Prison
Cat B local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Wormwood Scrubs
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 14 December 2021
HMP Wormwood Scrubs faced a challenging year dominated by Covid-19 restrictions, leading to widespread 23-hour confinement and significant impacts on prisoners' well-being and regime. While safety initiatives saw a reduction in violence and use of force, and the prison successfully managed Covid-19 outbreaks, persistent concerns remain regarding staffing shortages, the breakdown of the key worker scheme, and the efficacy of the complaints system. Healthcare, particularly mental health provision, suffered significantly, with increased referrals and a lack of psychology services, while basic needs like food quality and accommodation standards also continued to be problematic.
Positive Findings
The introduction of safety initiatives has brought positive results, with an overall reduction in recorded violence and use of force. The prison benefited from charity-led safety interventions and successfully managed Covid-19 with a robust testing and vaccination plan, leading to no positive tests from February 2021. Infrastructure improvements, including refurbishment of key areas, continued. In-cell telephones and WayOut TV were well-received. A new equalities officer has provided impetus for various activities, and the chaplaincy continued to offer excellent daily support. Gate security also saw significant improvements.
Key Concerns
Safety
Repeated
Funding cuts jeopardising safety progress, particularly for interventions previously shown to be effective.
Safety
Repeated
Inconsistent and inadequate use of Body Worn Video Cameras (BWVCs) by staff, hindering evidence collection and deterrence.
Complaints/Property
The efficacy and responsiveness of the internal complaints system remain poor, with significant delays and inadequate responses.
Safety
Repeated
Initial admission processes require urgent reform, a long-standing issue highlighted by a death in custody shortly after arrival.
Estate/Conditions
Persistent poor condition of many prison facilities and ongoing overcrowding, with 118 prisoners sharing cells designed for one.
Food/Catering
Chronic issues with the quality, quantity, and nutritional value of food, compounded by broken kitchen equipment and difficulties in providing specialist diets.
Staffing
The breakdown of the key worker scheme due to pandemic staffing pressures, impacting continuous support for prisoners.
Mental Health
A significant gap in psychology services and a long waiting list for therapeutic interventions following key staff departures.
Substance Misuse
The continued suspension of mandatory drug testing, diverting resources from addressing substance misuse.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The detrimental impact of prolonged confinement on young prisoners, who face limited activity, social contact, and poor conditions.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff numbers were severely affected by Covid-19 related self-isolation, vulnerable staff avoiding contact, and care for dependants, leading to 1,332 lost working days. Recruitment continued, bringing in newly trained officers, but the Governor expressed concern about the large number of inexperienced staff who had not encountered a normal regime. Training for existing staff has also been delayed, creating a significant backlog. The key worker scheme was unable to operate as intended due to staffing levels, prioritising vulnerable prisoners with weekly phone calls, but lacking the intended continuity.
Healthcare
The pandemic significantly strained healthcare providers, leading to a substantial increase in mental health referrals, particularly due to prolonged cellular confinement. The acuity of mental health problems among new arrivals was also markedly higher. Consequently, routine referrals had a four-week waiting list, although emergency and urgent cases were seen within target times. There is a concerning gap in psychology provision due to staff departures, leading to a long waiting list for therapeutic interventions. Data on GP, dental, and optician waiting times are unavailable, and external hospital appointments were cancelled due to lack of escort staff or prisoner refusal, often without a noted reason.
Regime & Daily Life
For much of the reporting year, many prisoners experienced a 23-hour confinement, severely limiting time out of cell and association with others. Work and accredited learning were almost completely shut down, replaced by in-cell learning packs, with no face-to-face teaching resuming by the end of the period. Access to showers was restricted at times, especially for those isolating. Social visits were closed due to Covid-19, leading to a huge reduction in family contact, though in-cell telephony and video calls helped maintain links. Vulnerable prisoners in the First Night Centre also experienced limited socialisation, education, and no access to fresh air or exercise due to 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 transfers) | 45 | 38 | |
| Adjudications | 12 | 21 | |
| Behaviour/Privileges | 21 | 22 | |
| Bullying/Victimisation | 1 | 2 | |
| Chaplaincy | 0 | 0 | |
| Discrimination (Race/Religion/Other) | 0 | 1 | |
| Drugs | 1 | 3 | |
| Education/Work/Programmes | 7 | 13 | |
| Family/Personal | 28 | 35 | |
| Food | 19 | 19 | — |
| Healthcare (clinical) | 31 | 45 | |
| Hygiene/Safety | 8 | 15 | |
| Legal | 15 | 23 | |
| Other | 21 | 21 | — |
| Property | 38 | 66 | |
| Staff conduct | 26 | 41 | |
| Visits | 17 | 27 | |
| Welfare | 23 | 36 |
Recommendations (7)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 3
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
In our last report we urged the continuing funding of projects which have contributed to making the prison safer. What we have seen is the opposite – a reduction in funding – and we ask that the minister urgently reconsider budget cuts which will only put in peril any progress made.
Ministry of Justice
Safety
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
When will the final (as opposed to draft) policy framework on prisoners’ property, promised in February 2021 for ‘wider circulation shortly’ in the HMPPS response to our last report, be published?
HMPPS
Property
Recommendation 1
Can the Governor ensure that investigations will be undertaken to consider and monitor the disproportionate incidents in some months of use of force against black prisoners? Following such investigations can any necessary training be provided for prison officers?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
We again urge the minister to make it mandatory for officers to wear and use their BWVC when they are in situations where they may have to use force against prisoners. Can the minister also tell the Board what has happened to the review of PSI 04/2017, promised in the last response by the minister to the Board in February 2021?
Ministry of Justice
Safety
Recommendation 2
In the absence of this, can there be a directive to all prisons that they should, in so far as they are able, ensure that a prisoner’s property follows him when he is transferred to another prison?
HMPPS
Property
Recommendation 2
Given that there is acknowledgement within the prison that the food, its production and nutritional value and its quantity are an issue, can the Governor consider with some urgency how this can be remedied? If there is to be consultation, the Board suggests that this should be done speedily.
Governor / Director
Food
Recommendation 3
When a prisoner refuses to attend a hospital appointment, can the reason for that refusal be noted on the relevant documentation?
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Other IMB Reports for Wormwood Scrubs
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
16 Mar 2026
IRP
9 Jun 2025
Unannounced
7 Jun 2021
Unannounced
16 Sep 2019
Announced
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.