Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Oakwood
IMB Annual Report 2025 · Published 27 August 2025
HMP Oakwood, a Category C training prison, generally provides a safe environment with reductions in self-harm incidents and prisoner-on-prisoner violence. The prison has seen significant improvements in healthcare provision, with CQC breaches lifted, and positive developments in purposeful activity and prisoner-staff relationships. Key challenges include persistent understaffing in the Probation Service, ongoing delays in mental health transfers, and issues with property management and the availability of complaint forms for prisoners.
Positive Findings
The Board notes that there were again no self-inflicted deaths and that self-harm incidents have stabilised. Prisoner-on-prisoner violence decreased, and use of force incidents remained low compared to comparator prisons. Staff-prisoner relationships were assessed as good, and key worker sessions increased by 28%. The prison saw improvements in healthcare, with the CQC lifting all twelve breaches following a re-inspection, and welcomed the appointment of a Neurodiversity Coordinator. Significant efforts were made in purposeful activity, including a successful Barbering Academy and the opening of an Iceland Training Academy, along with expanding Farms and Gardens activities. Social visits and family interventions also saw increased hours.
Key Concerns
Staffing
Repeated
Provision for the Probation Service in the OMU is still seemingly insufficient to meet the demand of the current prison population at HMP Oakwood. If the intention is to reduce the number of prisoners returning on recall for breaching their license conditions, then can the Minister ensure that the probation service funding is increased to be able to meet this aim?
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Of the 91 IPP prisoners at HMP Oakwood, 71 are on recall (77%). Given that the majority are ten or more years over their original tariff, will extra funding be given to the Probation Service to prioritise reducing this recall percentage for IPP prisoners?
Equality/Diversity
There is only one Neurodiversity Coordinator (appointed by the Ministry of Justice) to each prison in England, including HMP Oakwood, irrespective of its population and need. HMP Oakwood’s neurodiversity coordinator currently estimates that it has 900 neurodiverse prisoners (40%). Can the Minister review the neurodiversity funding for individual prisons to support their specific needs and size of population?
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Since the implementation of the Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework in 2022, the Board remains concerned that it is seeing a lack of adherence to the policy, particularly with missing property from incoming prisoners. The highest numbers of complaints both to the prison and to the IMB continue to concern missing property. Can this ongoing concern continue to be addressed?
Mental Health
Repeated
All transfers to a secure mental health facility at Oakwood continued to exceed the 28-day stipulated timeframe (with reference to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) thematic review, ‘The Long Wait’, published in February 2024). Can this ongoing concern continue to be addressed?
Safety
Although the IMB receives the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman PPO final report on deaths in custody, it no longer receives the clinical review which previously came as an annex to the report. The Board feels that a lack of access to these reports limits its ability to monitor the outcomes of such reviews. Is it possible to allow access to such reports again?
Food/Catering
Repeated
How can the Director ensure that standards during service at the serveries are consistently high - wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensuring equipment is working correctly)?
Complaints/Property
Can the Director work with the Development and Assurance (D & A) department to address the issue of the availability of prison complaint forms on the houseblocks?
Complaints/Property
Can the Director work with health champions and members of the HAS Line, a prisoner-led initiative which works with Healthcare, to address the issue of the availability of health complaint forms on the houseblocks?
Complaints/Property
30% of the complaints received were converted to three-day requests this reporting year. Can the Director ensure that that this proportion of conversions can be justified and that the process is demonstrated to be transparent for prisoners?
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Can the Director review again whether there are sufficient resources to manage the internal movement of property?
Equality/Diversity
Can the Director work with the chaplaincy to facilitate a Rabbi joining their team?
Other
Can the Director facilitate the installation of IMB information noticeboards in the admissions area and on the induction wings to further inform and promote the work of the IMB?
Safety
Mobile phone possessions are referred to the police but currently they are referred back due to staffing issues within the police force.
Safety
There is still a backlog of UoF statements that are missing several weeks after the incident occurred.
Safety
Following a Judicial Review, the security team are only allowed to body scan cohorts of prisoners after having provided evidence of potential concealment of illicit items. It is the Board’s review that this restricts the prison’s ability to offer a deterrent to prisoners.
Estate/Conditions
There have been a number of complaints during the year that laundry and cooking equipment has been reported as being faulty / not working but it has taken weeks, and in some cases months, for them to be repaired or replaced.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff recruitment has been proactive, with new cohorts in training, though there was a 36% turnover rate with 132 leavers. The operational management unit (OMU) experienced improved staffing for Prisoner Offender Managers (POMs), but the Probation Service is still deemed understaffed, particularly concerning high-risk and IPP prisoners. Staff-prisoner relationships were reported as good, reflecting a respectful ethos, and key worker sessions saw a 28% increase in completion.
Healthcare
Practice Plus Group continues to provide care equivalent to community standards. Following an HMIP and CQC inspection that found concerns and 12 regulation breaches, a CQC re-inspection was highly complimentary, lifting all breaches. However, prisoners continue to report difficulties finding healthcare complaint forms. There were 543 emergency escorts, and a high number of rescheduled appointments due to escort demand. All mental health transfers exceeded the 28-day target, and concerns persist about the lack of forensic psychological secure places. A psychologist and mental health practitioners were appointed during the year, and the Electronic Prescription Service went live.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison operates an 'Enough' incentives scheme to reduce violence by offering enhanced regimes to violence-free wings. Food provision remains a focus, with fewer complaints received, though issues about food quality and portion size persist, and servery staff inconsistently wear PPE. The small interview room in the CSU was adapted for education. The Board also noted complaints about laundry and cooking equipment taking weeks or months to be repaired.
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) | 280 | 260 | |
| Healthcare related | 320 | 280 | |
| Other | 359 | 744 | |
| Property | 460 | 440 | |
| Purposeful activity (e.g. work, education, gym, library) | 160 | 180 | |
| Staff behaviour | 120 | 100 | |
| TOTAL | 1,699 | 2,004 |
Recommendations (13)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 7
5 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Provision for the Probation Service in the OMU is still seemingly insufficient to meet the demand of the current prison population at HMP Oakwood. If the intention is to reduce the number of prisoners returning on recall for breaching their license conditions, then can the Minister ensure that the probation service funding is increased to be able to meet this aim?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Response
Target staffing on the OMU for POMs was reached but the Probation service is still felt to be understaffed.
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
All transfers to a secure mental health facility at Oakwood continued to exceed the 28-day stipulated timeframe (with reference to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) thematic review, ‘The Long Wait’, published in February 2024). Can this ongoing concern continue to be addressed?
HMPPS
Mental Health
Response
All transfers to a secure mental health facility at Oakwood exceed the 28-day stipulated timeframe in the reporting year.
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Since the implementation of the Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework in 2022, the Board remains concerned that it is seeing a lack of adherence to the policy, particularly with missing property from incoming prisoners. The highest numbers of complaints both to the prison and to the IMB continue to concern missing property. Can this ongoing concern continue to be addressed?
HMPPS
Regime
Response
Property Issues continue to be a major cause of complaints both to the prison and the IMB.
Recommendation 7
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How can the Director ensure that standards during service at the serveries are consistently high - wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensuring equipment is working correctly)?
Governor / Director
Food
Response
There has been some improvement but there are still inconsistencies across the estate when PPE, for example, is not being worn. Equipment not being functional for weeks after being reported; as such, it is still a problem.
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Of the 91 IPP prisoners at HMP Oakwood, 71 are on recall (77%). Given that the majority are ten or more years over their original tariff, will extra funding be given to the Probation Service to prioritise reducing this recall percentage for IPP prisoners?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Response
The number of IPP prisoners remains high at HMP Oakwood and the proportion of those on recall has continued to be around 75%.
Recommendation 6
There is only one Neurodiversity Coordinator (appointed by the Ministry of Justice) to each prison in England, including HMP Oakwood, irrespective of its population and need. HMP Oakwood’s neurodiversity coordinator currently estimates that it has 900 neurodiverse prisoners (40%). Can the Minister review the neurodiversity funding for individual prisons to support their specific needs and size of population?
Ministry of Justice
Equality
Recommendation 7
Although the IMB receives the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman PPO final report on deaths in custody, it no longer receives the clinical review which previously came as an annex to the report. Is it possible to allow access to such reports again?
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 8
Can the Director work with the Development and Assurance (D & A) department to address the issue of the availability of prison complaint forms on the houseblocks?
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 9
Can the Director work with health champions and members of the HAS Line, a prisoner-led initiative which works with Healthcare, to address the issue of the availability of health complaint forms on the houseblocks?
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 10
30% of the complaints received were converted to three-day requests this reporting year. Can the Director ensure that that this proportion of conversions can be justified and that the process is demonstrated to be transparent for prisoners?
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 11
Can the Director review again whether there are sufficient resources to manage the internal movement of property?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 12
Can the Director work with the chaplaincy to facilitate a Rabbi joining their team?
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 13
Can the Director facilitate the installation of IMB information noticeboards in the admissions area and on the induction wings to further inform and promote the work of the IMB?
Governor / Director
Other
Other IMB Reports for Oakwood
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
9 Apr 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 4
Activity: 4
Release: 3
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.