Prison
Cat B, local, YOI
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Exeter
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 13 June 2025
HMP Exeter continues efforts to improve living conditions and outcomes amidst significant challenges, including high prisoner turnover, an increasing remand population, and persistent issues with an aging estate and refurbishment delays. The prison has seen positive trends in reducing violence and self-harm incidents, and healthcare provision is improving despite staffing shortages. Key concerns remain around the unsuitability of temporary segregation facilities, illicit drug use, property loss, and the sustainability of safety improvements if additional funding is withdrawn.
Positive Findings
Reception and first-night processes have improved, with fewer delays and a greater use of Insiders. There has been a continuing downward trend in assaults, with the monthly average halved, and incidents of self-harm have reduced. The management and governance of use of force continues to be robust. There is a determination to continually improve and audit the healthcare service, with successful recruitment and improved patient-flow coordination. The kitchen provides a high standard of catering and the chaplaincy team is exceptionally hardworking, dedicated, and well-respected.
Key Concerns
Segregation
Repeated
The continued use of the temporary CSU, which provides unsuitable and poor-quality accommodation, is one of the issues that concerns the Board most. It is not conducive to either physical or mental health and does not provide an appropriate location for segregation and other reviews.
Substance Misuse
The Board continues to be concerned about the illicit use of drugs (both prescribed medication and illegal drugs transported into the prison by various means).
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Ongoing and over-running refurbishment projects (including A wing, F wing, and CCTV delays) and the deteriorating fabric of the prison, particularly D wing (damp, mould, plumbing issues).
Other
Repeated
The loss of property during transfers from prison to prison or from cell to cell, and incoming parcels continues to cause considerable problems for many prisoners.
Mental Health
The Board is concerned by the lack of standalone mental health (MH) training for officers, whilst the numbers of prisoners with mental health diagnoses are significant.
Healthcare
There is an inadequate system for ‘runners’ to take prisoners to dental appointments, which results in missed appointments and delayed treatment.
Safety
Repeated
The Board has serious concerns about the sustainability of the improvements in safer custody if the additional staff resources provided under the Urgent Notification are withdrawn.
Overcrowding
Repeated
Overcrowding, high rates of turnover in the prison population and an increasing remand cohort create many problems that are specific to local prisons.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
There are continued concerns about the lack of appropriate accommodation for prisoners on release.
Safety
The high number of key security compromises and the times when enhanced gate security (EGS) is not fully operational.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The low proven rates of the adjudication process, suggesting it is not an effective process.
Staffing
Unfilled key healthcare roles, particularly deputy head and pharmacy technicians, leading to staff diversion and impacting patient engagement and complaint management.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The high turnover in the prisoner population, exacerbated by early release schemes, has increased the workload for rehabilitation, resettlement, and offender management staff. Healthcare experiences staffing shortages (15% vacancy rate), particularly in pharmacy technicians, diverting nurses from clinical duties. The welcome improvements in safer custody, driven by additional staff resources under the Urgent Notification, are at risk of receding if time-limited funding is withdrawn. The Board is concerned by the lack of standalone mental health training for officers, given the significant number of prisoners with mental health diagnoses.
Healthcare
Healthcare services are provided by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, facing challenges including a 15% staff vacancy rate, an unfilled deputy head position, and pharmacy technician shortages that divert nurses. The high churn of prisoners stretches resources and there's a lack of standalone mental health training for officers. An inadequate system for 'runners' causes missed dental appointments. Positively, there's ongoing recruitment, a commitment to improvement and auditing, and open dialogue with prison staff. A patient-flow coordinator has improved pre-release planning and screening, and patient forums have restarted. While medication-related applications remain high, more in-person GP consultations have reduced prescribing delays.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison's regime is significantly impacted by the increasing remand cohort (averaging 80%) and high prisoner turnover, making it challenging to provide effective work and education opportunities. Ongoing and over-running refurbishment projects for A wing, F wing (closed due to legionella and RAAC), and D wing (suffering damp, mould, and plumbing issues) result in unsuitable and poor-quality accommodation, particularly the temporary Care and Separation Unit. There are also issues with a lack of access to shavers and the D wing is not seen as an incentive for enhanced status prisoners. Despite these challenges, there's an increase in wellbeing-related courses and efforts to maximise purposeful activity spaces.
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) | 31 | 38 | |
| Canteen | 2 | 2 | — |
| Discrimination (including ethnicity) | 0 | 0 | |
| Equality and Diversity | 0 | 1 | |
| Food | 4 | 10 | |
| Healthcare (including medication) | 38 | 51 | |
| Legal (including bail, release, appeals) | 0 | 0 | |
| Money/pay/debt | 2 | 3 | |
| Other (including family, religion) | 1 | 1 | — |
| Property (including parcels) | 16 | 16 | — |
| Regime (including purposeful activity, time out of cell) | 6 | 8 | |
| Security (including searches) | 1 | 0 | |
| Staff (including relationships, attitudes, behaviour) | 13 | 11 | |
| Total | 114 | 141 |
Recommendations (10)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 4
Governor / Director: 3
5 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
When will the non-statutory independent role, referred to in the Minister’s response last year, improve the timely transfer of prisoners with serious mental health conditions?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Overcrowding, high rates of turnover in the prison population and an increasing remand cohort create many problems that are specific to local prisons. How does the Minister intend to address and alleviate these issues?
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
As acknowledged in the Minister's response to the IMB thematic monitoring report, How Property Loss Impacts Prisoners, this issue is still causing distress and difficulty for prisoners. What steps are being taken to improve the situation?
Ministry of Justice
Other
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the return of the temporary CSU to A wing, following refurbishment, provide a suitable location for segregated prisoners and an appropriate and dedicated space for reviews and adjudications to take place?
HMPPS
Segregation
Recommendation 5
Prev. unaddressed
The Board is concerned that the refurbishment of D wing has created a number of consequential problems, including ventilation (mould growth) and inadequate plumbing. What arrangements are in place to review the approval and ongoing management of tenders and contracts?
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the Prison Service guarantee the continuation of additional resources, made available under UN, to ensure that improvements in safer custody, key working and co-ordination of activities and education can be maintained?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 7
Given the high proportion of prisoners with mental ill health, will the Prison Service ensure the delivery of standalone mental health training for all officers?
HMPPS
Mental Health
Recommendation 8
What steps are being taken to address the high number of key security compromises and the times when enhanced gate security (EGS) is not fully operational?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 9
What arrangements are being made to manage an increasingly elderly and/or health-compromised population?
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Recommendation 10
What arrangements are being made to improve the proven rates of the adjudication process and make use of ‘payback punishments requiring unpaid work that is rehabilitative or reparative in nature?
Governor / Director
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Exeter
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
18 Nov 2025
Unannounced
13 Nov 2023
IRP
18 Nov 2022
Urgent Notification
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.