Prison
Cat B, local, resettlement
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Wormwood Scrubs
IMB Annual Report 2025 · Published 12 December 2025
HMP Wormwood Scrubs continues to face significant challenges despite some positive developments in safety and healthcare. While incidents of violence and self-harm remain lower than comparator prisons, illicit drug use and inconsistent staff practices, particularly regarding body-worn cameras, are persistent concerns. The antiquated infrastructure, overcrowding, and an inconsistent regime that leaves many prisoners locked in cells for extended periods severely impact humane treatment and purposeful activity. Staffing issues contribute to the poor delivery of the key worker scheme and a rise in complaints about staff conduct, alongside noted disproportionalities in disciplinary measures against certain demographic groups.
Positive Findings
The prison maintained lower violence and self-harm incidents compared to comparators, partly due to its cohorting strategy. Welcome initiatives were implemented to improve reception procedures, risk assessment, and support for at-risk prisoners, including enhanced ACCT processes and peer support. Healthcare services showed improvements in planned care, reduced clinic cancellations, and increased therapy sessions, with positive feedback for the Enhanced Support Service (ESS). The highly committed chaplaincy team continued to provide excellent support, and the introduction of a barcode labelling system for property led to fewer complaints by year-end. Additionally, foreign national coordinators have been reintroduced and are having a positive impact.
Key Concerns
Substance Misuse
Repeated
The pervasive issue of illicit drug use, indicated by high positive mandatory drug testing rates and inconsistent searching protocols for staff and visitors.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Persistent problems with antiquated infrastructure, overcrowding, and vermin, leading to regular breakdowns and poor living conditions despite refurbishment efforts.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Inconsistent regime delivery, with many prisoners, especially those unemployed, spending over 22 hours a day locked in their cells, failing to meet out-of-cell targets.
Mental Health
Repeated
Challenges in healthcare, including the use of unsuitable accommodation for unwell prisoners awaiting specialist beds, mental health teams struggling with referrals, and delays in transfers to secure hospitals.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Poor engagement with purposeful activity and education, exacerbated by the cohorting strategy which limits choice and access to opportunities based on wing location.
Staffing
Significant concerns regarding staff conduct, evidenced by a marked increase in complaints about negative treatment and a largely unimplemented key worker scheme.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Disproportionate application of force, segregation, and basic incentive scheme placement against black, Muslim, and younger prisoners, with reasons remaining unclear.
Other
Repeated
Ongoing frustrations with in-cell phone service (long waits for repairs, high call costs) and persistent issues with lost or delayed prisoner property during transfers.
Board Commentary
Staffing
While staff recruitment and retention are generally good compared to other London prisons, there has been a loss of longer-serving staff and high turnover at lower levels, compounded by significant staff sickness rates, which impacts daily regime delivery. There was a marked increase in complaints about negative staff treatment, including bullying and unprofessional conduct. The key worker scheme remains inconsistently delivered and vulnerable to cancellation due to staffing pressures, and the wearing and use of body worn video cameras by staff remains inconsistent despite management initiatives.
Healthcare
Healthcare services have fully integrated a new model of care, and the planned care team significantly improved its NHS Quality Outcome Framework score. Clinic cancellations were substantially reduced, and therapy sessions increased. However, overall complaints to healthcare, particularly for medication and mental health services, substantially rose. The mental health team frequently struggled to meet referral targets, and unsuitable units like the CSU are still used for unwell prisoners awaiting H3 beds or transfers, with average transfer times to secure hospitals still exceeding national targets.
Regime & Daily Life
The daily regime is inconsistently delivered, with activities frequently cancelled, particularly impacting unemployed prisoners who regularly spend over 22 hours a day locked in their cells, falling short of the 1½ hour target. The prison's cohorting strategy, separating prisoners by wing, restricts access to diverse activities and work opportunities, leading to unfairness. Lockdowns following violent incidents also disrupt the regime, further limiting time out of cell and purposeful activity.
Recommendations (10)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 4
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
Prev. unaddressed
What further support will the Minister provide to improve the antiquated infrastructure of the prison?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Response
A limited programme of refurbishment continues, but the problems largely remain.
Recommendation 2
What measures will the Minister take to reduce the number of prisoners with acute mental health and behavioural needs that require specialist assessment and care being held in the prison?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 3
Prev. unaddressed
What further progress can be made to help remove the barriers to meeting targets for the assessment and transfer times to hospital for those requiring specialist mental health facilities?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Response
Delays in transfer times to secure hospital facilities still, on average, exceed the 28-day national target.
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What further support will the Prison Service provide to improve the antiquated infrastructure of the prison?
HMPPS
Estate
Response
A limited programme of refurbishment continues, but the problems largely remain.
Recommendation 5
Prisoners using in-cell phones experience frequent breakdowns, long waits for repairs and call costs far higher than those in the community. What will the Prison Service do to improve this?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 6
Property lost or delayed in transit between establishments is still a major concern for prisoners. What more will the Prison Service do to improve the situation?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What further measures will the Governor take to improve security and prevent drugs getting into the prison?
Governor / Director
Substance Misuse
Response
The rate of positive findings on mandatory drugs testing has remained far higher than in comparator prisons.
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What further measures will the Governor take to improve the length, consistency and quality of time out of cell for all prisoners?
Governor / Director
Regime
Response
Too many prisoners still find that activities and regime are cancelled due to staffing issues. Unemployed prisoners are often still spending 22 hours a day or more in their cells.
Recommendation 9
What further measures will the Governor take to improve the take up and use of body worn video cameras?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What further measures will the Governor take to improve the range of worthwhile work, education and other activities for all prisoners?
Governor / Director
Purposeful Activity
Response
Prisoners are still unable to mix outside their wing groups and the range of activities available to them is dictated by their location in the prison.
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.