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.
Elmley
PRISON
Concerns
Assaults: 276
Staff assaults: 142
HMP/YOI Elmley is a local prison situated on the Isle of Sheppey which serves the courts of Kent. The operating capacity of Elmley at the start of the year was 1137 and decreased to 1043 by the end of the reporting period in October 2025. The Board has concerns regarding prison staffing levels and the implementation of key working.
Key concerns identified
bullet Substantial investment is required to bring existing accommodation up to an acceptable standard, including access to clean working showers with sufficient hot water.
bullet Vocational work-based and educational opportunities for prisoners to support effective transition back into legitimate paid employment upon release is of critical importance.
bullet The removal of contaminated waste is allowed to build up on site.
bullet The washing machines on all houseblocks are in a very poor state of repair.
bullet The amount of allocated time for key working fluctuates greatly from day to day and week to week.
bullet Vocational work-based and educational opportunities for prisoners to support effective transition back into legitimate paid employment upon release is of critical importance.
bullet The removal of contaminated waste is allowed to build up on site.
bullet The washing machines on all houseblocks are in a very poor state of repair.
bullet The amount of allocated time for key working fluctuates greatly from day to day and week to week.
Elmley
PRISON
Elmley
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 580
Assaults: 245
Staff assaults: 137
HMP Elmley faces significant challenges, notably an "intolerable" fire safety risk in House Block 5 and generally deteriorating accommodation. While healthcare and equality initiatives show improvement, safety remains a concern with increased self-harm and use of force incidents, exacerbated by poor key working and inconsistent reception processes. Education attendance is low, and there's a need for more purposeful activity.
Key concerns identified
- House block 5 poses an intolerable fire safety risk, with a high likelihood of fire and extreme consequences for life safety, requiring urgent action.
- The quality of accommodation continues to deteriorate, with dirty/broken showers, insect infestations, heating breakdowns, and inadequate maintenance.
- Inconsistent reception and induction processes for new prisoners lead to kit shortages and difficulties with phone access.
- Self-harm incidents have risen significantly, and use of force incidents have increased, with black prisoners disproportionately affected, while independent scrutiny of UoF and DIRFs is lacking.
- The key working scheme is insufficiently developed, with low attendance rates, and the cessation of the Listener scheme compromises safer custody efforts.
- Education attendance is unacceptably low despite good teaching quality, and there are limited opportunities for purposeful work-based training or using prisoner labour to improve the prison environment.
- The quality of accommodation continues to deteriorate, with dirty/broken showers, insect infestations, heating breakdowns, and inadequate maintenance.
- Inconsistent reception and induction processes for new prisoners lead to kit shortages and difficulties with phone access.
- Self-harm incidents have risen significantly, and use of force incidents have increased, with black prisoners disproportionately affected, while independent scrutiny of UoF and DIRFs is lacking.
- The key working scheme is insufficiently developed, with low attendance rates, and the cessation of the Listener scheme compromises safer custody efforts.
- Education attendance is unacceptably low despite good teaching quality, and there are limited opportunities for purposeful work-based training or using prisoner labour to improve the prison environment.
Elmley
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 660
Assaults: 390
HMP Elmley, a local prison, navigated Covid disruptions to improve prisoner experience and reduce violence through increased key work and a young adult strategy. While the Board noted improvements in safety scrutiny, complaint resolution, and resettlement opportunities, significant concerns remain regarding the treatment and information provision for foreign national prisoners by the Home Office. Other challenges include the poor condition of the prison estate, persistent staffing shortages across key departments, and inadequate activity spaces impacting rehabilitation efforts.
Key concerns identified
- Foreign national prisoners lack formal engagement from the Home Office, especially those on remand, who are left in limbo with limited access to immigration authorities.
- Concerns about allocating funds for a new house block while the existing prison fabric urgently needs attention.
- Insufficient activity spaces and skills-based tuition hinder purposeful activity and rehabilitation.
- Underlying causes of self-harm are not adequately addressed (a repeated concern from the previous year).
- Cells are in poor condition due to age and maintenance issues, making furniture and equipment replacement difficult and negatively impacting rehabilitation.
- Staffing in the Offender Management Unit is severely reduced, leading to heavy caseloads, infrequent prisoner contact, and delays in offender assessments and HDC administration.
- The reduced service at the visitors' centre, now run by Pact, threatens family contact and rehabilitation efforts.
- Concerns about allocating funds for a new house block while the existing prison fabric urgently needs attention.
- Insufficient activity spaces and skills-based tuition hinder purposeful activity and rehabilitation.
- Underlying causes of self-harm are not adequately addressed (a repeated concern from the previous year).
- Cells are in poor condition due to age and maintenance issues, making furniture and equipment replacement difficult and negatively impacting rehabilitation.
- Staffing in the Offender Management Unit is severely reduced, leading to heavy caseloads, infrequent prisoner contact, and delays in offender assessments and HDC administration.
- The reduced service at the visitors' centre, now run by Pact, threatens family contact and rehabilitation efforts.
Elmley
PRISON
Concerns
HMP Elmley experienced a challenging year ending October 2021 due to its status as a COVID-19 outbreak site, leading to highly restricted regimes and persistent staffing shortages. The Board noted positive initiatives like the Accelerator project and OMU surgeries, but raised significant concerns regarding prolonged confinement, inadequate food budget, and issues with property loss and unlock list management. The report highlights critical needs for improved staff recruitment and retention, better analysis of self-harm incidents, and a review of external service contracts.
Key concerns identified
- The prolonged confinement of prisoners for 23 hours a day in small spaces, often shared, and its impact on physical and mental health.
- Staffing shortages due to recruitment difficulties and pandemic impact, leading to reduced regime flexibility.
- Inadequate budget for food (£2.14 per man per day) impacting quality and quantity.
- Poor service from DHL regarding canteen orders, delays in refunds, and quality of fresh produce, requiring contract review.
- Poor management of the unlock list on house blocks, disrupting education and healthcare appointments and wasting staff time.
- Insufficient formal analysis of self-harm incidents to identify underlying causes related to the prison environment.
- Persistent problem of prisoners' property getting lost, especially during relocation and cell clearances.
- Staffing shortages due to recruitment difficulties and pandemic impact, leading to reduced regime flexibility.
- Inadequate budget for food (£2.14 per man per day) impacting quality and quantity.
- Poor service from DHL regarding canteen orders, delays in refunds, and quality of fresh produce, requiring contract review.
- Poor management of the unlock list on house blocks, disrupting education and healthcare appointments and wasting staff time.
- Insufficient formal analysis of self-harm incidents to identify underlying causes related to the prison environment.
- Persistent problem of prisoners' property getting lost, especially during relocation and cell clearances.
Elmley
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 254
HMP Elmley faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic reporting year (Nov 2019-Oct 2020), which severely restricted the prison regime and IMB monitoring. While the Board praised adaptations like in-cell education and efforts against drug importation, key concerns persisted regarding inadequate mental health support, lengthy dental waiting times, and major difficulties in securing resettlement accommodation for prisoners on release. The pandemic also exacerbated issues of substance misuse and limited purposeful activity.
Key concerns identified
- Inadequate mental health provision and diversion for prisoners with serious mental health issues, compounded by pandemic restrictions and post-release support gaps.
- Persistent issues with substance misuse, debt, and bullying, with concerns over vulnerable prisoners' safety due to changing house block allocations.
- Significant negative impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the regime, purposeful activity, and time out of cell, leading to prisoner frustration.
- Major challenges in resettlement, particularly securing accommodation and providing crucial support for bank accounts and identification upon release.
- Deterioration of healthcare provision, notably routine dentistry, and long waits for medical appointments, alongside concerns regarding paracetamol management.
- Delays in progression for life-sentenced prisoners due to limited course availability and transfer issues, as well as general adjudication delays.
- Persistent issues with substance misuse, debt, and bullying, with concerns over vulnerable prisoners' safety due to changing house block allocations.
- Significant negative impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the regime, purposeful activity, and time out of cell, leading to prisoner frustration.
- Major challenges in resettlement, particularly securing accommodation and providing crucial support for bank accounts and identification upon release.
- Deterioration of healthcare provision, notably routine dentistry, and long waits for medical appointments, alongside concerns regarding paracetamol management.
- Delays in progression for life-sentenced prisoners due to limited course availability and transfer issues, as well as general adjudication delays.