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.
Bronzefield
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 1,944
Assaults: 327
Staff assaults: 150
HMP/YOI Bronzefield, a women's local and YOI prison, reported a population of 506 and a CNA of 5271. While some progress was noted in leadership and property management, the report highlights significant concerns regarding healthcare delivery, staffing pressures, and the impact of roll-counts on the regime. Mental health services remain strained, and issues with food provision, complaint handling, and resettlement support persist, many of which were repeated from previous years.
Key concerns identified
- Problems in the delivery of healthcare services due to staff shortages, poor coordination, and 'in-fighting' among external NHS functions.
- Staffing issues resulting from significant deployment of PCOs to off-site duties and high turnover of new recruits.
- Negative impact of mandatory reconciliation roll-counts on the regime, leading to missed appointments and purposeful activities.
- Inconsistencies in the quality, quantity, and distribution of food.
- Delays in dealing with prisoner complaints, leading to a loss of confidence in the system.
- Mental health services under sustained pressure from complex caseloads, staff shortages, and delayed transfers to secure hospitals.
- Under-resourcing in the primary care team and shortage of experienced nursing staff.
- Consistent failure to dispense medication in a timely and efficient manner.
- Continued lack of a structured and coordinated service for supporting prisoners on discharge.
- Stress caused to women approaching release due to last-minute information about accommodation.
- Staffing issues resulting from significant deployment of PCOs to off-site duties and high turnover of new recruits.
- Negative impact of mandatory reconciliation roll-counts on the regime, leading to missed appointments and purposeful activities.
- Inconsistencies in the quality, quantity, and distribution of food.
- Delays in dealing with prisoner complaints, leading to a loss of confidence in the system.
- Mental health services under sustained pressure from complex caseloads, staff shortages, and delayed transfers to secure hospitals.
- Under-resourcing in the primary care team and shortage of experienced nursing staff.
- Consistent failure to dispense medication in a timely and efficient manner.
- Continued lack of a structured and coordinated service for supporting prisoners on discharge.
- Stress caused to women approaching release due to last-minute information about accommodation.
Bronzefield
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 2,495
Assaults: 301
Bronzefield faced significant challenges in the reporting year, primarily due to severe staff shortages impacting all aspects of the regime, leading to prisoners being locked up for extended periods and missing activities. Healthcare delivery was suboptimal due to lack of staff and poor coordination, resulting in medication delays and cancelled appointments. The prison also grappled with a high incidence of self-harm and challenges in managing complex, mentally unwell prisoners, compounded by external bed shortages.
Key concerns identified
- Staff shortages severely impact services, leading to curtailed regimes, missed activities, and inability to meet key worker session targets.
- Poor collaboration and 'silo' working among healthcare providers, exacerbated by lack of GPs and nurses, result in sub-optimal care and dangerous medication delays.
- High incidence of self-harm and challenges in managing complex, acutely mentally unwell prisoners, compounded by bed shortages in secure psychiatric hospitals.
- Significant problems with the prisoner complaints system, with lengthy delays undermining prisoner confidence.
- An unworkable new property policy and persistent backlogs cause distress and frustration for prisoners.
- Roll count is regularly late and inaccurate, negatively impacting the regime and security of the prison.
- Poor collaboration and 'silo' working among healthcare providers, exacerbated by lack of GPs and nurses, result in sub-optimal care and dangerous medication delays.
- High incidence of self-harm and challenges in managing complex, acutely mentally unwell prisoners, compounded by bed shortages in secure psychiatric hospitals.
- Significant problems with the prisoner complaints system, with lengthy delays undermining prisoner confidence.
- An unworkable new property policy and persistent backlogs cause distress and frustration for prisoners.
- Roll count is regularly late and inaccurate, negatively impacting the regime and security of the prison.
Bronzefield
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 2,460
Assaults: 240
HMP/YOI Bronzefield is a privately run local prison for female remand and sentenced prisoners, with an average population of 471 and Certified Normal Accommodation of 542. The reporting year saw concerns over staffing shortages impacting regime, increased healthcare complaints following a contract change, and a significant number of prisoners released without safe accommodation. Positive developments included the implementation of PPO recommendations, a new Employment Hub, and re-established gardening team.
Key concerns identified
- Lack of a physically present GP at weekends and only a substance misuse doctor on Mondays, particularly for vulnerable new arrivals.
- Late arrival of SERCO vans, impacting reception processes and prisoner care.
- High incidence of self-harm, largely attributable to a few prolific individuals.
- Increase in violent incidents, driven by canteen trading, vapes, and poor mental health.
- Staffing shortages (especially experienced officers) adversely affecting regime, leading to property complaints and increased prisoner-on-staff violence.
- Lengthy delays in prisoner complaints, leading to scepticism in the system.
- Continued use of the healthcare in-patient facility to house acutely mentally unwell prisoners awaiting transfer, straining capacity.
- Severe and sustained shortage of substance misuse staff, resulting in reduced therapeutic sessions and alcohol services.
- Significant number of prisoners being released without safe and sustainable accommodation, a persistent concern.
- Lack of alternative vocational training opportunities following the closure of the call centre facility.
- Late arrival of SERCO vans, impacting reception processes and prisoner care.
- High incidence of self-harm, largely attributable to a few prolific individuals.
- Increase in violent incidents, driven by canteen trading, vapes, and poor mental health.
- Staffing shortages (especially experienced officers) adversely affecting regime, leading to property complaints and increased prisoner-on-staff violence.
- Lengthy delays in prisoner complaints, leading to scepticism in the system.
- Continued use of the healthcare in-patient facility to house acutely mentally unwell prisoners awaiting transfer, straining capacity.
- Severe and sustained shortage of substance misuse staff, resulting in reduced therapeutic sessions and alcohol services.
- Significant number of prisoners being released without safe and sustainable accommodation, a persistent concern.
- Lack of alternative vocational training opportunities following the closure of the call centre facility.
Bronzefield
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 2,856
Assaults: 168
HMP/YOI Bronzefield, a female local/YOI prison, held an average of 480 prisoners during the reporting year. While offering a generally safe environment and some positive regime initiatives like new gym sessions and an ESME room, the prison faced significant challenges. Key issues included rising self-harm incidents, severe staff shortages curtailing the regime and services, and persistent problems with resettlement accommodation for released prisoners.
Key concerns identified
- The ongoing increase in self-harm incidents, particularly from a few prolific self-harmers, and the stress this places on staff.
- Consistently high staff shortages and inexperienced staff leading to a severely curtailed regime and impacts on healthcare and substance misuse services.
- A lack of strategic oversight in diversity and equality, resulting in action plans not tailored to prisoner needs and concerns about inconsistent staff treatment.
- Significant delays in final responses to prisoner complaints, with many 'on-time' responses being merely interim.
- The frequent use of the prison as a place of safety for prisoners with complex mental health conditions due to a lack of secure inpatient beds, straining prison resources.
- The significant problem of providing safe and sustainable accommodation for prisoners upon release, with a survey showing 65% discharged to unsustainable arrangements.
- Consistently high staff shortages and inexperienced staff leading to a severely curtailed regime and impacts on healthcare and substance misuse services.
- A lack of strategic oversight in diversity and equality, resulting in action plans not tailored to prisoner needs and concerns about inconsistent staff treatment.
- Significant delays in final responses to prisoner complaints, with many 'on-time' responses being merely interim.
- The frequent use of the prison as a place of safety for prisoners with complex mental health conditions due to a lack of secure inpatient beds, straining prison resources.
- The significant problem of providing safe and sustainable accommodation for prisoners upon release, with a survey showing 65% discharged to unsustainable arrangements.
Bronzefield
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 2,640
Assaults: 108
HMP/YOI Bronzefield operated under severe Covid-19 restrictions, impacting prisoner well-being and regime delivery, exacerbated by staff absences. Despite these challenges, the prison managed the pandemic effectively, improved mental health transfers, and achieved Hepatitis C elimination. However, concerns remain regarding escalating self-harm incidents, a high number of prisoners released without accommodation, the prison's use as a 'place of safety' for mentally unwell women, and persistent drug ingress.
Key concerns identified
- The escalating number of self-harm incidents, reaching an average of 220 per month in the reporting year, places a high level of risk on the prison.
- A high and increasing percentage (77%) of sentenced prisoners are released without safe and secure accommodation, exacerbated by the removal of in-prison accommodation services.
- The prison is continuously used as a 'place of safety' for women with serious, complex, and enduring mental health conditions, exerting severe pressure on healthcare and residential staff.
- Significant volumes of drugs continue to enter the prison despite 100% searching and swabbing of incoming mail and parcels.
- The severe Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, amplified by staff absences and inexperienced officers, have compromised the humane treatment of prisoners and limited their time out of cell.
- Canteen prices at HMP/YOI Bronzefield are up to 15% more expensive than comparable prisons.
- A high and increasing percentage (77%) of sentenced prisoners are released without safe and secure accommodation, exacerbated by the removal of in-prison accommodation services.
- The prison is continuously used as a 'place of safety' for women with serious, complex, and enduring mental health conditions, exerting severe pressure on healthcare and residential staff.
- Significant volumes of drugs continue to enter the prison despite 100% searching and swabbing of incoming mail and parcels.
- The severe Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, amplified by staff absences and inexperienced officers, have compromised the humane treatment of prisoners and limited their time out of cell.
- Canteen prices at HMP/YOI Bronzefield are up to 15% more expensive than comparable prisons.
Bronzefield
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 2,100
Assaults: 168
HMP/YOI Bronzefield, a local female prison, effectively managed the initial COVID-19 lockdown, maintaining a nearly virus-free environment, but the sustained restricted regime led to a significant rise in self-harm and mental health concerns. Key issues included a high proportion of prisoners released without stable accommodation, persistent challenges with timely mental health transfers, and a shortage of cell keys affecting prisoner property security. Despite these, the Board noted positive developments in food quality, key worker implementation, and effective education provision during the pandemic.
Key concerns identified
- A consistently large percentage of prisoners continue to leave the prison with no permanent home, increasing the risk of short recall sentences.
- The government’s early release and special licence schemes have failed, in large part, owing to the requirement to tag a prisoner to an address.
- The ongoing severe lockdown restrictions in prison are impacting the mental health of the prisoners.
- There is an ongoing problem with a lack of cell keys, leading to prisoners being unable to lock their cell doors and property going missing.
- The availability of accommodation for women leaving prison with no fixed abode remains inadequate.
- There is a concerning number of prisoners with serious enduring complex mental health problems and personality disorders who need to be transferred more quickly to secure inpatient mental health facilities.
- The limited equipment for video-links causes delays in court hearings and prevents confidential lawyer-prisoner discussions.
- The government’s early release and special licence schemes have failed, in large part, owing to the requirement to tag a prisoner to an address.
- The ongoing severe lockdown restrictions in prison are impacting the mental health of the prisoners.
- There is an ongoing problem with a lack of cell keys, leading to prisoners being unable to lock their cell doors and property going missing.
- The availability of accommodation for women leaving prison with no fixed abode remains inadequate.
- There is a concerning number of prisoners with serious enduring complex mental health problems and personality disorders who need to be transferred more quickly to secure inpatient mental health facilities.
- The limited equipment for video-links causes delays in court hearings and prevents confidential lawyer-prisoner discussions.