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.
Guys Marsh
PRISON
Concerns
Staff assaults: 82
The HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) January 2025 unannounced inspection of HMP Guys Marsh reflected the Board’s concerns about safety, staff-prisoner relationships and purposeful activity. The Board recognised the Governor’s efforts to improve standards, reflected in HMIP’s November 2025 independent review of progress (IRP) findings of reduced violence, a more consistent regime and better staff and prisoner relationships, while agreeing that illicit drugs remain a serious threat to safety and stability.
Key concerns identified
bullet Illicit items (drugs, phones, etc) remained a serious threat.
bullet There were high levels of prisoners under the influence (UTI) of psychoactive substances, particularly in August.
bullet The physical environment remained unsuitable.
bullet Missed healthcare appointments and long waiting times.
bullet Delays in dental care.
bullet There were high levels of prisoners under the influence (UTI) of psychoactive substances, particularly in August.
bullet The physical environment remained unsuitable.
bullet Missed healthcare appointments and long waiting times.
bullet Delays in dental care.
Guys Marsh
PRISON
Concerns
HMP Guys Marsh experienced a challenging reporting year marked by a significant rise in self-harm and assaults, exacerbated by staff shortages that led to a three-month restricted regime. The ingress of illicit items remained a persistent concern, and the prisoner complaints system broke down mid-year. While positive developments included an award-winning healthcare service and new prisoner incentives, the poor state of the older wings and high offender manager caseloads continue to hinder rehabilitation and decent conditions.
Key concerns identified
- Significant rise in self-harm and high levels of prisoner-on-prisoner and staff assaults.
- Pervasive issue of illicit items entering the prison, including by drone, creating risks.
- Breakdown of the prisoner complaints process for much of the year, leading to frustration.
- Poor physical state and decency levels of older wings, with prolonged maintenance delays.
- Suspension of education and purposeful activity for three months due to staff shortages.
- High caseloads for prison offender managers, impacting prisoner progression.
- Pervasive issue of illicit items entering the prison, including by drone, creating risks.
- Breakdown of the prisoner complaints process for much of the year, leading to frustration.
- Poor physical state and decency levels of older wings, with prolonged maintenance delays.
- Suspension of education and purposeful activity for three months due to staff shortages.
- High caseloads for prison offender managers, impacting prisoner progression.
Guys Marsh
PRISON
Concerns
Assaults: 211
Staff assaults: 62
The Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Guys Marsh noted positive developments including sufficient organisational support for safety, the appointment of a neurodiversity support manager, and a seamless transition to a new healthcare provider. However, significant concerns remain regarding persistent drug and alcohol use driving violence, ineffective risk management plans, and unacceptably high prisoner-on-prisoner assaults. The Board also highlighted issues with accommodation standards, a long dental waiting list, and underutilised education and work provisions.
Key concerns identified
- Persistent drug and alcohol use, driving debt, violence, and OCG influence, with prisoner-on-prisoner assaults remaining unacceptably high.
- Ineffective implementation of Challenge, Support and Intervention Plans (CSIPs) and poorly developed ACCT documents when multiple cases are open.
- Insufficient rigor in cell sharing risk assessments (CSRAs), exacerbated by increased operational capacity and prisoner refusal to share cells.
- Unacceptable conditions in the estate, including mildew in cells and a multi-faith room unfit for purpose due to water ingress.
- An unacceptably long waiting list for dental treatment.
- Underutilisation of education provision, low attendance at work, and insufficient work placements, coupled with a lack of incentives.
- HMPPS's inadequate response to drone incursions and the declining standards of decency, including general untidiness and hygiene concerns in servery areas.
- Ongoing issues with lost prisoner property, particularly during cell clearances, leading to numerous complaints and compensation payments.
- Ineffective implementation of Challenge, Support and Intervention Plans (CSIPs) and poorly developed ACCT documents when multiple cases are open.
- Insufficient rigor in cell sharing risk assessments (CSRAs), exacerbated by increased operational capacity and prisoner refusal to share cells.
- Unacceptable conditions in the estate, including mildew in cells and a multi-faith room unfit for purpose due to water ingress.
- An unacceptably long waiting list for dental treatment.
- Underutilisation of education provision, low attendance at work, and insufficient work placements, coupled with a lack of incentives.
- HMPPS's inadequate response to drone incursions and the declining standards of decency, including general untidiness and hygiene concerns in servery areas.
- Ongoing issues with lost prisoner property, particularly during cell clearances, leading to numerous complaints and compensation payments.
Guys Marsh
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 416
Assaults: 205
Staff assaults: 75
HMP Guys Marsh saw a return to a more normal regime after Covid restrictions, but persistent challenges remained, notably in staffing, safety, and healthcare provision. Violence, often driven by illicit substances, and the lack of effective key working were significant concerns. While some areas like the ISMS team and chaplaincy were commended, mental health services were hampered by the absence of a psychiatrist, and a death in custody highlighted communication and ACCT deficiencies. The Board also raised concerns about low attendance at purposeful activity, the condition of the estate's infrastructure, and the slow complaints process.
Key concerns identified
- The ongoing challenge of illicit items, including throwovers and drones, driven by Organised Crime Groups, necessitating a more sophisticated combat approach.
- Persistent staffing issues, including absenteeism, staff retention, and the inability to deliver effective key working within the OMIC framework.
- Significant concerns regarding mental healthcare provision, specifically the absence of a psychiatrist and long waiting times for hospital transfers, highlighted by a death in custody and PPO criticism of ACCT processes.
- Low attendance at purposeful activity and work, attributed to cultural issues and inadequate incentives, compounded by the fragmentation of resettlement services.
- Substandard estate conditions, including an unfit district heating main, an unkempt external environment, and issues arising from a disastrous main laundry refit.
- Slow and often inadequate responses within the prisoner complaints process.
- Persistent staffing issues, including absenteeism, staff retention, and the inability to deliver effective key working within the OMIC framework.
- Significant concerns regarding mental healthcare provision, specifically the absence of a psychiatrist and long waiting times for hospital transfers, highlighted by a death in custody and PPO criticism of ACCT processes.
- Low attendance at purposeful activity and work, attributed to cultural issues and inadequate incentives, compounded by the fragmentation of resettlement services.
- Substandard estate conditions, including an unfit district heating main, an unkempt external environment, and issues arising from a disastrous main laundry refit.
- Slow and often inadequate responses within the prisoner complaints process.
Guys Marsh
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 294
Staff assaults: 72
HMP Guys Marsh, a Category C training prison, navigated a challenging year (Dec 2020 – Nov 2021) under a restrictive "red regime" due to COVID-19. While recording no deaths in custody and a 20% drop in self-harm, concerns persisted regarding a significant increase in staff assaults, high mental health transfer waiting times, and problems with key working and purposeful activity due to staffing pressures and regime restrictions. The Board highlighted the need for improved staff retention, better IT systems, enhanced resettlement provisions, and a more consistent application of incentive schemes.
Key concerns identified
- The increasing number of prisoners with severe mental health issues and lengthy delays in securing suitable placements.
- A significant increase in assaults on staff, compounded by a major breakdown in key working provision due to staffing pressures.
- The widespread availability of illicit substances, including psychoactive substances and 'hooch', leading to violence and debt.
- Inconsistent and often punitive application of the IEP policy, alongside a lack of clear incentives for work and education attendance.
- Major challenges in resettlement pathways, including national shortages of Category D places and difficulties with externally devolved post-release accommodation.
- Persistent issues with lost prisoner property and frustrations with the canteen contract, including slow refunds and limited healthy options.
- A significant increase in assaults on staff, compounded by a major breakdown in key working provision due to staffing pressures.
- The widespread availability of illicit substances, including psychoactive substances and 'hooch', leading to violence and debt.
- Inconsistent and often punitive application of the IEP policy, alongside a lack of clear incentives for work and education attendance.
- Major challenges in resettlement pathways, including national shortages of Category D places and difficulties with externally devolved post-release accommodation.
- Persistent issues with lost prisoner property and frustrations with the canteen contract, including slow refunds and limited healthy options.
Guys Marsh
PRISON
Concerns
HMP Guys Marsh successfully kept COVID-19 out of the prison during the reporting year, with a commendably managed restricted regime contributing to a reported sense of safety among prisoners and a reduction in violence. However, this success was tempered by persistent issues including the availability of illicit substances, poor education provision, and a lack of purposeful activity, which led to boredom and frustration. Long-standing concerns like property loss during transfer and insufficient offending behaviour programmes remain unaddressed, while staffing and the humane incarceration of prisoners with complex needs require urgent attention.
Key concerns identified
- Persistent availability of illicit substances (PS and 'hooch').
- Poor education provision and insufficient purposeful activity for prisoners.
- Lapses in discipline and maintenance on some wings, impacting cleanliness and estate conditions.
- Challenges in recruitment, retention, and professional development of prison officers.
- Insufficient places for offending behaviour programmes, failing to meet population needs.
- Ongoing issues with prisoner property loss, particularly during transfers.
- Poor education provision and insufficient purposeful activity for prisoners.
- Lapses in discipline and maintenance on some wings, impacting cleanliness and estate conditions.
- Challenges in recruitment, retention, and professional development of prison officers.
- Insufficient places for offending behaviour programmes, failing to meet population needs.
- Ongoing issues with prisoner property loss, particularly during transfers.