Prison
Cat B, local, resettlement
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Wormwood Scrubs
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 7 February 2025
HMP Wormwood Scrubs faced significant challenges during the reporting year, including an increased population running near operational capacity and a sustained upward trend in violence and self-harm incidents towards the end of the period. While some progress was made in healthcare and education, these gains were frequently undermined by critical staffing shortages leading to cancelled activities and appointments. Outdated infrastructure and the ongoing availability of illicit substances remained persistent issues, severely impacting safety, conditions, and the humane treatment of prisoners.
Positive Findings
The Board welcomed several improvements, including progress in implementing the New Model of Care, enhanced out-of-cell opportunities, and a greater focus on education and work. Notable efforts have been made to improve food quality and delivery, with a new bakery and hot evening meals. The chaplaincy team has expanded and continues to provide valuable support, while a new system for tracking parcels shows promise. Improvements were also seen in the timeliness and fairness of complaint responses.
Key Concerns
Substance Misuse
The Board has ongoing concerns about the levels of availability of illicit substances in the prison. The number of positive drugs tests compares unfavourably with other London prisons.
Safety
The Board remains concerned about the inconsistent wearing of body worn video cameras (BWVCs) by prison officers to record use of force incidents, despite this being a requirement.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Outdated buildings and breakdowns of critical infrastructure such as cell bell systems and lifts adversely impacted the fair and humane treatment of prisoners.
Mental Health
The Board remains concerned about prisoners with complex and severe mental health issues, who require further assessment and/or clinical care in the healthcare unit, having to remain in the CSU because of the lack of space in the healthcare unit (H3).
Healthcare
Repeated
an unacceptable number of routine healthcare appointments and therapeutic sessions were not attended by prisoners or were cancelled by the prison due to a lack of prison officer availability.
Mental Health
Repeated
prisoners requiring secure mental health care are still waiting too long for assessment and transfer to external healthcare facilities, and targets were still not being met.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
those not in employment or education can still spend 22 or more hours a day locked in their cell, and time out of cell is inconsistent.
Complaints/Property
The Board received more than double the number of complaints in the reporting year about property being lost during transfer or in another facility, and more than a third more complaints about property held in the establishment.
Resettlement/Release
some gaps in provision remained, particularly for remand prisoners.
Staffing
What further support can be provided to ensure that the prison has adequate resources to deliver an effective and consistent key worker scheme?
Education/Purposeful Activity
many prisoners still have limited access to the library, training and education off the wing. Unlocking for work, education and other off-wing activities was inconsistent because of the lack of escorting prison staff, which affected attendance.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Despite some reported improvements in staffing levels, shortages and a lack of officer availability continue to severely impact regime delivery, leading to cancelled healthcare appointments, therapeutic sessions, and educational activities. Staffing issues also affect probation services and consistency of scanner use. The key worker scheme remains aspirational and largely unimplemented due to resource pressures, and the mental health team struggles with permanent staff vacancies.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision presents a mixed picture, with progress in implementing the New Model of Care and improved initial assessment times. However, a severe lack of prison officer availability frequently leads to cancelled routine clinics, hospital appointments, and therapeutic sessions, significantly impacting prisoner health. Mental health services struggle with staff vacancies and long waits for external transfers, with some prisoners awaiting transfer for over 100 days. The Board remains concerned about prisoners with serious mental health issues being held in the CSU due to a lack of space in the healthcare unit.
Regime & Daily Life
The daily regime remains inconsistent, with prisoners not engaged in work or education spending 22 or more hours a day locked in their cells. A lack of staff frequently results in cancelled unlocks for purposeful activity, education, and healthcare appointments. The inability to move prisoners requiring mental health care from the CSU to the healthcare unit due to lack of space further impacts regime and appropriate care. Inconsistent use of body-worn video cameras during use of force incidents also raises 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) | 91 | 76 | |
| Discipline / Adjudications | 17 | 18 | |
| General Welfare | 257 | 262 | |
| Healthcare | 83 | 46 | |
| Other | 110 | 124 | |
| Property | 98 | 52 | |
| Sentence Management | 178 | 121 | |
| Staff | 178 | 185 | |
| TOTAL APPLICATIONS | 1,012 | 884 |
Recommendations (10)
Other: 3
HMPPS: 3
Governor / Director: 4
4 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What further support will the Minister provide to rectify issues with the antiquated buildings and infrastructure to improve living conditions and safety in the prison?
Other
(minister)
Estate
Response
Investment is being made in the prison infrastructure, but demands are much greater than the available funding. A limited programme of refurbishment continues, but the problems largely remain.
Recommendation 2
What support can be provided to help remand prisoners with release planning?
Other
(minister)
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What further steps is the Minister considering with a view to ensuring an improvement in assessment and transfer times to hospital for those requiring specialist mental health facilities?
Other
(minister)
Mental Health
Response
It is recognised that prisoners who meet the threshold for detention under the Mental Health Act (MHA) experience delays in accessing the specialist care and treatment they need. Work is being undertaken to improve oversight and delivery. There have been some improvements in transfer times, but they remain well below target.
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What further support will the Prison Service provide to rectify issues with the antiquated buildings and infrastructure to improve living conditions and safety in the prison?
HMPPS
Estate
Response
Investment is being made in the prison infrastructure, but demands are much greater than the available funding. A limited programme of refurbishment continues, but the problems largely remain.
Recommendation 5
What further support can be provided to ensure that the prison has adequate resources to deliver an effective and consistent key worker scheme?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 6
Complaints about lost property markedly increased this year, despite the introduction of the national Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework. What will the Prison Service do to improve the situation?
HMPPS
Complaints
Recommendation 7
What action can be taken to monitor and improve the consistency of adequate time out of cell for all prisoners?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
What further steps will be taken to accurately monitor and reduce the number of therapy and healthcare sessions not attended because of the lack of prison staff (see section 6)?
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Response
There is no extra finding available to support increased services or staffing levels at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. Capacity pressures have affected the wider prison estate. Staffing levels at the prison have improved. Despite improved staffing levels on paper, lack of prison staff is still given as the reason for the cancellation of many healthcare appointments and other timetabled activities.
Recommendation 9
What plans are in place to address and reduce the availability of illicit substances in the prison?
Governor / Director
Substance Misuse
Recommendation 10
Are there any plans to allow more flexibility for prisoners to mix outside their wing groups (see 7.1) for education and training?
Governor / Director
Education
Other IMB Reports for Wormwood Scrubs
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
16 Mar 2026
IRP
9 Jun 2025
Unannounced
7 Jun 2021
Unannounced
16 Sep 2019
Announced
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.