Prison
Cat women's closed local, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Eastwood Park
IMB Annual Report 2025 · Published 18 March 2026
HMP Eastwood Park, a women's closed local prison, maintained a population of 351 against an operational capacity of 395. The report highlights ongoing challenges with an extremely high rate of self-harm (4,479 incidents) and 235 assaults on staff, although no deaths in custody occurred for the second consecutive year. Significant concerns include the detention of mentally unwell women awaiting hospital transfers, persistent staffing shortages exacerbated by vetting delays, and a restrictive regime for the general population due to the management of segregated prisoners.
Positive Findings
The Board commended the Governor and SMT for generally keeping the complex prison population safe and fostering positive staff-prisoner interactions. Notable improvements include the recognition of the 'early days' process as 'promising practice,' the maintenance of zero deaths in custody for two consecutive periods, and the implementation of trauma-informed searching. Healthcare provision, particularly for menopause, and the rigorous MBU admission process were also highlighted positively.
Key Concerns
Mental Health
Repeated
Too many very mentally unwell women had been sent to prison due to the lack of services in the community, including places in secure mental health hospitals.
Safety
Repeated
The rate of self-harm was extremely high, with a very small number of women self-harming repeatedly. Staff often used force to prevent self-harm and many assaults on staff occurred during restraint.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Prisoners were unnecessarily locked in their cells while segregated women on the residential units were unlocked individually to take exercise and have a shower. This resulted in significantly less time out of cell for many women, which was a source of considerable frustration.
Staffing
officer recruitment and retention was problematic throughput the year. The Board is concerned about the inordinate backlog of potential staff appointments that are awaiting vetting.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Numerous works projects were delayed, including bathroom refurbishments, replacement of Res 7, replacement carpeting on Res 5 and 6, replacement fire ring main and the new video conferencing centre. There appeared to be so much waste in planning these projects, only for them to either be delayed or cancelled at the last moment.
Resettlement/Release
There was not enough resettlement support for remand and recalled women. Concerns were highlighted about two older prisoners who were kept in custody because of the lack of approved premises with disabled facilities or returned to custody due to failings by the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) tagging contractor.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Officer recruitment and retention remained problematic throughout the year, with a significant backlog in staff vetting leading to potential loss of 19 officers and increased lockdowns. This particularly impacted the GFSL maintenance team and the delivery of keywork sessions, which were frequently disrupted by staff redeployment to maintain the core regime. Vetting delays also affected the provision of consistent social care.
Healthcare
Practice Plus Group and AWP provided a generally good level of healthcare, although concerns persisted regarding severe mental health cases awaiting transfer to secure hospitals and the deterioration of patients returned from hospital. Vetting delays hindered consistent service delivery. A positive development is the establishment of a health hub for scans and minor procedures, and the prison's pioneering approach to menopause care. Patient satisfaction, however, saw a notable drop towards the end of the reporting period.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime improved in consistency as staffing levels rose, with a strong emphasis on purposeful activity in education or employment. However, significant disruptions occurred due to the management of complex prisoners, including those requiring constant supervision for self-harm and segregations, leading to restricted time out of cell for the general population. The closure of Res 7 further impacted enhanced-status prisoners, resulting in reduced freedom and forced cell sharing on Res 5.
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 | 27 | 26 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 7 | 5 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives schemes, sanctions | 16 | 5 | |
| Equality | 17 | 6 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 15 | 13 | |
| Food and kitchens | 13 | 3 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 52 | 65 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection restrictions | 18 | 16 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 3 | 2 | |
| Property within this establishment | 32 | 23 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, library, time out of cell | 10 | 14 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 31 | 25 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 28 | 38 | |
| Transfers | 6 | 1 |
Recommendations (10)
Ministry of Justice: 4
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 3
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
The Board would like to draw the Minister’s attention to the fact that officer recruitment and retention was problematic throughput the year. What steps will the Minister take to address these ongoing difficulties, particularly in light of the July 2025 Right to Work legislation, which is expected to result in the loss of 19 officers and increased prisoner lockdowns?
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 2
The Board is concerned about the inordinate backlog of potential staff appointments that are awaiting vetting. This includes prison staff, healthcare and maintenance appointments and head of education, skills and work and IMB applicants. What urgent measures will the Minister take to clear this backlog and ensure that operational delivery, safety, and governance are not further compromised?
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Numerous works projects were delayed, including bathroom refurbishments, replacement of Res 7, replacement carpeting on Res 5 and 6, replacement fire ring main and the new video conferencing centre. There appeared to be so much waste in planning these projects, only for them to either be delayed or cancelled at the last moment. How will the Minister ensure that future projects are properly scoped, planned and overseen from the outset so they can be delivered to an agreed timetable and budget without further waste or disruption?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 4
Concerns were highlighted about two older prisoners who were kept in custody because of the lack of approved premises with disabled facilities or returned to custody due to failings by the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) tagging contractor. How will the Minister ensure that decisions of this kind are lawful, proportionate and consistent with its responsibilities towards disabled prisoners, especially during a period of severe pressure on prison capacity?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement, Equality
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Following the closure of Res 7, Eastwood Park no longer has bespoke accommodation for prisoners who are suitable for ‘open’ conditions. When will capital funding be provided for the construction of a purpose-built gender specific trauma informed designed building in accordance with the 2022-2025 Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan?
HMPPS
Estate, Regime
Recommendation 6
Elsewhere in the public sector, establishments receive an annual devolved budget to undertake routine maintenance and minor capital works. Such budgets provide excellent value and outcomes. Why can prisons not receive a similar devolved budget for Governors to manage directly on locally determined priorities?
HMPPS
Estate, Finance
Recommendation 7
The Board acknowledges the extent of building projects but is concerned by the lack of a segregation wing and the impact on the restrictions placed on the rest of the prison population. What is the Prison Service doing to manage this situation and reduce the impact on prisoners?
HMPPS
Segregation, Regime
Recommendation 8
The Board appreciates the Governor’s initiative to ensure prisoners engage in purposeful activities in education, work, vocational training and ROTL. How will you make sure that prisoners continue to have this regular access and that these activities are used fully and effectively?
Governor / Director
Purposeful Activity
Recommendation 9
The Board acknowledges that key work should be high priority but was impacted by regime change and staffing shortages. How will you make sure that it remains a priority and is carried out consistently?
Governor / Director
Staffing, Regime
Recommendation 10
How will you ensure that ACCT plans are written clearly and in a way that fully explains the care being provided?
Governor / Director
Safety, Mental Health
Other IMB Reports for Eastwood Park
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.