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.
Hewell
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 755
Assaults: 334
Staff assaults: 144
HMP Hewell, a local Category B reception prison, continues to face significant challenges from overcrowding, high population churn, and court backlogs, despite dedicated efforts by staff. Positive developments include a reduction in self-harm, a proportionate approach to use of force, and impactful peer mentorship schemes, alongside strong commitment to equality. However, profound concerns persist regarding mental health provision, limited purposeful activity, the quality of regime and accommodation, and the high number of men released without secure housing, with several issues repeated from previous reports.
Key concerns identified
- Overcrowding and cell sharing, leading to discomfort, conflict, and difficulties in cell maintenance.
- Persistent court backlogs causing high numbers of long-term remand prisoners and population churn.
- High levels of mental ill health and prolonged waits for appropriate services, with frequent use of segregation for unwell individuals and Governors overriding healthcare assessments.
- Inconsistent and low-level delivery of formal key working.
- Insufficient purposeful activity and employment opportunities, compounded by population churn affecting education completion.
- Inadequate social visits, lack of a child contact room, and no refreshments for visitors.
- Risk to the continuation of the 'Here to Help' peer mentorship programme due to insecure funding.
- Lack of IT access for prisoners, hindering skills development and prison efficiency.
- Staffing issues including inexperience, distraction, and restrictions on local recruitment for Band 3 staff.
- A significant proportion of men leaving the prison without arranged accommodation.
- Persistent court backlogs causing high numbers of long-term remand prisoners and population churn.
- High levels of mental ill health and prolonged waits for appropriate services, with frequent use of segregation for unwell individuals and Governors overriding healthcare assessments.
- Inconsistent and low-level delivery of formal key working.
- Insufficient purposeful activity and employment opportunities, compounded by population churn affecting education completion.
- Inadequate social visits, lack of a child contact room, and no refreshments for visitors.
- Risk to the continuation of the 'Here to Help' peer mentorship programme due to insecure funding.
- Lack of IT access for prisoners, hindering skills development and prison efficiency.
- Staffing issues including inexperience, distraction, and restrictions on local recruitment for Band 3 staff.
- A significant proportion of men leaving the prison without arranged accommodation.
Hewell
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 1,033
Assaults: 302
Staff assaults: 173
HMP Hewell, a local Category B prison, faced significant challenges in the reporting year, including persistent crowding and a high remand population. Despite these pressures, the IMB noted dedicated efforts by staff to maintain a safe and humane regime, introducing positive initiatives like 'here to help' mentors and a prison council. Key concerns remain around increased self-harm and violence, the lack of IT for prisoners, and inadequate mental health and family contact provisions, many of which are recurrent issues.
Key concerns identified
- Persistent court backlogs leading to increased and prolonged remand populations.
- Significant increase in self-harm and violence incidents, exacerbated by crowding and cell sharing.
- Lack of adequate mental health services and suitable environments for unwell prisoners.
- The outdated prison estate, including critical equipment past its design life and lift outages impacting vulnerable prisoners.
- Absence of IT systems for prisoners, leading to inefficiencies and reduced skill development.
- The abandonment of key working due to population pressures and staffing challenges.
- Inadequate family contact provisions, including insufficient social visit sessions and the lack of a child contact room and basic visitor refreshments.
- Significant increase in self-harm and violence incidents, exacerbated by crowding and cell sharing.
- Lack of adequate mental health services and suitable environments for unwell prisoners.
- The outdated prison estate, including critical equipment past its design life and lift outages impacting vulnerable prisoners.
- Absence of IT systems for prisoners, leading to inefficiencies and reduced skill development.
- The abandonment of key working due to population pressures and staffing challenges.
- Inadequate family contact provisions, including insufficient social visit sessions and the lack of a child contact room and basic visitor refreshments.
Hewell
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 664
HMP Hewell, a Category B reception prison, faced severe overcrowding in the reporting year, with its population increasing to 1,060 and many prisoners sharing cells designed for one. This contributed to a significant rise in self-harm incidents and a persistent, restricted regime where most men are locked in cells for 22 hours daily. The report highlights ongoing challenges with staff shortages, inadequate key worker training, and delays in mental health transfers, alongside concerns about resettlement provision and the unmet needs of neurodiverse prisoners.
Key concerns identified
- Overcrowding and cell sharing, with many men locked up 22 hours a day in cells designed for one, impacting health and wellbeing.
- Significant increase in self-harm incidents, compounded by staff shortages affecting key work schemes.
- Persistent lack of purposeful activity and education for prisoners, with underuse of available opportunities.
- Delays in transfers to secure mental health establishments and inadequate provision for complex mental health needs.
- Shortcomings in resettlement support, including inter-agency collaboration failures leading to homelessness for many upon release.
- Inadequate staff training for key work, high churn of inexperienced staff, and insufficient out-of-hours healthcare cover.
- Significant increase in self-harm incidents, compounded by staff shortages affecting key work schemes.
- Persistent lack of purposeful activity and education for prisoners, with underuse of available opportunities.
- Delays in transfers to secure mental health establishments and inadequate provision for complex mental health needs.
- Shortcomings in resettlement support, including inter-agency collaboration failures leading to homelessness for many upon release.
- Inadequate staff training for key work, high churn of inexperienced staff, and insufficient out-of-hours healthcare cover.
Hewell
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 539
HMP Hewell, a Category B local prison, has shown continued progress in improving safety, cleanliness, and overall humane treatment. Positive developments include enhanced physical healthcare and the establishment of a mental health unit. However, the report highlights persistent challenges such as overcrowding, the poor physical condition of the estate, delays in court proceedings impacting remand prisoners, and slow implementation of a rehabilitative culture, alongside inadequate provision for prisoners with complex needs and disabilities.
Key concerns identified
- Inadequate services for prisoners with severe mental health, psychological, or social needs, often leading to inappropriate accommodation in segregation.
- The inhumane practice of cell sharing in cells designed for one, often with open toilets, necessitates capital investment to end.
- Court delays contribute to an increased number of remanded prisoners and prolonged detention, impacting their entitlements and the prison regime.
- A significant gap exists between national aspirations for resettlement and the reality of homelessness, poverty, and limited post-release support.
- Insufficient funding for building improvements, particularly for prisoners with disabilities and accessibility needs.
- A lack of embedded therapeutic interventions to address trauma, neurodiversity, and social/psychological problems among prisoners, hindering resettlement.
- Healthcare contracts need review to ensure safe out-of-hours cover and reduce reliance on external services and escorts.
- The intended culture change, including the key worker model and consistent staff-prisoner relationships, has not been fully embedded due to staffing and other operational issues.
- Systemic issues with equality and diversity persist, evidenced by inadequate data, insufficient facilities for disabled prisoners, and limited support for foreign nationals and those with limited English.
- The inhumane practice of cell sharing in cells designed for one, often with open toilets, necessitates capital investment to end.
- Court delays contribute to an increased number of remanded prisoners and prolonged detention, impacting their entitlements and the prison regime.
- A significant gap exists between national aspirations for resettlement and the reality of homelessness, poverty, and limited post-release support.
- Insufficient funding for building improvements, particularly for prisoners with disabilities and accessibility needs.
- A lack of embedded therapeutic interventions to address trauma, neurodiversity, and social/psychological problems among prisoners, hindering resettlement.
- Healthcare contracts need review to ensure safe out-of-hours cover and reduce reliance on external services and escorts.
- The intended culture change, including the key worker model and consistent staff-prisoner relationships, has not been fully embedded due to staffing and other operational issues.
- Systemic issues with equality and diversity persist, evidenced by inadequate data, insufficient facilities for disabled prisoners, and limited support for foreign nationals and those with limited English.
Hewell
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 380
HMP Hewell, a Category B local prison, showed significant improvements in safety, security, and cleanliness during a year dominated by Covid-19 restrictions. Despite these positive shifts and a reduction in self-harm and assaults, systemic concerns persist regarding the treatment of IPP prisoners, transfers for those with severe mental health needs, and inadequate facilities for disabled individuals. The Board highlighted overcrowding and prisoner discontent with healthcare as ongoing challenges.
Key concerns identified
- The continued indefinite detention and despair of IPP prisoners, leading to self-destructive behaviour and challenges to discipline.
- Difficulties in transferring prisoners with severe mental health/behavioural issues to appropriate external environments.
- Inadequate accommodation and accessibility for prisoners with physical disabilities and mobility issues within the prison.
- The ongoing issue of overcrowding, with most cells designed for one prisoner housing two, leading to dignity and safety concerns.
- Prisoners' consistent discontent with general healthcare services, particularly mental health provision, and the lack of suitable alternative arrangements for complex cases.
- Lack of management appetite to investigate subtle discrimination and low prisoner confidence in the DIRF system for addressing equalities issues.
- Difficulties in transferring prisoners with severe mental health/behavioural issues to appropriate external environments.
- Inadequate accommodation and accessibility for prisoners with physical disabilities and mobility issues within the prison.
- The ongoing issue of overcrowding, with most cells designed for one prisoner housing two, leading to dignity and safety concerns.
- Prisoners' consistent discontent with general healthcare services, particularly mental health provision, and the lack of suitable alternative arrangements for complex cases.
- Lack of management appetite to investigate subtle discrimination and low prisoner confidence in the DIRF system for addressing equalities issues.
Hewell
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 359
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted HMP Hewell, leading to a full lockdown, 23.5-hour cell confinement, and cessation of most activities. While staff are commended for averting a direct catastrophic impact from the virus and improving cleanliness, concerns remain regarding prisoner welfare, mental health, and rehabilitation. The prison saw leadership changes and continued a journey of improvement after years of poor performance, with some areas showing progress despite ongoing challenges in safety, healthcare provision, and regime delivery.
Key concerns identified
- Prevalence and treatment of prisoners held indefinitely under IPP sentences, leading to despair and self-destructive behaviour.
- Difficulties in transferring prisoners with severe mental health and behavioural issues to appropriate treatment environments.
- Lack of clear articulation of the local prison's role and accommodation of prisoners not fitting this profile.
- Insufficient access and accommodation for prisoners with physical disabilities due to the prison's outdated fabric.
- Paucity of effective educational provision, exacerbated by pandemic restrictions.
- Delays in the PPO report for a death in custody on 14 June 2018.
- Need for a concerted focus on addressing prisoners’ mental health needs and reducing self-harm incidents.
- Lack of robustness in addressing equality issues, with insufficient data analysis and influence on practice.
- Over-reliance on formal systems for problem-solving instead of proactive resolution by frontline officers, leading to issue escalation.
- Challenges in food preparation and serving, including broken machinery, unappealing food, and poor hygiene.
- Difficulties in transferring prisoners with severe mental health and behavioural issues to appropriate treatment environments.
- Lack of clear articulation of the local prison's role and accommodation of prisoners not fitting this profile.
- Insufficient access and accommodation for prisoners with physical disabilities due to the prison's outdated fabric.
- Paucity of effective educational provision, exacerbated by pandemic restrictions.
- Delays in the PPO report for a death in custody on 14 June 2018.
- Need for a concerted focus on addressing prisoners’ mental health needs and reducing self-harm incidents.
- Lack of robustness in addressing equality issues, with insufficient data analysis and influence on practice.
- Over-reliance on formal systems for problem-solving instead of proactive resolution by frontline officers, leading to issue escalation.
- Challenges in food preparation and serving, including broken machinery, unappealing food, and poor hygiene.
Hewell Grange
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 0
Assaults: 0
Staff assaults: 0
This report covers the final six months of HMP Hewell Grange as it underwent a planned closure, ceasing to hold prisoners by 31 March 2020. The Board found the prison generally safe and praised staff for their humane management of the closure, despite unacceptable living conditions. Healthcare provision was inconsistent, and purposeful activity was curtailed due to the closure, though efforts were made to minimise negative impacts on resettlement.
Key concerns identified
- Prisoners continued to be held in substandard accommodation with a deteriorating physical building and rodent issues prior to closure.
- Prior to closure, the prison was poor in purposeful activity and rehabilitation planning for an open prison.
- Healthcare provision was patchy and inconsistent, particularly for pharmacy and dentistry services.
- There was no specific mental healthcare provided.
- The specific characteristics and distinct needs of the prisoner population were not adequately reflected in discussions or met.
- Facilities for disabled prisoners were limited, and access remained a significant difficulty.
- Prior to closure, the prison was poor in purposeful activity and rehabilitation planning for an open prison.
- Healthcare provision was patchy and inconsistent, particularly for pharmacy and dentistry services.
- There was no specific mental healthcare provided.
- The specific characteristics and distinct needs of the prisoner population were not adequately reflected in discussions or met.
- Facilities for disabled prisoners were limited, and access remained a significant difficulty.