Prison
Cat C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Brixton
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 10 February 2025
HMP Brixton continues to face severe challenges, primarily driven by overcrowding and the transfer of prisoners with complex needs and insufficient sentence time for effective resettlement. Key issues include unacceptable living conditions, an inconsistent regime offering limited purposeful activity, and pervasive illicit items like drugs and weapons contributing to high levels of self-harm and violence. While healthcare provision is generally satisfactory, and efforts are made in vocational training, significant shortfalls in education and the poor performance of outsourced services undermine rehabilitation efforts.
Positive Findings
The IMB commended the kitchen for providing excellent and imaginative meals, particularly for religious festivals. They noted improved teamwork and delivery in healthcare, with GPs largely accessible within a week and paramedics available daily. Dedicated support was given to transgender prisoners and the prison council was praised for effectively engaging prisoner representatives. Vocational education courses like construction and horticulture were highlighted for their good practice and the Clink Restaurant was recognized for its positive impact on resettlement awareness.
Key Concerns
Overcrowding
Population pressure increased this year, requiring the prison to receive prisoners with serious mental health problems. Such prisoners subsequently took up disproportionate staff resources.
Safety
Self-harm continued at the same level, with a few prolific harmers accounting for much of the total.
Safety
The number of assaults remained high; fewer were on staff and there appeared to be no indications that staff were targeted personally.
Safety
Prisoners self-isolated throughout the year, sometimes as many as eight at one time. Their reasons have almost always been debt and the fear of violent enforcement. The ready availability of drugs was largely responsible.
Safety
In addition to improvised weapons, flick-knives were found during searches. Although we know of no instances of knives being used in assaults, their presence was of serious concern.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
The condition of the accommodation continues to be unacceptable. Decency checks on cells (also known as accommodation frequency checks, or AFCs) were erratic and there were regular shortages of bedding and clothing. Curtains around the cell lavatory, to offer privacy from the other occupant or the observation panel, were frequently missing.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The regime was not consistent and very poor on B wing for men who were often awaiting induction and had no activity or education. We did not think the regime on B wing was compatible with OPCAT.
Other
Repeated
From the Board’s observations, various subcontractors engaged by Mitie provided a poor service, affecting emergency cell bells and the control of vermin. A national contract to cover washing machines was also unsatisfactory.
Other
Property continued to be lost during transit to Brixton or from wings to the CSU.
Substance Misuse
Queues on the wings for the distribution of medication did not appear to be supervised sufficiently to prevent the illicit diversion of medication.
Substance Misuse
Despite many seizures of phones, drugs and ‘hooch’, these were pervasive throughout the year. Almost a third of ambulance call-outs were for prisoners under the influence.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Repeated
Most aspects of education, skills and work training were inadequate, especially induction. Many men were consequently spending longer in their cells: there were either not enough jobs to occupy them or they were not cleared to take them quickly enough.
Education/Purposeful Activity
English and maths provision often failed to meet the learning needs of prisoners: there was a pressing need for this.
Resettlement/Release
Repeated
HMP Brixton is the final stage in a chain of reception/training/resettlement prisons; but population pressures ‘upstream’ have led to the ‘inappropriate’ sort of prisoner arriving in Brixton, one who has unaddressed issues and insufficient sentence time remaining to resolve them. This means that they leave Brixton ill-equipped to avoid reoffending.
Other
Repeated
Living conditions and a shortfall in opportunities for education, training and employment demoralise the men. Boredom and the ready availability of drugs combine with mental illness to drive self-harm, violence and a pessimistic approach to rehabilitation.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
More needs to be done to improve the cells and facilities, the availability of clothing, bedlinen and furniture, and the security of the prison (such as CCTV and netting). But the accommodation will not be decent until the capacity is reduced so that men do not have to share cells designed for one prisoner.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Things that would raise prisoners’ morale (and, probably, that of the staff) would be: increased time out of cells; purposeful activity for all men; the eradication of vermin; cell phones available from day one, with prompt clearance of family and legal numbers; and fewer items of property lost in transfer.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing was a recurring challenge, with increased population pressures leading to disproportionate staff resources being used for prisoners with serious mental health or substance misuse issues. Key working was erratic early in the year due to shortages of band 3 officers but improved later. Staff shortages also impacted induction processes, education provision, and the availability of trained negotiators. The IMB also noted its own board was understaffed.
Healthcare
Healthcare services generally coped with increased population turnover, with all new arrivals screened within 24 hours. Waiting times for most medical appointments were comparable to the community, and paramedics were available daily. However, there were concerns about unsupervised medication distribution, frequent ambulance call-outs for prisoners under the influence, and mental health transfers exceeding national standards, often for individuals not identified for hospital care in previous prisons.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime was inconsistent, particularly poor on B wing where men awaiting induction often spent only one hour a day out of their cells, a situation deemed incompatible with OPCAT. This limited time out of cell was exacerbated by staff training lockdowns and a lack of purposeful activity or employment opportunities. Induction delays further restricted activity access for many, leading to increased cell time and boredom.
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 | 31 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 6 | 15 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 25 | 29 | |
| Equality | 9 | 11 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 15 | 15 | — |
| Food and kitchens | 13 | 5 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 41 | 40 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 26 | 19 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 49 | 34 | |
| Property within the establishment | 32 | 29 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 16 | 14 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, recategorisation | 54 | 39 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 97 | 150 | |
| Transfers | 3 | 7 |
Recommendations (4)
Ministry of Justice: 2
HMPPS: 2
3 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
HMP Brixton is the final stage in a chain of reception/training/resettlement prisons; but population pressures ‘upstream’ have led to the ‘inappropriate’ sort of prisoner arriving in Brixton, one who has unaddressed issues and insufficient sentence time remaining to resolve them. This means that they leave Brixton ill-equipped to avoid reoffending. How does the Minister plan to change this?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Living conditions and a shortfall in opportunities for education, training and employment demoralise the men. Boredom and the ready availability of drugs combine with mental illness to drive self-harm, violence and a pessimistic approach to rehabilitation. Much work was done on ROTL, but there were no successful placements. How do you resettle a man who is only in the prison for 5.4 months (para 7.3)? The Minister needs to address these issues urgently. When will he do that?
Ministry of Justice
Regime
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
HMP Brixton recently celebrated its bicentenary. Old buildings do not get better with age and without money spent on them; we have reported as much year after year. In 2012, we wrote ‘The neglect of capital works at Brixton, over many years, means that the prison buildings are not fit for purpose, and will not be, despite best efforts, for some time to come.’ More needs to be done to improve the cells and facilities, the availability of clothing, bedlinen and furniture, and the security of the prison (such as CCTV and netting). But the accommodation will not be decent until the capacity is reduced so that men do not have to share cells designed for one prisoner.
HMPPS
Estate
Recommendation 4
Things that would raise prisoners’ morale (and, probably, that of the staff) would be: increased time out of cells; purposeful activity for all men; the eradication of vermin; cell phones available from day one, with prompt clearance of family and legal numbers; and fewer items of property lost in transfer.
HMPPS
Regime
Other IMB Reports for Brixton
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
3 Mar 2025
IRP
4 Jun 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 2
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 1
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.