a greater number of emergency mental health beds are available for prisoners in extreme need.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
In post-pandemic opening up, support institutions to rebalance strategic priorities toward a more demanding focus on prisoner outcomes, diminishing the focus on risk management.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Set national, publicly shared, targets for educational and training outcomes in young offender institutions, backed by professionally informed practice and proper data analysis.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Set high-quality targets, and appropriate penalties, in third-party contracts for education, training and vocational skill delivery. Maintain business-like contract management to ensure proper delivery.
Safety
Create a regime which sets out to resolve interpersonal threats and disagreements (non-associates), using professional interventions where needed, and in this way allow other aspects of prison life, such as education and exercise, to work more effectively.
Safety
Without systematic training in professional mediation techniques, the impact of gang culture will extend, and will severely curtail the opportunities for prisoners to undertake activities out of their cells and off their wings.
Other
The management of prisoners’ property continues to be an issue within the prison system, particularly loss during movements.
Complaints/Property
Mistrust of the complaints and DIRF process, particularly among Muslim prisoners regarding the handling of religious items and dog searches, leading to underreporting.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing levels, while impacted by Covid-19 absences (up to 35%), resulted in a favourable staff-to-prisoner ratio for the reduced population. However, staff turnover remained relatively high, with a significant proportion of officers having less than two years' experience. The key worker scheme, while established, was notably weaker, with many prisoners unaware of their key worker. Despite challenges, management focused on improving staff working conditions and celebrating successes, including national awards for individual officers.
Healthcare
Healthcare services, provided by Practice Plus Group, continued under difficult pandemic conditions, delivering 15,971 activities with high attendance. The psychology team proactively addressed Covid-19 anxiety among vulnerable prisoners, mainly via in-cell telephones. While prisoner Covid-19 infection rates remained low, a critical shortage of secure psychiatric hospital beds led to a severely unwell prisoner being held in segregation for over 12 weeks, highlighting a significant concern about appropriate care provision.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime was severely impacted by Covid-19, leading to the loss of most normal activities including social visits, gym, and education. Prisoners often spent approximately 22.5 hours daily in their cells. Despite this, a daily shower and outdoor exercise were consistently provided within social bubbles, a demanding task for staff. Education provision was particularly poor, with minimal offerings for much of the year, reducing opportunities for rehabilitation and skill development.
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) | 4 | 7 | |
| Adjudications/hearings | 1 | 7 | |
| Board visits | 0 | 0 | |
| Care and Separation Unit (segregation) | 1 | 2 | |
| Chaplaincy | 0 | 0 | |
| Clothing, property and money | 2 | 2 | — |
| Correspondence (letters, phone calls) | 2 | 7 | |
| Covid-19 related | 0 | 0 | |
| Discrimination | 0 | 0 | |
| Education | 0 | 0 | |
| Food | 1 | 1 | — |
| Healthcare | 1 | 1 | — |
| Incentives and earned privileges (IEP) | 0 | 0 | |
| Other | 3 | 11 | |
| Regime | 0 | 0 | |
| Release/licence | 0 | 0 | |
| Staff care and behaviour (including allegations of assault) | 4 | 24 | |
| Total | 21 | 73 | |
| Violence and safety (including bullying) | 0 | 1 | |
| Visits (domestic, legal) | 2 | 10 |
Recommendations (10)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 4
Recommendation 1
Advocate across Whitehall for a stronger national commitment to young adult prisoner rehabilitation, backed by research evidence, shared best practice and sufficient resourcing.
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
To make prison sentences more purposeful, and to diminish reoffending rates, set higher requirements for basic training within the whole Prison Service.
Ministry of Justice
Education
Recommendation 3
Reduce the number of the seriously mentally ill being sentenced to incarceration; at the same time, ensure that a greater number of emergency mental health beds are available for prisoners in extreme need.
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 4
In post-pandemic opening up, support institutions to rebalance strategic priorities toward a more demanding focus on prisoner outcomes, diminishing the focus on risk management.
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 5
Set national, publicly shared, targets for educational and training outcomes in young offender institutions, backed by professionally informed practice and proper data analysis.
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 6
Set high-quality targets, and appropriate penalties, in third-party contracts for education, training and vocational skill delivery. Maintain business-like contract management to ensure proper delivery.
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 7
Set out a clear vision for the prison which puts improvement in prisoner outcomes first; build on the strong interdepartmental cooperation existing in the prison to realise this vision.
Governor / Director
Management
Recommendation 8
Celebrate the achievements of prisoners more publicly within the prison, to help raise staff and prisoner expectations of success.
Governor / Director
Respect
Recommendation 9
Create a regime which sets out to resolve interpersonal threats and disagreements (non-associates), using professional interventions where needed, and in this way allow other aspects of prison life, such as education and exercise, to work more effectively.
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 10
Negotiate resources to ensure that all prisoners (not just a high proportion) have purposeful activities every working day, including education, training and employment.
Governor / Director
Purposeful Activity
Other IMB Reports for Aylesbury
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
2 Feb 2026
Unannounced
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.