IMB Annual Reports

bullet Self-harm, ACCT plans, constant supervision and deaths in custody have remained at similar levels to the previous year.
- Violence between prisoners and against officers has remained high.
- Incursion of illicit items via drones continues to be high.
- More prisoners are testing positive for drugs.
- Staffing remains a concern.
- Accommodation and facilities are continuing to deteriorate due to lack of funding.

- The significant increase in violence (45%) and the challenges of managing safety due to inexperienced staff.
- Easy access to drugs within the prison, evidenced by high positive random drug tests, and increasing illicit item delivery via drones.
- Frequent, unpredictable regime changes and prolonged periods of cell confinement directly caused by staff shortages, impacting purposeful activity and prisoner well-being.
- Persistent and critical issues with staff recruitment and retention, leading to high turnover, redeployment, and an inability to consistently deliver key work.
- The unacceptable duration of segregation for prisoners with severe mental health issues due to a lack of suitable alternative accommodation and overburdened mental health services.
- The ongoing injustice of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, which continue to severely impact a significant number of prisoners.
- The deteriorating prison estate, including leaking roofs (until late in the reporting year), poor ventilation, and inadequate healthcare waiting facilities, with funding gaps for necessary repairs.
- Major problems with the timely and complete transfer of prisoner property, leading to loss of vital documents and compensation claims.

- Self-harm continues to be a major concern, with an increased number of ACCT documents opened.
- Constant changes to the regime, primarily due to staff shortages, cause unrest amongst prisoners and reduce time out of cell.
- The Segregation Unit is frequently full, holding many men with serious and complex mental health needs for excessively long periods due to lack of suitable placements.
- The prison estate is in grave disrepair, with significant leaks in roofs, broken flooring, and inadequate heating/ventilation systems, requiring urgent capital investment.
- Staffing shortages persist across the prison, impacting key worker effectiveness, OMU performance, and leading to an inexperienced workforce.
- The ongoing injustice of the indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) seriously damages prisoners and needs to be resolved.
- Major concerns continue regarding the transport of prisoners’ property between establishments, causing losses and compensation claims.
- Long backlogs in searching and distributing prisoner post and packages result in significant delays.

- Persistent staff recruitment and retention problems, leading to an inexperienced workforce, ineffective key worker schemes, and cross-deployment.
- Deteriorating prison infrastructure and inadequate maintenance, particularly concerning disability access and the unsuitable healthcare waiting room.
- The ongoing injustice and negative impact of the IPP sentence on prisoners, with governmental unwillingness to resolve the issue.
- A restrictive regime that confines prisoners to cells for lengthy periods, limiting purposeful activity, education, and socialisation.
- Significant understaffing and inexperience within the Offender Management Unit, hindering prisoner progression and effective sentence planning.
- Problems with the transfer of prisoner property between establishments, resulting in loss and damage.

- The consistently poor service and delayed maintenance provided by the contractor Amey, impacting all aspects of prison life for both prisoners and staff.
- The ongoing plight of prisoners serving Indeterminate Sentences for Public Protection (IPP), which the Board believes is a great injustice requiring urgent legislative change for their release.
- Significant challenges with staff recruitment and retention across the prison, attributed to the erosion of staff salaries and conditions of service, leading to an inexperienced workforce and redeployment of staff from key roles like the key worker scheme.
- The inadequacy of the food budget, which urgently needs to be increased to maintain quality provision amidst rising prices.
- A serious shortage of appropriate beds across the prison estate for prisoners with complex needs or those who are difficult to manage, resulting in excessively long periods in the segregation unit.
- The serious limitation of the Probation Service's involvement, including delayed Community Offender Manager allocation, lack of routine pre-sentence reports, and diluted OASys assessments, which hinders effective sentence planning and resettlement.
- Confusion and rising costs regarding the provision of mobility and other aids for the increasing number of elderly prisoners, highlighting a need for clarity on responsibility between agencies.

- Retrospective legislation is needed for IPP prisoners, as progress towards release is slow and their continued detention unjust.
- The process for investigating deaths in custody is excessively long and needs to be significantly accelerated.
- Staff are experiencing increased stress and health problems due to sustained efforts during the pandemic, requiring further recruitment and acknowledgment.
- Persistent issues with the transport of prisoners' property during transfers lead to losses and require urgent action from contractors.
- Inadequate maintenance by Amey of essential facilities, including laundry machines and kitchen equipment, remains a major failure.
- There are concerns about the length of time some prisoners spend in segregation and the lack of purposeful activity for them.
- The timing of Community Offender Manager appointments is unsatisfactory, impeding continuous prisoner contact with external probation services.
- The prison's dated and unstable computer systems, particularly impacting internet access for virtual visits, require urgent investment.