IMB Annual Reports
768 annual reports from Independent Monitoring Boards covering 171 establishments. IMBs provide independent oversight of prisons, immigration removal centres, and secure training centres. Source: imb.org.uk.
768
Reports
171
Establishments
757
With Key Concerns
Establishment Type
Reports by Year
Key Findings
99% of IMB reports flag key concerns.
Independent monitors cover 171 establishments
across prisons, immigration removal centres and secure training centres.
Askham Grange
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 2
Assaults: 6
HMP/YOI Askham Grange is a safe and well-run open prison for women, with strong staff-prisoner relationships and a focus on rehabilitation and resettlement. The Board commends the high standards in education and key worker engagement, as well as the positive regime and family support. Key concerns include the impact of short sentences on resettlement outcomes, the lack of progress in enhancing sexual and domestic violence support services, and challenges in securing external neurodiversity support. The Board also noted that employment on release targets were not being met.
Key concerns identified
- Short sentences can negatively impact women's resettlement outcomes, and there's a need to assess if sentencing reforms are reducing these.
- Lack of progress in enhancing access to sexual and domestic violence support services, a concern raised in the previous annual report.
- Prisoners with very short sentences struggle to fully benefit from resettlement and work/educational opportunities due to limited time.
- Challenges in securing consistent external support for neurodiversity, which varies significantly by geographical area.
- Employment on release rates (42.47% after six weeks) are below the delivery requirement of 48.71%.
- Lack of progress in enhancing access to sexual and domestic violence support services, a concern raised in the previous annual report.
- Prisoners with very short sentences struggle to fully benefit from resettlement and work/educational opportunities due to limited time.
- Challenges in securing consistent external support for neurodiversity, which varies significantly by geographical area.
- Employment on release rates (42.47% after six weeks) are below the delivery requirement of 48.71%.
Askham Grange
PRISON
Askham Grange
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 0
Assaults: 1
Staff assaults: 0
HMP/YOI Askham Grange is generally a safe and positive environment for women, with excellent staff-prisoner relationships, no self-harm incidents, and no use of force. While healthcare provision is good, concerns persist regarding accessibility and transparency of the complaints process, and issues with medication dispensing lockers. The prison excels in purposeful activity and resettlement, yet faces challenges with maintaining capacity and ensuring prisoners arrive with sufficient time to fully benefit from open conditions.
Key concerns identified
- The impact of the Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan on short sentences and the relatively low number of prisoners at Askham Grange.
- How the Prison Service promotes the benefits of open conditions, particularly given Askham Grange remains below capacity and receives prisoners with insufficient time to benefit from opportunities.
- Lack of services to support prisoners who have been subject to sexual and domestic violence, despite Governor's requests.
- Healthcare complaints process is not evident, transparent, or encouraged, with prisoners feeling discouraged from complaining.
- Ongoing problems with phone lines, impacting family contact.
- Lack of a managing chaplain.
- Traka medication distribution lockers being out of action for the entire reporting year.
- Uncertainty of central funding for the reading specialist post and lack of funding for the prisoner health champion role.
- Prisoners' reluctance to submit complaints due to fear of return to closed conditions.
- Dissatisfaction with how a small number of staff interact with prisoners.
- How the Prison Service promotes the benefits of open conditions, particularly given Askham Grange remains below capacity and receives prisoners with insufficient time to benefit from opportunities.
- Lack of services to support prisoners who have been subject to sexual and domestic violence, despite Governor's requests.
- Healthcare complaints process is not evident, transparent, or encouraged, with prisoners feeling discouraged from complaining.
- Ongoing problems with phone lines, impacting family contact.
- Lack of a managing chaplain.
- Traka medication distribution lockers being out of action for the entire reporting year.
- Uncertainty of central funding for the reading specialist post and lack of funding for the prisoner health champion role.
- Prisoners' reluctance to submit complaints due to fear of return to closed conditions.
- Dissatisfaction with how a small number of staff interact with prisoners.
New Hall
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 1,032
Assaults: 133
Staff assaults: 110
HMP/YOI New Hall, a closed category prison for women, held 365 residents against an operational capacity of 381. The Board noted positive developments in reception, staff-prisoner relationships, and the introduction of a drug recovery wing. However, significant concerns persist regarding the inadequate funding and suitability of the prison environment for women with complex mental health needs, leading to unacceptable delays in transfers to secure units. There was also a notable increase in healthcare-related applications to the IMB and issues impacting access to Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL).
Key concerns identified
- The process of transferring prisoners with mental health issues to secure units is too slow.
- Higher levels of funding are required to meet the complex and severe mental health needs of the women.
- The prison is increasingly being used inappropriately as a place of safety for women with severe mental health conditions.
- Prison is not an appropriate environment for women with severe mental health issues, with assessments and transfers to secure mental health establishments not prompt enough.
- There was a significant 61% increase in healthcare-related applications to the IMB, particularly concerning prescribing issues.
- The use of the vacant 'Larch' plot, previously identified as a concern, remains undecided.
- The shared Governor arrangements and clustering with HMP Askham Grange negatively impact New Hall prisoners' access to Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL).
- Higher levels of funding are required to meet the complex and severe mental health needs of the women.
- The prison is increasingly being used inappropriately as a place of safety for women with severe mental health conditions.
- Prison is not an appropriate environment for women with severe mental health issues, with assessments and transfers to secure mental health establishments not prompt enough.
- There was a significant 61% increase in healthcare-related applications to the IMB, particularly concerning prescribing issues.
- The use of the vacant 'Larch' plot, previously identified as a concern, remains undecided.
- The shared Governor arrangements and clustering with HMP Askham Grange negatively impact New Hall prisoners' access to Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL).
Askham Grange
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 2
Assaults: 0
Staff assaults: 0
HMP/YOI Askham Grange, a women's open prison focused on resettlement, maintains a safe environment with rare incidents of violence or self-harm and positive staff-prisoner relationships. While offering robust education, work, and resettlement opportunities, challenges persist, including the impact of short sentences on prisoner progression and delays in ROTL access due to external staffing issues. Concerns also relate to shared accommodation, low in-house prisoner pay, and transport problems due to a lack of prisoner drivers. Healthcare services received positive CQC feedback, but dental provision and medication locker malfunctions require attention.
Key concerns identified
- The increasing number of prisoners arriving with short sentences, preventing them from fully benefiting from resettlement and ROTL opportunities.
- Delays in accessing Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) and overall release planning due to staffing pressures within community offender manager (COM) teams.
- The prison not being at full capacity, indicating closed prisons may not be effectively identifying suitable women for transfer.
- The continued use of shared-cell accommodation, which is often disliked by women transitioning from single cells in closed prisons.
- Problems with the availability of the prisoner driver, exacerbating travel costs and limiting work options for some prisoners.
- Concerns regarding the level of in-house prisoner pay, exacerbated by inflation, affecting prisoners' ability to afford essentials and home leave.
- Prisoners' fear of return to closed conditions if they make complaints, and an increase in reported verbal abuse from staff.
- Delays in accessing Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) and overall release planning due to staffing pressures within community offender manager (COM) teams.
- The prison not being at full capacity, indicating closed prisons may not be effectively identifying suitable women for transfer.
- The continued use of shared-cell accommodation, which is often disliked by women transitioning from single cells in closed prisons.
- Problems with the availability of the prisoner driver, exacerbating travel costs and limiting work options for some prisoners.
- Concerns regarding the level of in-house prisoner pay, exacerbated by inflation, affecting prisoners' ability to afford essentials and home leave.
- Prisoners' fear of return to closed conditions if they make complaints, and an increase in reported verbal abuse from staff.
Askham Grange
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 26
Askham Grange is a safe, open women's prison with a strong resettlement ethos, treating prisoners fairly and humanely, and providing good healthcare. Key concerns include the delayed decision on the prison's future, the potential removal of popular single-occupancy pods, and the ongoing transfer of women with short sentences, which hinders resettlement efforts.
Key concerns identified
- The delayed decision regarding the future of HMP/YOI Askham Grange.
- Concerns from women about moving back to shared accommodation if temporary pods are removed.
- The continued transfer of prisoners with insufficient time left to serve, impacting resettlement efforts.
- Concerns from women about moving back to shared accommodation if temporary pods are removed.
- The continued transfer of prisoners with insufficient time left to serve, impacting resettlement efforts.