Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Morton Hall
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 30 July 2025
HMP Morton Hall, a Category C prison for foreign national offenders, maintained a population of around 350 in 2024. The Board noted good staff-prisoner relationships, improved access to mental healthcare, and increasing educational and vocational opportunities. However, significant concerns included frequent breakdowns of kitchen and unit appliances, persistent issues with lost or delayed prisoner property transfers, and ongoing delays in Home Office processing for release. The Board also highlighted under-resourced purposeful activity in the segregation unit and the library, and a high number of unemployed prisoners.
Positive Findings
The Board noted generally good and respectful staff-prisoner relationships, with staff showing compassion and professionalism. There were improvements in access to mental healthcare and a positive core day regime. Education and vocational training offered increasing opportunities, with 610 certificates awarded, and staff were commended for managing catering effectively within budget constraints.
Key Concerns
Safety
The levels of self-harm are a concern but are largely well managed by prison staff.
Food/Catering
Appliances in the main kitchens are subject to breakdown necessitating the movement of food between refrigerators for safe storage, which is an unsatisfactory long term solution and might lead to food safety issues.
Resettlement/Release
The role of the prison offender manager (POM) does not seem to be satisfactory for all prisoners.
Complaints/Property
The number of complaints is down from 2023, but 12% are not being dealt with in the extended timeframe. This causes resentment among prisoners.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The high number of men classed as unemployed or jobseekers.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The high numbers who don't attend education and workshops.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
The Home Office resource could be improved to reduce the time of processing to release.
Equality/Diversity
The additional impact on the prison resource from the increase in the number of prisoners declaring a disability (5.4.6).
Complaints/Property
Repeated
An unacceptable amount of prisoners' property goes missing in transfer from institutions or takes a long time to reach the new prison.
Estate/Conditions
Many of the appliances such as washers and dryers in the smaller units break frequently as, in those locations, only domestic grade machines can be used.
Other
Communication with the prison personnel is hampered due to the use of two different email systems within the prison service.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
The library at HMP Morton Hall, like other prison libraries, is under-resourced in terms of staffing, resulting in unanticipated closures or reduced trolley service.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Little purposeful activity in the care and separation unit (CSU), particularly the IMB would like to see more books and education materials made available.
Food/Catering
Repeated
Insufficient daily food cost allowance (£3.02) continues to create a challenge, although it was increased from £2.72 last year.
Food/Catering
Extra cost of special diets (diabetic and vegan) are not extra funded, with costs expected to be found from the catering budget, raising a concern that meals for other prisoners may not be funded as well, and their quality reduced.
Substance Misuse
Even with all measures, illicit items including telephone-related and drugs paraphernalia continue to enter the prison.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Insufficient work content in some work and training opportunities, with more workers than work, undermining a potentially valuable training opportunity.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Gaps between courses lead to prisoners losing ground educationally and psychologically.
Resettlement/Release
Prisons for foreign national offenders are not funded for offender behaviour programmes.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
Frustrations with Early Release Scheme processing will continue or increase unless changes are made to ensure faster processing.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison experienced staffing challenges, including the resignation of the managing chaplain and the retirement of two IMB members, reducing capacity. While mental health staffing showed significant improvement with new hires and agency support, the library remained under-resourced, leading to closures. A reduction in Unit Workers also impacted purposeful activity spaces.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision, delivered by Nottingham Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, offers a comprehensive range of primary and specialist services, with additional dental clinics put in place to reduce waiting lists. The mental health team's staffing significantly improved, though recruitment remains ongoing for some roles. Positive feedback was received from an NHS England Care Quality visit, and a robust substance misuse team is in place, including naloxone-trained staff.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison operates a core day regime providing an average of 11 hours out of cell on weekdays, with opportunities for work, education, and enrichment activities. However, the Board noted high absence levels from work and limited purposeful activity in the Care and Separation Unit. A new "Rest in Cell Policy" is being implemented to address non-attendance, and there is concern about the number of jobseekers and unemployed prisoners.
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 and ablutions | 2 | 7 |
Recommendations (12)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 5
Governor / Director: 4
5 repeated
Recommendation 1
Can the Minister consider how to address the additional impact on the prison resource from the increase in the number of prisoners declaring a disability (5.4.6)? Will this be a priority for increased funding?
Ministry of Justice
Equality
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Can the Minister please institute a review of the transfer of prisoners’ property? An unacceptable amount goes missing in transfer from institutions or takes a long time to reach the new prison (5.8).
Ministry of Justice
Complaints
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Can the Minister please consider how to speed up Home Office processing on the Early Release Scheme and for prisoners beyond their conditional release date (CRD, automatic release point when release is subject to a licence / supervision)? Our view is that this would be a cost-saving measure and reduce the pressure on the prison system (7.3.3-7.3.5).
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 4
Repeated
The transfer of prisoners’ property between prisons accounts for 16% of complaints (appendix A). An unacceptable amount goes missing in transfer from institutions or takes a long time to reach the new prison (5.8). Can the service review the entire process and institute targets and a tracing process?
HMPPS
Complaints
Recommendation 5
Many of the appliances such as washers and dryers in the smaller units break frequently as, in those locations, only domestic grade machines can be used. Could funding be provided to upgrade the equipment? (5.1.2)
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 6
Fridges and freezers (5.1.7) in the kitchens are old and break down frequently (a new walk-in fridge freezer was funded within the 24/25 financial year, but delays caused by Amey projects (the infrastructure provider) prevented this from being installed. However, it has been luck that has prevented lack of capacity leading to deterioration of food, so could the replacement of the other old appliances be considered?
HMPPS
Food
Recommendation 7
Our communication with the prison personnel is hampered due to the use of two different email systems within the prison service. Can a solution be found (8.1.1)?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. addressed
The library at HMP Morton Hall, like other prison libraries, is under-resourced in terms of staffing, resulting in unanticipated closures or reduced trolley service. Can the HMPPS consider reviewing the resource for this essential rehabilitative function (7.1.4)?
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Can the Governor please monitor the extent of purposeful activity in the care and separation unit (CSU, for segregating prisoners)? Particularly, the IMB would like to see more books and education materials made available (5.2.1).
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 10
The role of the prison offender manager (POM) has featured in a number of our applications (prisoners’ written representations to the IMB) this year. Can the Governor please consider how to enhance quality in this area (5.3.2)?
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Recommendation 11
43 out of 169 (25%) complaint responses didn’t meet the 1st target date. An extension is permitted if a prisoner is notified with the reason and 23 (14%) were answered within this time frame. 20 (12%) were not answered in the extended time frame (5.7). Can the Governor ensure that when functional heads receive complaints, they know they are expected to return them within the expected timeframe?
Governor / Director
Complaints
Recommendation 12
The Bistro is missing an important training opportunity in that allocated prisoners are being under-utilised. Can the Governor address the training that takes place in this venue (7.2)?
Governor / Director
Purposeful Activity
Other IMB Reports for Morton Hall
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
30 Oct 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 4
Respect: 4
Activity: 2
Release: 2
28 Oct 2019
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 3
Activity: 2
Release: 3
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.