Prison
Cat B, C, local
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Wandsworth
IMB Annual Report 2021 · Published 21 October 2021
HMP Wandsworth operated under severe COVID-19 restrictions for most of the year, leading to prisoners spending up to 23.5 hours a day in cramped cells. The prison remained highly overcrowded and faced significant safety challenges from violence and widespread drug availability. Persistent concerns include the inhumane state of the Victorian buildings, inadequate healthcare facilities, rising mental health needs, and the absence of Home Office immigration support.
Positive Findings
The Board commended the Governor and staff for their skill, imagination, dedication, and resolve in managing the challenging Covid-19 pandemic, noting that prisoners were treated fairly and with respect despite regime restrictions. Initiatives included new communication methods like video calls, an X-ray body scanner, a digital reporting platform for use of force, and the introduction of a central movements team. Chaplaincy adapted to broadcast services, and a voicemail system for IMB applications was introduced. Catch-22's takeover of resettlement services also led to a short-lived improvement.
Key Concerns
Overcrowding
Repeated
The prison remains severely overcrowded with 170-year-old residential buildings deemed unfit for purpose due to cramped shared cells, frequent heating failures, mould, leaking plumbing, and rodent infestations.
Safety
The prison was not safe, reflected in high levels of prisoner-on-officer (274) and prisoner-on-prisoner (326) assaults. The widespread availability of psychoactive substances and cannabis remained a major trigger for aggressive behaviour and self-harm, despite the installation of an X-ray body scanner.
Healthcare
Repeated
The new healthcare facility under construction surprisingly will not include any cell accommodation, failing to relieve pressure on the already inadequate six-bed Jones unit and 12-bed Addison mental health unit, both of which are unfit for purpose and have cells frequently out of use.
Mental Health
Repeated
Mental health referrals significantly increased to an average of 510 per month, overwhelming the InReach team, and there were continued long delays (one patient waited over 12 months) for transfers to secure psychiatric accommodation.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The absence of Home Office immigration enforcement officers since March 2020 meant foreign nationals lacked essential support, leading to stress, miscommunication, and contributing to self-harm incidents.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The lack of adequate kit supplies, including kettles, bedding, and clothing, and the absence of privacy curtains in shared cells, remained a recurrent and unsatisfactory issue.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
The Board has repeatedly complained about the inadequacy of the education offering from Novus, but the prison lacks management control to effect necessary improvements.
Safety
Repeated
Funding for an upgrade to the CCTV system was approved over a year ago, but this essential work has still not commenced.
Food/Catering
Repeated
Delays in distributing canteen items meant some fresh produce deteriorated by the time prisoners received it, a concern highlighted for the third consecutive year.
Complaints/Property
Repeated
Instances of prisoners' property going missing during cell changes remained a concern for the fourth consecutive year, despite staff reminders.
Complaints/Property
Delays in prisoners receiving post continued for most of the reporting period, often due to wing staff not collecting mail promptly.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff faced immense pressure due to COVID-19 related absences through illness, shielding, or self-isolation, leading to additional regime restrictions and difficulties in conducting multi-disciplinary reviews and key worker sessions. Despite these challenges, the Board commended staff for their professionalism, skill, and dedication. Safe staffing levels were maintained in healthcare with agency support, while the equalities and chaplaincy teams experienced reduced numbers and challenges.
Healthcare
All contracted healthcare services continued, though adapted due to COVID-19, leading to significantly increased waiting times for GP, dental, podiatry, and optician appointments, which somewhat reduced by April. The six-bed Jones unit and 12-bed Addison mental health unit were deemed totally inadequate and unfit for purpose, with the new healthcare facility surprisingly not including additional cell accommodation. Mental health referrals saw a significant increase to an average of 510 per month, and delays in mental health transfers remained a long-standing concern, with some patients waiting over a year for a secure bed.
Regime & Daily Life
The COVID-19 pandemic severely constrained the regime, resulting in prisoners being locked in cells for up to 23.5 hours a day, sometimes longer on weekends, with limited access to social visits, gym, or group activities. Induction processes were largely individual, and physical faith services were suspended. The restricted regime significantly impacted prisoners' mental health and general wellbeing, though kitchen workers had more out-of-cell time, and the basic regime was suspended to offer more privileges.
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, Money and Property | 62 | 82 | |
| Discipline, Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) | 14 | 38 | |
| Education, training and purposeful activity | 11 | 10 | |
| Equality and diversity | 42 | 17 | |
| Food | 1 | 3 | |
| Healthcare (physical and mental) | 50 | 103 | |
| Legal | 40 | 56 | |
| Other | 20 | 0 | |
| Regime (including visits) | 51 | 51 | — |
| Safety (including bullying, self-harm and violence) | 43 | 51 | |
| Staff-prisoner relations | 71 | 95 | |
| Time to be served | 39 | 58 | |
| Work of the IMB | 37 | 18 |
Recommendations (12)
Ministry of Justice: 3
Home Office: 2
HMPPS: 5
Governor / Director: 2
10 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
The lack of adapted cells for wheelchair users remained a major concern and at times the only space available was in the Jones unit. As a result, an otherwise healthy wheelchair user became a “bed blocker” preventing an unwell prisoner from being admitted to Jones. The Board considered this unacceptable. When will the prison receive funding for more wheelchair adapted cells?
Ministry of Justice
Equality
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Home Office immigration enforcement officers left the prison in March 2020 and did not return for the duration of the reporting period. Their absence meant that in most cases foreign nationals relied on prison officers and the charity, Befriending Support Team (BEST), to answer questions, resolve issues and errors, and serve notices of case progress and/or removal. This was a most unsatisfactory situation and was quite often a contributor to a prisoner self-harming. When will the Immigration Service offer a full service in the prison, including being on the wings?
Home Office
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
HMP Wandsworth continues to be severely overcrowded. Does the Government have a plan to resolve this situation?
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Recommendation 4
During the year the mental health team (InReach) received an average of 510 referrals per month, up from 425 last year. The InReach team is overwhelmed. When will more resource be made available in the prison to address the increase in mental health issues?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 5
Repeated
The re-role to a reception prison was originally expected to take place in 2017. The date was put back to 2018 and then again to early 2019. The change did not happen and was rescheduled for late 2020 but again did not materialise. At the period end, there were 1,097 prisoners on remand, 73% of the total population. When will the re-role take place?
HMPPS
Regime
Recommendation 6
Repeated
The fabric of the prisoner accommodation continued to be unacceptable with broken windows, mould, leaking plumbing, leaking rooves, frequent heating failures, pigeon faeces, rodents and other issues. This is neither decent nor acceptable. What plans does the Prison Service have to address the wholly unacceptable state of the residential facilities?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 7
Repeated
The prison has complained to Novus, the education provider, repeatedly during the year and in previous years about the inadequacy of its offering. Unfortunately the prison has no management control over Novus and is therefore unable to effect improvements. When will this be rectified?
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Funding for an upgrade to the CCTV system was approved over a year ago. When will this long overdue essential work be carried out?
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 9
The new healthcare facility will not include any cell accommodation to relieve pressure on the totally inadequate Jones and Addison units. When will more residential medical capacity be made available in the current building or elsewhere?
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Listeners, trained to support other prisoners, provided a highly valuable role but were not always unlocked. The Board also noted that the Listener suites, which provided a private space, were often not available due to maintenance and other issues. What changes will be made to ensure a full and continuous Listener service is provided across all wings?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 11
Repeated
The lack of adequate kit was a recurrent issue. This included frequently reported shortages of kettles, bedding and clothing. The Board was also concerned about the number of complaints concerning the lack of privacy curtains in shared cells. What is being done to rectify this very unsatisfactory situation?
Governor / Director
Welfare
Recommendation 12
Repeated
Immigration service staff were absent throughout the period which caused considerable stress and hardship to foreign nationals, three of whom died during the period. What plans have been put in place to ensure that this most unsatisfactory situation is not repeated in the event of further Covid outbreaks?
Home Office
Resettlement
Other IMB Reports for Wandsworth
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
31 Mar 2025
IRP
8 May 2024
Urgent Notification
22 Apr 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 1
Respect: 1
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.