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.
Gartree
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 288
Assaults: 75
Staff assaults: 55
HMP Gartree, a Category B prison, maintains an ordered environment despite an aging infrastructure. Key concerns include deteriorating buildings, inadequate healthcare provision leading to increased complaints, and persistent issues with drug influx and obscured observation panels. The Board also highlights insufficient purposeful activity and support for rehabilitation, alongside challenges in mental health service access and long-term segregation.
Key concerns identified
- The ageing fabric and building infrastructure at Gartree, particularly issues with heating, leaking roofs, and broken showers.
- Healthcare provision generally, and lack of response to prisoners’ complaints about this service.
- Inadequate access to mental health services and transfers to secure hospitals.
- The continued influx of drugs and illicit items.
- Prisoners being allowed to keep observation panels obscured, which is not challenged by staff.
- Inadequate facilities for some of the older and/or disabled prisoners.
- Access to truly purposeful activities for all.
- The support and help available to rehabilitate prisoners prior to release.
- Long periods of segregation for prisoners with complex needs due to lack of suitable alternative accommodation.
- Healthcare provision generally, and lack of response to prisoners’ complaints about this service.
- Inadequate access to mental health services and transfers to secure hospitals.
- The continued influx of drugs and illicit items.
- Prisoners being allowed to keep observation panels obscured, which is not challenged by staff.
- Inadequate facilities for some of the older and/or disabled prisoners.
- Access to truly purposeful activities for all.
- The support and help available to rehabilitate prisoners prior to release.
- Long periods of segregation for prisoners with complex needs due to lack of suitable alternative accommodation.
Gartree
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 266
Assaults: 24
Staff assaults: 69
HMP Gartree maintains a calm and ordered environment with positive staff-prisoner relationships, though faces significant challenges with its ageing infrastructure and an increase in use of force incidents. While basic healthcare access is good, mental health services and purposeful activity require improvement. The Board highlights key concerns regarding building repairs, drug infiltration, fire safety, and adequate provision for vulnerable prisoners, while acknowledging efforts in staff recruitment and regime development.
Key concerns identified
- The deteriorating fabric and infrastructure of Gartree, including inadequate facilities for older/disabled prisoners and persistent heating issues.
- Ongoing challenges in accessing timely and adequate mental health services, and the Board's struggle to obtain meaningful healthcare data.
- The significant increase in the use of force incidents and the continued influx of drugs and illicit items, impacting safety and order.
- Insufficient range and equitable access to purposeful activities, with some education now self-taught in cells reducing time out of cell.
- Lack of clear and consistent fire safety drills and information for prisoners and staff.
- Prolonged segregation of some prisoners due to lack of alternative accommodation and the impact on their mental health.
- Ongoing challenges in accessing timely and adequate mental health services, and the Board's struggle to obtain meaningful healthcare data.
- The significant increase in the use of force incidents and the continued influx of drugs and illicit items, impacting safety and order.
- Insufficient range and equitable access to purposeful activities, with some education now self-taught in cells reducing time out of cell.
- Lack of clear and consistent fire safety drills and information for prisoners and staff.
- Prolonged segregation of some prisoners due to lack of alternative accommodation and the impact on their mental health.
Gartree
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 242
Assaults: 58
Staff assaults: 53
HMP Gartree experienced an increase in assaults and self-harm incidents during the reporting year, alongside nine deaths in custody. The Board raised significant concerns about the lack of progress on essential infrastructure improvements, the quality and availability of purposeful activity, and delays in mental health transfers. Positive developments included improvements in the complaints system and effective detection of illicit items, but staffing retention and the lack of data to assure healthcare equivalence remain challenges.
Key concerns identified
- Increase in assaults (staff and prisoner-on-prisoner) and violent incidents.
- Continued influx of drugs and other illegal items, with drone sightings, and incomplete security initiatives.
- Nine deaths in custody, with repeated PPO recommendations regarding end-of-life care and hospital escorts.
- Concerns about prisoners housed in the SAPU for extended periods, exacerbated by delays in transfers to secure mental health units.
- Non-existent progress on improvements to the fabric and infrastructure of the prison, particularly showers.
- Lack of factual data to evidence that health and wellbeing services are equivalent to the wider community.
- Limited amount and quality of purposeful activity, training, and employment opportunities, and a lack of offending behaviour programmes.
- Slow movement of prisoners to lower categories (C and D) and a virtual moratorium on progression.
- Staffing challenges including the ongoing loss of experienced officers and slow progress in the key worker scheme.
- Continued influx of drugs and other illegal items, with drone sightings, and incomplete security initiatives.
- Nine deaths in custody, with repeated PPO recommendations regarding end-of-life care and hospital escorts.
- Concerns about prisoners housed in the SAPU for extended periods, exacerbated by delays in transfers to secure mental health units.
- Non-existent progress on improvements to the fabric and infrastructure of the prison, particularly showers.
- Lack of factual data to evidence that health and wellbeing services are equivalent to the wider community.
- Limited amount and quality of purposeful activity, training, and employment opportunities, and a lack of offending behaviour programmes.
- Slow movement of prisoners to lower categories (C and D) and a virtual moratorium on progression.
- Staffing challenges including the ongoing loss of experienced officers and slow progress in the key worker scheme.
Gartree
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 223
Assaults: 39
Staff assaults: 43
HMP Gartree, a Category B prison, faced significant challenges during a Covid-19 restricted reporting year (Dec 2020 – Nov 2021). While the Board commended the effective management of the pandemic, leading to low infection rates, it raised serious concerns about the detrimental impact of prolonged lock-up on prisoner mental health and rehabilitation. Key issues highlighted include a declining estate infrastructure, recruitment and retention problems in healthcare, and persistent frustrations among IPP prisoners.
Key concerns identified
- Detrimental impact of long periods of restricted regime on prisoner mental health and rehabilitation.
- Seriously declined infrastructure and unacceptable shower conditions due to lack of investment, with promised works unstarted.
- Recruitment and retention issues in healthcare, leading to increased waiting times and reduced access to services.
- Difficulty in obtaining performance data from the healthcare provider to monitor service quality.
- Ongoing frustrations among IPP prisoners who remain years over their tariff.
- Persistent issues with broken kitchen equipment and delays in repair or replacement.
- High number of complaints regarding prisoners' property going missing or unclear property policies.
- Sub-optimal physical conditions and brutal exercise yard in the Segregation and Progression Unit (SAPU).
- Seriously declined infrastructure and unacceptable shower conditions due to lack of investment, with promised works unstarted.
- Recruitment and retention issues in healthcare, leading to increased waiting times and reduced access to services.
- Difficulty in obtaining performance data from the healthcare provider to monitor service quality.
- Ongoing frustrations among IPP prisoners who remain years over their tariff.
- Persistent issues with broken kitchen equipment and delays in repair or replacement.
- High number of complaints regarding prisoners' property going missing or unclear property policies.
- Sub-optimal physical conditions and brutal exercise yard in the Segregation and Progression Unit (SAPU).
Gartree
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 350
Assaults: 52
Staff assaults: 48
This IMB annual report for HMP Gartree covers the period from December 2019 to November 2020, heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. Despite these challenges, the prison's management is commended for effectively handling the crisis and maintaining some services. The Board highlights significant reductions in self-harm and assaults, but expresses concerns over the detrimental long-term effects of extended lockdowns on prisoner wellbeing, the deteriorating state of the prison estate, and persistent issues regarding IPP prisoners and property management.
Key concerns identified
- The IMB's ability to conduct full monitoring was impacted by remote working restrictions.
- Extended lockdowns due to COVID-19 are having detrimental effects on prisoners' rehabilitation, progression, and physical and mental health.
- Deterioration of the prison estate, particularly wings A-D, due to a lack of investment, despite ongoing fire safety works.
- Challenges in recruiting and retaining IMB members, exacerbated by COVID-19.
- Lack of adequate resources and progression opportunities for long-term IPP prisoners.
- Ongoing issues with managing prisoner property, including losses in transit.
- The closure of self-catering facilities in March 2020 remains a concern for its justification after six months.
- Poor physical conditions and limited regimes in the Segregation and Progression Unit (SAPU), with concerns about excessive lengths of stay for some prisoners.
- Extended lockdowns due to COVID-19 are having detrimental effects on prisoners' rehabilitation, progression, and physical and mental health.
- Deterioration of the prison estate, particularly wings A-D, due to a lack of investment, despite ongoing fire safety works.
- Challenges in recruiting and retaining IMB members, exacerbated by COVID-19.
- Lack of adequate resources and progression opportunities for long-term IPP prisoners.
- Ongoing issues with managing prisoner property, including losses in transit.
- The closure of self-catering facilities in March 2020 remains a concern for its justification after six months.
- Poor physical conditions and limited regimes in the Segregation and Progression Unit (SAPU), with concerns about excessive lengths of stay for some prisoners.