Prison
Cat C, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Moorland
IMB Annual Report 2025 · Published 31 July 2025
HMP/YOI Moorland faced significant pressures this year from a high turnover of prisoners and early release schemes, yet reception staff performed well. While positive developments include improved ACCT records, successful translation programs, and some regime liberalisations, the report highlights concerns over increased violence, self-harm, and use of force. Key areas for development include addressing overcrowding (single cells as doubles), improving healthcare quality and access, and enhancing rehabilitation and purposeful activity for prisoners, particularly for IPPs.
Positive Findings
The reception unit performed well despite increasing pressures. The ACCT system continues to work well, and records show a real concern for prisoner progress. The Board found no evidence of systematic discrimination, and the handling of discrimination incident report forms has improved. The new incentives scheme policy has had a positive impact, and relationships between staff and prisoners are generally good. The education, library, and workshop facilities are appreciated, with encouraging employment rates post-release. Mental health and substance misuse provision is generally good, and the intermediate care and reablement service (ICRS) is expanding its scope.
Key Concerns
Overcrowding
Repeated
The Board remains concerned about the use of small single cells, with a barely screened toilet, as doubles.
Food/Catering
Complaints about the quality and quantity of food and the menu ordering system are rising.
Safety
Prisoner-on-prisoner violence has unfortunately increased.
Safety
The number of incidents where force was used has increased significantly.
Safety
Self-harm has also increased.
Substance Misuse
Preventing availability of illicit items, especially drugs, remains a constant challenge.
Healthcare
The Board has noted comments by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) following the death of a prisoner suggesting that the quality of physical healthcare has not always been equivalent to that which the prisoner would have expected in the community.
Healthcare
The Board has, on occasion, been concerned about the quality of input from the healthcare representative at segregation reviews.
Other
Limited bandwidth continues to hamper the use of body-worn video cameras (BWVCs).
Other
Lost property continues to be a problem, possibly exacerbated by the rate of ‘churn’ due to prison population pressures.
Staffing
The early release schemes to ease overcrowding have put huge pressure on the offender management unit: staff have risen well to the challenge, but some other prisoners have reported feeling neglected.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Could more be done for IPP prisoners in the way of specialised rehabilitation to increase their chances of release and reduce the risk of subsequent recall to prison?
Safety
While we recognise the considerable efforts already made by wing staff to identify prisoners who are suitable for training as Listeners, we would encourage exploration of anything more that might be done.
Safety
An early learning exercise also highlighted a lack of awareness by night staff of the procedure needed to open a cell when there is an emergency during the night state.
Other
The issue of delay in transferring PIN numbers when a prisoner moves from a private sector establishment to a public sector one.
Food/Catering
Repeated
The food comments book available in each house block but, as reported for the last two years, this is sometimes kept behind the servery, where it is not easily accessible to prisoners.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Prisoners continue to report to the IMB frustration at the limited time out of cell and time for recreational opportunities.
Healthcare
The waiting times for routine appointments for a GP, optician and dentist are each reported as approximately six weeks, with longer waits of over six weeks for physiotherapy and podiatry.
Mental Health
Waiting times [for mental health support] vary, depending on the person’s need, but are generally about 5-6 months, which will exclude those prisoners serving short sentences.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
The amount of work available has been reported to us as being lower than in the past and where instructors have slowed the pace of work to try to occupy prisoners for longer.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The level of pay for the work is a regular complaint of the prisoners.
Resettlement/Release
The well-regarded Clinks project in the kitchens had ended. This was disappointing, not only because the training scheme appeared to be of high quality but because the additional support offered after release seemed invaluable.
Resettlement/Release
Members of the Board heard a number of complaints from prisoners about the lack of contact from their prison offender manager (POM).
Education/Purposeful Activity
The programmes have not quite met their designated target number of prisoners this year (136/145).
Resettlement/Release
Sources of frustration included how much contact time is lost by the slow queuing for food in the visits hall and the poor acoustics there.
Resettlement/Release
Some (perhaps older) visitors who find the online booking system unreliable and prefer to book over the phone.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The issue raised in last year’s report about prisoners not always being unlocked in time to attend chapel on Sunday mornings was still being reported by the faith forum.
Equality/Diversity
Despite every effort, it proved impossible to recruit a second Imam so, for a period, one group had to have their Friday prayers led by a prisoner, and both groups when the Imam was off sick.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The reception team worked exceptionally hard under pressure from early release schemes and national population surges. Limited bandwidth continues to hamper the consistent deployment of body-worn video cameras. More key workers have been trained in preparation for providing a key worker for every prisoner, meeting at least monthly. Staff availability remains the biggest factor impacting regime provision, and an early learning exercise highlighted a lack of awareness among night staff regarding emergency cell opening procedures.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision was impacted by a temporary relocation due to fire safety upgrades, though extensive planning was in place. The quality of mental health and substance misuse provision is generally good, with a stable mental health team and a caseload of 49. However, the Board is concerned about increasing healthcare-related applications and notes the PPO's finding that physical healthcare quality has not always been equivalent to community standards. Waiting times for routine GP, optician, and dentist appointments are approximately six weeks, with longer waits for physiotherapy and podiatry. DNA appointments remain a problem, partly due to communication issues and staff not collecting prisoners.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime is frequently reviewed to extend time out-of-cell, with expanded gym sessions, exercise equipment, and recreational activities. However, prisoners continue to express frustration at limited time out of cell, particularly for non-workers and at weekends, often spending 22 hours in cell. Staff availability is the biggest constraint on regime provision. Evening time out of cell has been allowed for full-time workers for two years, and morning and afternoon periods have recently been introduced at weekends. The prison also decided to unlock prisoners for most of the day at weekends to address violence concerns.
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 | |
| Complaints (handling of) | 0 | 0 | |
| Education and training | 9 | 10 | |
| Equality and diversity (including religion) | 8 | 32 | |
| Food | 12 | 6 | |
| Healthcare | 63 | 44 | |
| Incentives, adjudications, discipline and sanctions | 13 | 32 | |
| Legal | 14 | 11 | |
| Other (including environment) | 9 | 14 | |
| Property | 74 | 64 | |
| Relationships between staff and prisoners | 27 | 33 | |
| Remand/sentenced | 1 | 1 | — |
| Segregation | 1 | 1 | — |
| Sentence management (including Parole Board issues) | 36 | 36 | — |
Recommendations (8)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 3
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can the Minister encourage the development of specialised rehabilitation procedures for IPP prisoners within the prison system?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Response
The Minister did not reply directly to the question of resentencing. He did say: ‘Under the Victims and Prisoners Act, the IPP sentence ended for c.1800 people on 1 November, and c.600 referrals were due to be made to the Parole Board for consideration of licence termination. The IPP Action Plan and the monthly IPP Progression Board for the north east will provide greater support for IPP prisoners.’
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can the Minister say when the practice of using single cells to accommodate two prisoners will be discontinued?
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Response
The Secretary of State has announced a temporary reduction in the time standard determinate prisoners serve from 50% to 40% of their sentence (with some exclusions). This has not, however, reduced the need for single cells to be used as doubles. The Ministry of Justice [MoJ] and HM Prison and Probation Service [HMPPS] are continuing to deliver additional modern uncrowded prison places. Investment is continuing in critical prison maintenance and renewal to keep as much capacity as possible in use.
Recommendation 3
How and when will the Prison Service resolve the issue of delay in transferring PIN numbers when a prisoner moves from a private sector establishment to a public sector one?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 4
When will inadequate bandwidth, which prevents the consistent deployment of body worn video cameras, be addressed?
HMPPS
Safety
Recommendation 5
How and when will the Prison Service reduce the amount of property lost during transfers?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Could more be done for IPP prisoners in the way of specialised rehabilitation to increase their chances of release and reduce the risk of subsequent recall to prison?
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 7
While we recognise the considerable efforts already made by wing staff to identify prisoners who are suitable for training as Listeners, we would encourage exploration of anything more that might be done.
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 8
What more will the Governor do to improve the quality of health care provided?
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Other IMB Reports for Moorland
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
13 Mar 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 3
Activity: 3
Release: 3
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.