Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Buckley Hall
IMB Annual Report 2025 · Published 15 October 2025
HMP Buckley Hall, a Category C training prison, has a population of 460 men. The Board noted significant improvements in healthcare and positive engagement in DARS and family visits, alongside strong staff dedication. However, chronic staff shortages severely impact the regime, leading to frequent lockdowns and cancelled activities. Key concerns include an ineffective maintenance contract, persistent property issues during transfers, and the detrimental impact of the birthday parcel policy. The Board also highlighted tired accommodation, hygiene issues, and a high number of self-harm incidents.
Positive Findings
The Board observed improvements in staff searches and sniffer dog use, noting gate security has strengthened. Healthcare quality significantly improved with nurse-led triage and the department's use of its own bank staff. The mental health team's 'Hive' provides a valuable safe space and support for men. The DARS team effectively engages men in rehabilitation, with a high percentage signing up for help and being supported on release. The visits hall provides excellent themed family contact visits, consistently receiving positive feedback from visitors. Staff effort and professionalism in critical staffing situations were commendable.
Key Concerns
Safety
Repeated
In our previous annual report, we noted the issue with security at the gate at Buckley Hall. This had been raised by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) in their last inspection report in 2024. Does the Minister have funding available to improve this ongoing situation, which was described as weak?
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The maintenance contract with Amey seems almost to deter staff at Buckley Hall from carrying out necessary work. The staff in the works department appear to genuinely want to get the work done, but they are hampered by restrictions imposed by the contract. An example of this is the television signal. It is inconsistent across the site and needs updating. The issue has been raised over the last 18 months but, so far, nothing has happened. The laundry facilities are regularly out of order on the wings... The flushing mechanism in some of the toilets on one of the wings was broken for several months...
Resettlement/Release
As with most establishments, Buckley Hall has problems with property during transfers in and out of the prison. Bags of property fail to arrive with the men and it is often difficult to locate them and have them sent on. Valuables held in finance are not always collected and sent with the rest of the property. This problem has increased with the increased movement of men around the prison estate. In addition, different rules often apply at establishments, leading to frustration when an item allowed at the previous prison is denied at the next one.
Resettlement/Release
It has been noted by Board members that increasing numbers of men are being transferred out of Buckley Hall without apparent cause, as directed centrally by the prison management team. The Board has seen long-term residents sent to other establishments against their will, with disruption to family ties and progress in education and vocational training.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The men at Buckley Hall have not been allowed to have birthday parcels sent into them by family members and friends since last year. They can, however, have money sent in once a year to enable them to purchase items from the catalogue. This can have a detrimental effect on men who don't have sufficient money to buy items.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
As noted in our previous report, the Board understands that a ‘handyman scheme’ (an initiative that allows prisoners to perform minor repairs and odd jobs in the prison) is to be introduced. When is it likely to happen and how many men will be invited to apply for the role? Given the recent quote for updating the television signal, is this now likely to be proceeded with?
Safety
incidents of self-harm are high at Buckley Hall, with 81 reported in the final quarter of the reporting year.
Estate/Conditions
The accommodation and facilities at Buckley Hall are tired. Repairs carried out are not always of a high enough standard and quickly fail. The showers are regularly out of use, with water either too hot to stand under or running cold. The boilers have also failed throughout the year. The television signal is inconsistent across the prison and has been waiting for over a year to be updated.
Overcrowding
The cells are small for two people to share and single cells are at a premium. It has become common throughout the reporting year for men to be taken to the care and separation unit (CSU) for refusing to share a cell.
Food/Catering
The Board has raised concerns regularly throughout the year about the hygiene in the serveries, as food is often left out uncovered overnight.
Estate/Conditions
Rats have been a big problem around the establishment, which is not helped when rubbish bags containing leftover food remain outside the wings in unsecured cabinets.
Safety
on most of the wings, this equipment is on the landings and is not hygienic or safe.
Estate/Conditions
the compactor has been out of use for much of 2025 and had still not been repaired by the end of July. A large skip has been supplied, but this is quickly filled with waste and needs changing twice a week. This is an expensive alternative.
Staffing
Occasionally, some incidents have escalated because of poor communication by staff. This is particularly noticeable when staff are dealing with men who have complex issues. It would appear, at times, that there is provocation to push the men into reacting in a very negative way so that an adjudication can be given. A more consistent, understanding approach might have avoided this escalation.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Even though the adjudication is not proven, they may be left on basic, which they feel is unjust.
Education/Purposeful Activity
these [Tier 2 activities] are not well advertised and many knew nothing about what is available.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staff sickness and restricted duties consistently disrupt the regime, leading to wings being locked down on rotation and causing unrest. The prison has been operating with up to 30% staff absence, significantly impacting regime delivery. At the end of July 2025, 18 staff were absent due to sickness and four on restricted duties. This ongoing shortage adversely affects operations, leading to cancelled gym sessions, missed religious services, and critical staffing levels during hospital escorts.
Healthcare
Healthcare quality has markedly improved, with nurse-led triage clinics frequently held on wings and the department effectively using its own bank staff to avoid agency reliance. Routine GP appointments are typically within four weeks, and dental waiting times are not a concern. The mental health team provides a valuable safe space and support in the Hive. The DARS team conducts induction meetings with new arrivals, engaging approximately 70% in support programs and linking 95% of participants to external agencies upon release or transfer.
Regime & Daily Life
Staff shortages frequently disrupt the regime, leading to wings being locked down on rotation and restricting association and exercise time, causing unrest among men. Despite this, the establishment makes efforts to minimize disruption and ensure fair treatment across wings. In May, the regime changed to allow a full hour of morning association, with men proceeding directly to work or education. However, staff absences continue to result in cancelled gym sessions and difficulties facilitating attendance at religious services.
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 | 28 | 23 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 5 | 2 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 29 | 25 | |
| Equality | 3 | 6 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 11 | 10 | |
| Food and kitchens | 6 | 25 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 52 | 47 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 25 | 35 | |
| Miscellaneous | 33 | 29 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 31 | 32 | |
| Property within the establishment | 23 | 43 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 17 | 26 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, recategorisation | 36 | 41 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 9 | 8 | |
| Total number of applications | 319 | 360 | |
| Transfers | 11 | 8 |
Recommendations (6)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 2
Governor / Director: 2
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
The Minister should make funding available to improve the security at the gate at Buckley Hall, which was described as weak in the last HMIP inspection report.
Ministry of Justice
Safety
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Minister should review the maintenance contract with Amey, which the Board views as expensive and ineffective, and which hampers staff from carrying out necessary work such as updating the television signal and repairing laundry facilities and toilets.
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 3
The Prison Service should streamline the property process and improve it when men are moved, ensuring adequate training for staff to address issues of bags failing to arrive and inconsistencies in allowed items.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
The Prison Service should reconsider its policy of transferring long-term residents out of Buckley Hall without apparent cause, and ensure more consideration is given to the reasons when men protest about such moves, given the disruption to family ties and progress in education and vocational training.
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 5
The Governor should review the policy prohibiting birthday parcels sent in by family and friends, and consider the detrimental effect this has on men who do not have sufficient money to purchase items from the catalogue.
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 6
Repeated
The Governor should implement the 'handyman scheme' as previously noted, and provide details on its timeline, the number of men to be invited, and whether the scheme will proceed, particularly given issues like the television signal.
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Buckley Hall
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
12 Feb 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 3
Activity: 2
Release: 4
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.