Prison
Cat reception, Category C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Wandsworth
IMB Annual Report 2024 · Published 22 August 2024
Wandsworth Prison experienced a critical reporting period marked by significant safety and humanitarian failures, culminating in an Urgent Notification from HMIP. Chronic understaffing, decaying infrastructure, and insufficient external support severely undermined the prison's ability to operate safely and humanely. Overcrowding led to inhumane living conditions, with basic regime delivery frequently failing and key services like the new healthcare centre remaining unused.
Positive Findings
The Board commended staff professionalism in use of force and CSU, and noted improvements in security, medication distribution, catering management, and vermin control. Healthcare provision received overwhelmingly positive feedback from CQC, particularly in mental health and transfer times. The now-terminated Remand Project was highly effective, and family days were well-received. Housing support for 74% of released prisoners was a positive outcome.
Key Concerns
Staffing
Repeated
The severe shortage of available experienced staff, compounded by high absence rates and a high proportion of inexperienced officers (50% with less than one year's experience), seriously undermined the prison's ability to function effectively and deliver a consistent regime. Centralised recruitment processes continued to fail in providing adequately trained staff.
Safety
The prison remained an unsafe environment, marked by a significant increase in deaths in custody (ten, including six self-inflicted), high rates of assaults (960 on prisoners/staff), and a rise in self-harm incidents (998). Access to contraband, including mobile phones, drugs, and weapons, continued to be easy, with a 22% increase in total finds.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Living conditions remained inhumane and unfit for purpose, with over 1,200 prisoners sharing cramped, squalid cells originally designed for single occupancy. Basic necessities like sheets, towels, and prison clothing were often in short supply, and showers were damp, unhygienic, insufficient, and prone to mould and vermin.
Healthcare
Repeated
The new multi-million pound healthcare centre remained unused over two years after its scheduled opening date, while existing residential healthcare units (the six-bed Jones ward and 12-bed Addison ward) were too small, unhygienic, and unfit for purpose, with cells frequently out of use awaiting repair.
Resettlement/Release
The effective Remand Project, which significantly improved wellbeing for remand prisoners and the overall prison system, was inexplicably terminated by HMPPS in March 2024, causing widespread disappointment.
Equality/Diversity
Support for foreign nationals, who comprise almost 50% of the prison population, was severely neglected following the prison's decision to terminate the effective BEST contract in October 2023, with Catch 22 struggling with limited resources to meet their diverse needs.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The prison faces severe staffing challenges due to high absence rates and a large proportion of inexperienced officers (50% with less than a year's experience, 12% in their second). Centralised recruitment processes are failing to provide adequately trained staff. This understaffing and inexperience significantly undermine the prison's ability to operate effectively and maintain a consistent regime, impacting all areas including keyworker provision and officer morale.
Healthcare
Healthcare at Wandsworth presents a mixed picture. While CQC found most provision, leadership, and mental health services to be "overwhelmingly positive" and "impressive", the new multi-million pound healthcare centre remains unused over two years after its scheduled opening due to various issues. Existing residential units (Jones and Addison wards) are described as unhygienic, dangerous, too small, unfit for purpose, and frequently await repairs, exacerbated by a lack of wheelchair-accessible cells on wings. Clinic waiting times remain high in some areas, and staff shortages impact escorts to appointments.
Regime & Daily Life
The prison consistently failed to deliver an acceptable regime due to severe staffing shortages, often resulting in an "up/down" regime and frequent lockdowns. Prisoners regularly spent over 22 hours a day locked in cramped, squalid cells designed for single occupancy, often missing basic kit and with broken amenities. Even core daily entitlements like 45 minutes exercise and social time were not consistently met, leading to uncertainty about unlocking times and limited access to purposeful activity, including the library and education.
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 | 157 | 114 | |
| Canteen | 57 | 22 | |
| Discipline | 20 | 33 | |
| Equality and diversity (inc. religion) | 34 | 47 | |
| Family/visits (inc. mail and phone) | 97 | 69 | |
| Finance/pay | 53 | 29 | |
| Food/kitchen | 29 | 10 | |
| Health | 132 | 119 | |
| Miscellaneous | 7 | 14 | |
| Property (external) | 25 | 38 | |
| Property (within current establishment) | 75 | 74 | |
| Purposeful activity | 40 | 56 | |
| Sentence related | 81 | 72 | |
| Staff/prisoner concerns | 90 | 71 | |
| Transfers | 22 | 28 |
Recommendations (23)
Ministry of Justice: 4
HMPPS: 10
Governor / Director: 9
15 repeated
Recommendation 1
Will the new Government support the recommendations of the Urgent Notification Action Plan and the investment commitment made after the alleged escape?
Ministry of Justice
Safety
Recommendation 2
Will the Remand Project continue to be funded? Are there any other initiatives in place to assist the rehabilitation of remand prisoners?
Ministry of Justice
Resettlement
Recommendation 3
Repeated
The basic conditions for prisoners at Wandsworth remain inadequate, both in terms of the infrastructure of the buildings (showers not operative, inconsistent heating, damaged cells etc.) and the provision of kit (including clothing and bedding). What support will be provided to the prison to help rectify this?
Ministry of Justice
Estate
Recommendation 4
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
In October 2023 you wrote that the new healthcare centre would “open soon”. This has not happened. We repeat our question – why the delay and when will it open?
HMPPS
Healthcare
Recommendation 5
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
There has been no satisfactory answer to any of the questions asked of the Prison Service in our previous Annual Report (see below). Please could you answer the questions?
HMPPS
Other
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Officer recruitment has been poor, leading to a high turnover of often unsuitable staff. Recruitment is handled centrally. Will the Service consider allowing the prison to become involved in the process so that applicants receive a realistic impression of the role?
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 7
When will adequate funding be provided for much needed courses and training to allow better employment prospects for prisoners upon release?
HMPPS
Education
Recommendation 8
In the light of the UN issued to the prison and the subsequent recommendations made under the Action Plan, what are your priorities as the newly appointed Governor?
Governor / Director
Other
Recommendation 9
The Board is very concerned about the inadequacy of the support provided to foreign nationals, who comprise around 50% of the prisoners. What are your plans to address this?
Governor / Director
Equality
Recommendation 10
If the operational capacity of the prison is reduced, what specific improvements in regime will occur and how will education and activities be improved?
Governor / Director
Regime
Recommendation 11
In the past year, the IMB was not always informed of major incidents, particularly Deaths in Custody. Can you assure us that you will put a process in place to rectify this?
Governor / Director
Safety
Recommendation 12
In light of the adverse publicity the prison has received, do you intend to address the question of staff morale and raise the profile of the prison in the community?
Governor / Director
Staffing
Recommendation 13
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
With the establishment dangerously overcrowded and living conditions inhumane what immediate actions will the Minister authorise to redress the shortage of resources – human, financial and physical?
Ministry of Justice
Overcrowding
Response
Holding two prisoners in a cell designed for one is never desirable. Unfortunately, this long-standing practice continues to be necessary across the prison estate to accommodate all those committed to custody by the courts.
Recommendation 14
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
HMP Wandsworth is a reception establishment yet housing services are only offered to sentenced prisoners. When will these services be extended to unsentenced prisoners?
HMPPS
Resettlement
Response
Although the Commissioned Rehabilitative Service services were initially only available for sentenced people in prison, HMPPS is working on extending the contracts for accommodation to include the unconvicted and unsentenced. A strategic housing specialist supports remand prisoners with housing on release, where appropriate, and there is a service supporting remand prisoners with existing tenancies.
Recommendation 15
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Is there a prison building programme to alleviate chronic overcrowding as well as providing modern spaces for the anticipated rise in prisoner numbers?
HMPPS
Estate
Response
We have already delivered c.5,500 of the planned 20,000 modern uncrowded places. The Ministry of Justice is striving to reduce the court backlog and has extended the use of the Nightingale courtrooms over the course of this financial year, to provide additional court capacity.
Recommendation 16
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The new multi-million pound healthcare centre has still not opened over one year after its original scheduled opening date. Prisoners have therefore been deprived of the benefit it would have brought. When will the centre open?
HMPPS
Healthcare
Response
We acknowledge the Board's concerns about the delays to the completion due to omissions from the original commission request. The new healthcare centre is now complete, apart from some snagging issues, and is due to open soon.
Recommendation 17
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Men have endured another year of inadequate shower facilities coupled with numerous boiler failures resulting in periods of no hot water or heating. When will the old and inadequate heating and water systems be replaced with modern, efficient equipment?
HMPPS
Estate
Response
An estimated two-year, £12.5 million project of site-wide shower upgrades, including increasing the number of showers on Trinity unit, has been commissioned. Quotes to replace the temporary boilers on C - E wings are being obtained. This work is currently being scoped with a target completion date end of this financial year 2023/24. There is a project pending to replace all boilers site wide, but this is further down the priority list.
Recommendation 18
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Staff recruitment is managed centrally. Would the Service consider involving HMP Wandsworth in the process to ensure that suitable staff are selected and given a realistic understanding of the role, thus reducing staff turnover?
HMPPS
Staffing
Response
No response
Recommendation 19
Repeated
Prev. addressed
What plans are there to provide meaningful activity to remand prisoners, given that their stay is often lengthy?
HMPPS
Purposeful Activity
Response
HMPPS is testing new initiatives designed to meet the specific needs of remand prisoners, this includes: A short life-skills course to help deal with the uncertainty of being on remand, develop communication and decision-making skills. Extending identification documents and employability support to remand prisoners. A staff remand caseworker and team of prisoner remand representatives to support wellbeing and help prisoners tackle key issues to enable them to engage with the prison regime.
Recommendation 20
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
How do you propose reducing the disproportionately high number of assaults committed by the 18-25 cohort?
Governor / Director
Safety
Response
This is a reflection on understaffing and many young prisoners having gang issues. We will continue to make every effort to keep gang members separated.
Recommendation 21
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
When will the prison take seriously its obligation to provide regular access to the library?
Governor / Director
Education
Response
It takes this obligation seriously but the lack of staff available to escort prisoners to the library is a major constraint.
Recommendation 22
Repeated
Prev. addressed
Non delivery of medications has been a major concern to the Board this year. What is being done to ensure that this improves?
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Response
Healthcare is working with prison staff to ensure that medication hatches on wings are kept open to ensure that medications are distributed.
Recommendation 23
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
With the current staff shortages, will it be possible to operate the new healthcare centre safely?
Governor / Director
Healthcare
Response
Yes, but other services may suffer as officers will be diverted to the healthcare centre.
Other IMB Reports for Wandsworth
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
31 Mar 2025
IRP
8 May 2024
Urgent Notification
22 Apr 2024
Unannounced
Safety: 1
Respect: 1
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.