IMB Annual Reports

- Too many very mentally unwell women are in prison due to lack of community services and places in secure mental health hospitals, leading to delayed transfers.
- The rate of self-harm remains extremely high, with a small number of women self-harming repeatedly, contributing to many assaults on staff during restraint.
- Prisoners face unnecessarily restricted time out of cell because the general population is locked down while segregated women are unlocked individually.
- Officer recruitment and retention are problematic, exacerbated by an inordinate backlog in vetting for new staff, impacting operational delivery and leading to increased prisoner lockdowns.
- Numerous essential works projects, including bathroom refurbishments and the video conferencing centre, are significantly delayed or cancelled due to poor planning and oversight.
- There is insufficient resettlement support for remand and recalled women, alongside a lack of suitable approved premises with disabled facilities for vulnerable prisoners upon release.

- Deeply concerning levels of self-harm, with Eastwood Park accounting for 38% of all prolific incidents in the women’s estate.
- 1039 use of force incidents, double the number from the previous year, with a small number of troubled prisoners being a key factor.
- Long delays for transfers to mental health units and inadequate provision for women with multifaceted social care needs.
- Under-used activity workshops that are not operating as originally intended.
- The significant adverse pressure on the regime and staff due to the concentration of individuals who prolifically self-harm in a single prison.
- Unfinalised proposals for replacing residential unit 7, which remains unoccupied due to fire safety concerns.
- Prisoners experiencing lengthy journeys to court due to the delayed operationalisation of a video conferencing centre.
- The impact of staff compassion burnout, injuries, and attacks on staff morale and goodwill.
- The running of the prison is negatively impacted by low staffing levels and a high number of inexperienced staff.
- Gaps in provision for programmes addressing offending behaviour.

- Continued delays in transferring women with complex mental health needs to secure hospitals due to national bed shortages.
- Fluctuating staffing levels consistently impacted prisoner wellbeing, rehabilitation, and regime delivery.
- The significant increase in the use of force incidents (517 this year) and the need for clear HMPPS guidance on its criteria.
- Under-utilisation of the new activities centre despite its completion.
- Challenges in securing adequate accommodation for prisoners upon release and the lack of reliable data to track progress.
- The cessation of funding for the One Women’s Centre, an initiative with great potential for resettlement support.
- A 128% rise in self-harm incidents compared to the previous year, with a small number of women contributing to a large proportion of these.
- Shortages of larger underwear sizes and poor availability of chest binders.
- Outstanding maintenance jobs (181) and critical safety concerns regarding Personal Evacuation and Emergency Plans (PEEP) not matching records.
- Restrictions on library and some chaplaincy services due to staffing levels and escort availability.

- Staffing levels are 17.5% below target, contributing to an unsafe environment and frequent cancellation of essential regime activities.
- There are exceptionally high levels of self-harm and two deaths in custody, highlighting severe mental health issues among prisoners.
- The prison struggles to manage women with severe mental health and complex needs due to unsuitable facilities (e.g., Residential Unit 4) and a critical shortage of external secure mental health beds, leading to containment rather than treatment.
- A prisoner with an acquired brain injury was continuously segregated for 1,484 days due to the absence of appropriate secure facilities for women with such injuries.
- Ongoing delays in the construction of the new activities centre are hindering rehabilitation and purposeful activity provision.
- Prisoners face lengthy and uncomfortable daily journeys to court in PECS transport with unsuitable sanitary facilities.
- The national instruction to end team-based rostering led to officer resignations and a breakdown of staff-prisoner relationships, further impacting key work and staff experience.
- Lengthy delays in convening complex case boards mean transgender prisoners are held in segregation for extended periods.
- Inadequate property management continues to be a major source of prisoner complaints and distress.
- There is a lack of suitable accommodation and facilities for older prisoners and those with disabilities, alongside a lack of clear action on disproportionality in complaints from minority ethnic groups.

- The continuous segregation of a prisoner with an acquired brain injury remains a profound concern, highlighting a lack of suitable specialist facilities for women in the prison system.
- High levels of self-harm and violence persist despite efforts, exacerbated by the number of women with complex mental health issues inappropriately placed in the criminal justice system.
- Staffing levels were critically under-resourced throughout the year, leading to extended lock-up times for prisoners and negatively impacting their mental and physical health.
- Longstanding dampness on two residential wings remains unaddressed since 2018, rendering some cells unfit for occupation.
- The quality and availability of food were inconsistent, particularly during the early lockdown period, leading to widespread prisoner dissatisfaction.
- The management of prisoner property was extremely poor, resulting in missing parcels, long backlogs for swaps, and significant distress for prisoners.

- Levels of self-harm have risen, and concerns remain about violence towards staff.
- There is a continuous inflow of illicit substances into the prison.
- The plight of a brain-injured prisoner who has been segregated for over two years, effectively in solitary confinement, is a significant concern, particularly the lack of suitable secure specialist establishments for women with complex needs.
- There are increased waiting times for dental care and a rise in women being sent to prison for their own safety due to mental health issues.
- Significant gaps in resettlement provision mean prisoners are often released without suitable housing or adequate community support.
- Education, work opportunities, and offending behaviour interventions were less available due to lockdown.
- There are concerns about the HMPPS funding the manufacture of essential estate items (windows, fire doors) but then declining funding for their installation, and the opaque decision-making process for maintenance funding.
- The low number of discrimination incident report forms (DIRFs) submitted suggests potential underreporting.
- The suitability of mattresses, particularly for older and health-compromised prisoners, is poor.