Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Risley
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 29 April 2025
HMP Risley, a large Category C training and resettlement prison with a complex population including PCoSOs and foreign nationals, faced significant challenges during the 2022-2024 reporting period. The Board noted extremely high and increasing self-harm rates, poor estate maintenance exacerbated by contractor issues, and insufficient purposeful activity spaces. Positive observations included well-managed mental health provision, improved resettlement planning for some groups, and a well-regarded chaplaincy team, but critical concerns remain regarding safety, infrastructure, and regime provision for the diverse prisoner population.
Positive Findings
The Board notes that induction and reception processes seemed to work well, despite occasional delays. Mental health provision appears to have been largely well managed by the current provider, GMMH, who engage well with men. Improvements were noted in the increased provision of probation staff, which improved workflow and outcomes, particularly for PCoSO prisoners, and the useful 'one stop shop' discharge planning board. The chaplaincy team is well regarded and embraces technology to facilitate family contact.
Key Concerns
Safety
Self-harm rates across the prison were extremely high and higher than most category C prisons. There were 630 recorded incidents of self-harm during the 2022-2023 reporting period, and 1,136 during the 2023-2024 reporting period, an increase of 64%. This included a number of serious incidents and repeated behaviour.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The Board has also continued to monitor the running of two regimes that were implemented to protect PCoSO prisoners. Historically it has been a complex and difficult environment to manage, and the Board has ongoing concerns over this dual regime and its impact on prisoners.
Estate/Conditions
The Board has observed that the fabric and maintenance of wings A and B in particular and, to a lesser extent, wings C and D, is poor. This is partly due to the age of the buildings, but the Board also believes this is largely due to poor contract maintenance. Throughout this reporting period the Board has observed delays to repairs on wings showers, washing machines and drains.
Other
Repeated
The Board notes again the ongoing issues regarding property across the prison estate. This is a major concern at HMP Risley, and this was reflected in the number of applications to the IMB (written representations from prisoners to the IMB) in respect to property: 45 in 22/23 rising to 61 in 23/24.
Healthcare
A major concern for the Board throughout this reporting period was the lack of dental services for men, particularly during the period January 2023 through to November 2023. Men were being transported to other sites to receive treatment, and waiting times throughout this period could be a number of weeks.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
The Board has been concerned throughout this period over prisoner access to vocational training, particularly to workshops. The Board has continued to raise concerns over the number of spaces available in education and purposeful activity and believes the number of spaces is not sufficient to support the population size. Lack of access to spaces continued to impact other areas of the prison and prisoner progression.
Resettlement/Release
Concerns, however, were raised regarding recorded delays in resettlement planning for both high-risk men and foreign national prisoners.
Estate/Conditions
The Board is of the opinion that some areas of the prison are no longer fit for purpose and the conditions are unsuitable for both prisoners and staff. Areas are simply beyond repair. This applies particularly to the heating and water system which works from a coalfired boiler.
Other
The pay structure for prisoners at HMP Risley has caused concern for the Board in regard to men’s wellbeing, as pay has not matched the rising cost of living.
Equality/Diversity
A common theme from the forum serving black, Asian and minority ethnic prisoners was that these men felt that they were not getting jobs on the wing when they arose, suggesting they often went to newcomers to the wing instead. This is contrary to the policy as it should work within the prison.
Equality/Diversity
A concern from some physically disabled prisoners was that they were prevented from benefitting from the independent living regime on F wing for PCoSO prisoners due to lack of access. All the cells are upstairs and there is no other access.
Staffing
There appeared to be a problem in the training of new staff. If they are not fully aware of prison procedure, or are unwilling to find the solution to a problem, they told the prisoner to put in a complaint.
Board Commentary
Staffing
There were ongoing vacancies of nurses in both primary and mental health teams, which were managed with agency staff. Staff absences over summer months continued to hinder the regime, particularly access to workshops. Some less experienced officers were unwilling to deal with simple questions, telling men to put in a complaint, and there was little resilience in staffing key areas like the Complaints Clerk role.
Healthcare
Healthcare in general was well managed and functioned smoothly, with amicable relationships between the prison and supplier. A major concern was the lack of dental services from January 2023 to November 2023, requiring men to be transported to other sites and leading to waiting times of several weeks. Mental health needs were generally well managed outside of self-harm, with good quality of care and psychological support maintained via agency staff despite vacancies.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison operates a complex dual regime for PCoSOs, foreign nationals, and mainstream prisoners, which the Board has ongoing concerns about. Men were observed to be locked up for 23 hours a day at times, though the Board also observed a functioning regime on most days. HMIP noted more time out of cell and an improved evening regime but raised concerns about non-working men and weekend regime availability.
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 | 6 | 3 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 3 | 0 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 17 | 1 | |
| Equality | 4 | 10 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 15 | 0 | |
| Food and kitchens | 2 | 15 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 32 | 24 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 15 | 20 | |
| Miscellaneous | 15 | 33 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 28 | 0 | |
| Property within the establishment | 33 | 45 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 12 | 11 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence, parole, release dates, recategorisation | 15 | 32 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 20 | 21 | |
| Transfers | 4 | 7 |
Recommendations (7)
Ministry of Justice: 3
HMPPS: 4
2 repeated
Recommendation 1
What actions are being taken to improve the management and efficiency of AMEY contracts?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 2
We recognise that the government has invested in building new prisons however the provision for maintaining and repairing the current estate feels insufficient. Are there any plans to invest in the current infrastructure?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 3
Repeated
The Board recognises there have been a number of investigations into property over the years, however as evidenced this continues to be an ongoing issue. Is the minister planning to evaluate or add additional resource to investigating the flow of property?
Ministry of Justice
Other
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Does HMPPS plan to re-evaluate the availability of work and activity spaces at HMP Risley? The Board strongly believes that the current provision is not suitable for the prison population size.
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 5
Staff absences over summer months continue to hinder the regime, particularly in access to workshops. Does the organisation plan to evaluate its staffing provision at peak times of leave throughout the year?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 6
The delays in resettlement for high-risk men and foreign nationals continues to disrupt their progression, does HMPPS believe the current processes are suitable for more complex cases?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Recommendation 7
The pay structure for prisoners at HMP Risley has caused concern for the Board in regard to men’s wellbeing, as pay has not matched the rising cost of living. Are there any long-term plans to reassess this?
HMPPS
Other
Other IMB Reports for Risley
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
12 Apr 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 3
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 2
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.