Prison
Cat B
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Woodhill
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 10 October 2024
HMP Woodhill, a Category B training prison, faced an Urgent Notification in 2023 due to safety, violence, and staffing concerns. Following a reduction in population, the prison has seen improvements in areas such as ACCT processes, staff training, and the general decency of some units. However, significant challenges persist, including high rates of assaults, ongoing staffing consistency issues, long waiting times for mental health transfers, and insufficient purposeful activity. The IMB highlights continuing concerns around property management, support for neurodiverse prisoners, and the adequacy of resettlement planning.
Positive Findings
The Launchpad system was well received by prisoners, offering immediate access to services. The Segregation Unit provided a fair and safe regime, and mental health services were valued. Access to education, library services, and workshops improved following a focus on work and education. Family days were successfully redesigned, and staff training and ACCT processes saw improvements. The 'keeping the peace' strategy and prisoner debriefs for use of force were positive initiatives.
Key Concerns
Safety
Prisoner-on-prisoner assaults have remained among the highest in the long-term and high security estate.
Safety
The number of ACCTs remains high, although there has been a focus in improving the use of the ACCT process.
Staffing
Because of the lack of staffing consistency, the development of positive relationships between prisoners and staff was challenging.
Estate/Conditions
The fabric of the buildings is showing signs of wear and tear. The showers in the majority of house units are of an unacceptable standard.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
cleaning schedules were not always in place and implementation was variable.
Segregation
a small number of men spent a very long time in the unit, with very slow progress regarding moves to more appropriate specialist settings.
Mental Health
Concerns remained high concerning the number of men in the Segregation Unit who had complex and severe mental health needs.
Mental Health
Repeated
Prisoners requiring severe mental health services waited too long for assessment and transfer.
Education/Purposeful Activity
However, there were insufficient jobs and education opportunities
Equality/Diversity
Equality and diversity remain an area that requires further development at HMP Woodhill.
Safety
PEEPs remain an area of concern for the Board, with wing staff frequently unable to locate the files in the offices, and still no centralised record of them.
Equality/Diversity
Those with LDCs are significantly over-represented in both adjudication reports and proven charges (65% of reports and 75% of those proven, compared with 53% of the population), which is also a concern for the Board.
Resettlement/Release
Access to offending behaviour programmes for sentence progression was very limited at Woodhill.
Resettlement/Release
The Board is concerned that support for resettlement is not adequate for most prisoners.
Substance Misuse
The use of illicit spice (a synthetic cannabinoid) increased and adapted vapes were being used as a way of taking drugs.
Safety
From December 2023 to May 2024, there were 61 incidents of violence against staff and 39 against other prisoners. This was an increase in the number of assaults against staff
Safety
Use of force against prisoners was amongst the highest in the adult male estate.
Safety
there are still a notable number of instances where the paperwork is not completed in a timely manner
Food/Catering
The condition of the serveries on the wings remained poor and the Board recorded many instances when the serveries were not supervised by officers at mealtimes.
Equality/Diversity
Vulnerable men continued to complain about perceived lack of equity in the distribution and allocation of laundry, clothing, bedlinen and food.
Segregation
There was always a prisoner in Segregation Unit for more than 42 days (the limit allowed without external authorisation), with one man being there for nearly three years.
Complaints/Property
Complaints concerned with prisoner property remain the highest number of complaints received
Other
prisoners continued to arrive at the prison with large amounts of property: more than the three 15kg bags they were allowed, with some often left behind.
Mental Health
Repeated
transfers of men to secure mental institutions generally took far too long, often resulting in lengthy periods in the Segregation Unit and deterioration in their mental health.
Board Commentary
Staffing
HMP Woodhill faced significant staffing shortages, relying on detached staff, which impacted the development of positive prisoner-officer relationships. Despite this, the prison anticipated being 90% staffed by August 2024 with newly trained officers. Staff training, clinical supervision, and up-skilling of ACCT processes were priorities, although some detached officers expressed concerns about their safety. Staff shortages were also persistent in reception, affecting timely access to property.
Healthcare
Healthcare is provided by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, subcontracted to CNWL. The Clinical Assessment Unit (CAU) often delayed new admissions due to lengthy assessments. While staffing and escort availability improved from January 2024, leading to better attendance at appointments, the prison received a higher number of complex health needs cases. A significant concern was the increase in Spice use, causing 30 medical emergencies during one weekend. Waiting times for mental health transfers remained too long, often leading to mental health deterioration in segregation, despite mental health services being valued.
Regime & Daily Life
A new core day introduced in January 2024 aimed to increase purposeful activity, with time out of cell varying from 1.75 to 6.75 hours daily depending on incentive status. However, overall exercise time has not returned to one hour per day. While some units saw significant upgrades and a focus on cleanliness, schedules were not always consistently implemented. Insufficient jobs and education opportunities led to the introduction of part-time work and dual-rolling. Library attendance remained low, with prisoners often prioritizing the gym.
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 | 9 | 10 | |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 0 | 0 | |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives schemes, sanctions | 9 | 12 | |
| Equality | 0 | 1 | |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 3 | 0 | |
| Food and kitchens | 4 | 8 | |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 14 | 13 | |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 11 | 6 | |
| Miscellaneous | 13 | 9 | |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 18 | 19 | |
| Property within the Establishment | 14 | 15 | |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 7 | 6 | |
| Sentence management, including HDC (home detention curfew), ROTL (release on temporary licence), parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 5 | 5 | — |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 33 | 19 | |
| Total | 141 | 124 | |
| Transfers | 1 | 1 | — |
Recommendations (13)
Ministry of Justice: 4
HMPPS: 5
Governor / Director: 4
7 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the Minister work with colleagues across Government departments to develop an improved plan for the recruitment and retention of prison staff?
Ministry of Justice
Staffing
Response
Woodhill staffing was supported by an increase in detached staff throughout the reporting year. Staffing levels increasing and are anticipated to be 90% of requirement in August 2024. Staff training has been a priority, with one day per month allowed for all staff to learn together.
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Will the Minister work with colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care to consider how to address the mental health needs of prisoners, many of whom require specialist care alongside their punishment and rehabilitation?
Ministry of Justice
Mental Health
Response
No response. No progress.
Recommendation 3
Will the Minister work with colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care to address the needs of neurodiverse prisoners?
Ministry of Justice
Equality
Recommendation 4
Will the Minister work with Government departments to facilitate and provide appropriate training and resettlement for prisoners?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 5
Can the planned decrease in the operational capacity be monitored closely so that the significant gains made in safety, decency and culture at HMP Woodhill since 2023 are not lost?
HMPPS
Overcrowding
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
To review the daily spend for prisoners in the light of the rise in the cost of living.
HMPPS
Food
Response
No response N o p r o g r e s s .
Recommendation 7
Will the Minister enable prisoners to earn more to match the increased costs of canteen purchases?
HMPPS
Food
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Review how capital budgets can more effectively be used to maintain the fabric of the prison estate.
HMPPS
Estate
Response
No response. No progress.
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
To radically overhaul the property system within the Prison Service.
HMPPS
Other
Response
No response. The Prisoners’ Property Policy Framework appears to have improved internal processes but not the transfer of property between establishments
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
To work with partners to improve the access to suitable offending behaviour programmes for the progression of long-term prisoners.
Governor / Director
Resettlement
Response
No response. No progress.
Recommendation 11
Repeated
Prev. addressed
To embed and extend the existing education, vocational training and work in the regime.
Governor / Director
Education
Response
No response. The revised regime gives men access to more work, education and vocational training.
Recommendation 12
To work with partners to increase the provision of contract workshops in the prison.
Governor / Director
Education
Recommendation 13
To continue and develop the provision of meaningful data recorded and shared among teams, specifically regarding equality and diversity.
Governor / Director
Equality
Other IMB Reports for Woodhill
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
17 Mar 2026
Urgent Notification
14 Aug 2023
Unannounced
Safety: 1
Respect: 2
Activity: 1
Release: 2
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.