IMB Annual Reports

- The poor standard and maintenance of induction cells and the lack of clear guidance for new arrivals.
- The continued availability of illicit substances despite enhanced security measures.
- The deteriorating and insufficient healthcare building, leading to issues with decency, confidentiality, and space.
- Challenges with healthcare provision, including prisoners arriving without essential medication, frequent loss of hospital appointments due to escort shortages, and lack of nicotine replacement therapy.
- The inability to adequately manage frail and elderly prisoners within the main estate and the high caseload of offender managers.
- The ineffective operation of the prison council and the persistence of property loss during transfers and cell clearances.

- Significant increase in self-harm incidents and inconsistent welfare checks.
- Persistent issues with illicit substances despite enhanced security.
- Use of segregation for prisoners with complex mental health needs.
- Key working system not delivered as planned.
- Continued loss of prisoner property, causing stress and anxiety.
- Poor performance of Gov Facility Services Limited (GFSL) impacting decent living conditions.
- Discrimination faced by disabled prisoners in gaining work.
- Serious decline in healthcare attendance at first ACCT reviews.
- Time out of cell not improving for non-employed/educated prisoners.
- Unacceptably low numbers in vocational jobs and staff shortages impacting training.
- Lack of hope of release for IPP prisoners negatively impacting their wellbeing.
- Lack of long-term plan for appropriate mental health provision in the secure estate.
- Uncertainty about ancillary facilities matching needs for the increased prison population.
- Offending behaviour programmes eligibility not assessed prior to transfer.
- Need for a review of the allocations process for job roles.

- Parole restrictions for prisoners eligible for open conditions.
- Lack of hope and solutions for IPP prisoners following the rejection of resentencing.
- Chronic national shortage of suitable mental health provision for complex and vulnerable prisoners.
- Inadequate daily food budget for prisoners, despite rising food costs.
- Lack of a long-term maintenance plan and poor performance by Government Facilities Services Limited (GFSL).
- Repeated delays in the replacement of residential wings, impacting the Progression Regime.
- Insufficient healthcare facilities and staff to accommodate the planned increase in operational capacity.
- Persistent access to illicit substances within the prison.
- Inadequate and potentially dangerous constant watch cell.
- Lack of meaningful job opportunities for prisoners.
- Reduced time out of cell at weekends.
- Poor first night accommodation.
- Overly long induction programme.
- Lack of suitably adapted cells for disabled people.
- Low healthcare attendance at first ACCT reviews.
- Poor IT infrastructure in healthcare.
- Under-resourcing and recruitment difficulties for the mental health team.

- Delay in transfer to category D prisons.
- The need to address the number of IPP prisoners long over tariff.
- The chronic national shortage of accommodation for prisoners with complex mental health needs.
- The need for ministerial review of the daily food budget allowance, which has not increased for five years.
- Significant delays in completing the replacement of residential wings, impacting the progression regime.
- The poor IT infrastructure in healthcare, hindering access to medical records and medical input at first ACCT reviews.

- A prisoner with special needs, likely autism, has been inhumanely confined in segregation for an extended period due to a lack of suitable alternative accommodation within the prison system.
- A cohort of IPP prisoners, many years past their tariff, are left without hope, are institutionalised, dehumanised, and some suffer from mental illness, requiring national attention.
- Two residential units were closed during the year, and plans to replace them have faltered, hindering long-term planning for the prison.
- The fitness suite roof leaks, imperiling new flooring and equipment, and urgently requires replacement and funding.
- A healthcare representative is still absent in 40% of first ACCT reviews, despite improvements noted this year.
- There is no clear communication with the IMB regarding prisoners segregated on their own location.
- Prisoners and staff regularly complain about a lack of consistency from management in applying rules.
- Function heads show scant participation in diversity and inclusion meetings, a recurring issue that requires a more robust regime for monitoring equality and fairness.
- The complaints system lacks independence in terms of investigation.
- A lack of adequate Wi-Fi and suitable iPads prevents healthcare staff from accessing patient records on wings and at reception, posing a patient safety risk.
- Self-harm incidents rose significantly, an 86% increase from the previous year, in contrast to national trends.
- Conditions in the Segregation Unit (CSU) fell below acceptable standards, with prisoners left without proper sanitation and running water for up to three weeks after cell damage.

- GFSL continues to disappoint with poor maintenance, project mismanagement, and a significant backlog of works orders.
- The ageing fabric of the prison requires major investment to improve the standard of accommodation.
- Drugs remain a significant problem, and more effective interception methods are needed.
- Healthcare attendance at mandatory first ACCT reviews is still unsatisfactory, and communication between Prison Reception and Healthcare is poor.
- The monitoring of equality and fairness has lacked a robust regime, with limited statistics and follow-up investigations.
- Waiting times for routine GP appointments are unacceptably long, and limited escorted hospital visits cause hardship.
- Improvement is needed in the line management, quality control, training, and mentoring for Key Working.