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.
High Down
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 661
Assaults: 202
Staff assaults: 91
HMP High Down, a Category C prison, faces significant challenges with safety, regime, and healthcare, despite some positive developments. Key concerns include the treatment of acutely mentally unwell prisoners, high levels of illicit items, and extensive regime restrictions. Staffing shortages and persistent issues with accommodation and food quality continue to impact the humane treatment of prisoners, many of whom also face accessibility barriers.
Key concerns identified
- Acutely mentally unwell prisoners held in segregation for long periods awaiting hospital transfer.
- Overwhelming presence of illicit items, particularly due to drone incursions, and high positive drug test rates.
- Significant regime restrictions and long hours in cell due to cancelled evening association.
- Poor accommodation conditions (dirty cells, missing items, un-refurbished showers) and issues with food hygiene and portion control.
- Understaffing in Offender Management impacting sentence progression and access to offender behaviour courses.
- Persistent accessibility issues for prisoners with mobility needs due to broken lifts and lack of ramps, compounded by the needs of an ageing population.
- High self-harm incidents, particularly among IPP and recall prisoners, and concerns about cell bell response times.
- Overwhelming presence of illicit items, particularly due to drone incursions, and high positive drug test rates.
- Significant regime restrictions and long hours in cell due to cancelled evening association.
- Poor accommodation conditions (dirty cells, missing items, un-refurbished showers) and issues with food hygiene and portion control.
- Understaffing in Offender Management impacting sentence progression and access to offender behaviour courses.
- Persistent accessibility issues for prisoners with mobility needs due to broken lifts and lack of ramps, compounded by the needs of an ageing population.
- High self-harm incidents, particularly among IPP and recall prisoners, and concerns about cell bell response times.
High Down
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 651
Assaults: 247
Staff assaults: 98
HMP High Down, a Category C training and resettlement prison, experienced significant increases in assaults and illicit item finds during 2023, raising serious safety concerns. Staffing shortages in key work and the Offender Management Unit severely impacted regime delivery and prisoner progression. While improvements were noted in mental health transfer times and family contact, persistent issues with property loss, poor shower conditions, and limited purposeful activity for prisoners, particularly vulnerable ones, remained key challenges.
Key concerns identified
- Significant increases in assaults and illicit item finds.
- Prisoners failing medical algorithm still held in segregation (CSRU), with an increase in long stays.
- Lack of key work and too few key workers impacting prisoner support.
- Ongoing issues with property loss, especially during transfers.
- Unacceptable conditions of old showers and deterioration of new ones due to poor ventilation.
- Major concerns about accessibility for prisoners with mobility issues due to broken lifts.
- Insufficient prison probation workers in OMU leading to huge caseloads and lack of face-to-face contact.
- Poor education attendance rates and insufficient education/employment opportunities, particularly for vulnerable prisoners.
- Overcrowding leading to transfers of prisoners unable to cope with Category C regime, increasing violence.
- Poor cleanliness and lack of portion control in houseblock serveries.
- Prisoners failing medical algorithm still held in segregation (CSRU), with an increase in long stays.
- Lack of key work and too few key workers impacting prisoner support.
- Ongoing issues with property loss, especially during transfers.
- Unacceptable conditions of old showers and deterioration of new ones due to poor ventilation.
- Major concerns about accessibility for prisoners with mobility issues due to broken lifts.
- Insufficient prison probation workers in OMU leading to huge caseloads and lack of face-to-face contact.
- Poor education attendance rates and insufficient education/employment opportunities, particularly for vulnerable prisoners.
- Overcrowding leading to transfers of prisoners unable to cope with Category C regime, increasing violence.
- Poor cleanliness and lack of portion control in houseblock serveries.
High Down
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 721
Assaults: 157
Staff assaults: 85
HMP High Down transitioned to a Category C training and resettlement prison in 2022, implementing gradual regime changes that have positively impacted prisoner life, including improved time out of cell and new community units. The Board noted reductions in self-harm and assaults, and commended improvements in induction and the visits hall. However, significant concerns remain regarding the welfare of IPP prisoners, long delays in transferring mentally unwell individuals, and a high proportion of prisoners leaving without settled accommodation. Persistent issues with lost property, inconsistent key work, and a lack of high-quality employment opportunities continue to hinder effective resettlement and overall humane treatment.
Key concerns identified
- The unresolved problem of prisoners serving Indeterminate Sentences for Public Protection (IPPs).
- Significant delays in transferring mentally unwell prisoners to secure mental health units, resulting in inappropriate holding in the CSRU.
- The high number of prisoners released without settled accommodation.
- Persistent issues with missing and lost property, causing distress and requiring compensation.
- Lack of high-quality employment and training opportunities, hindering effective resettlement.
- The disproportionate application of the incentives scheme, particularly affecting black prisoners, and the inconsistent delivery of key work.
- Significant delays in transferring mentally unwell prisoners to secure mental health units, resulting in inappropriate holding in the CSRU.
- The high number of prisoners released without settled accommodation.
- Persistent issues with missing and lost property, causing distress and requiring compensation.
- Lack of high-quality employment and training opportunities, hindering effective resettlement.
- The disproportionate application of the incentives scheme, particularly affecting black prisoners, and the inconsistent delivery of key work.
High Down
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 779
Assaults: 182
Staff assaults: 97
HMP High Down's 2021 report highlights the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the regime, limiting time out of cell and sentence progression, compounded by leadership instability. While assaults decreased, concerns persist regarding drugs, staff BWVC use, and estate issues like heating. Healthcare faces mental health support shortages and long GP waiting times. The prison is preparing for recategorisation to Category C, but struggles with a lack of purposeful activity and resettlement challenges, including a high number of releases to no fixed abode.
Key concerns identified
- Insufficient body-worn video cameras (BWVCs) for all staff and inconsistent use.
- Continued ready supply of drugs available within the prison.
- Ongoing issues with inadequate heating in winter and overheating in summer in cells on some house blocks, which is a recurring issue.
- Limited availability of mental health support and increasing waiting times for GP appointments and mental health transfers.
- Lack of activity spaces, purposeful activity, and offending behaviour courses, raising concerns for successful recategorisation.
- Significant numbers of prisoners released with ‘no fixed abode’.
- Continued issues with lost and missing property within High Down and during prison transfers.
- Problems with canteen supply and delays with issue of refunds.
- Continued ready supply of drugs available within the prison.
- Ongoing issues with inadequate heating in winter and overheating in summer in cells on some house blocks, which is a recurring issue.
- Limited availability of mental health support and increasing waiting times for GP appointments and mental health transfers.
- Lack of activity spaces, purposeful activity, and offending behaviour courses, raising concerns for successful recategorisation.
- Significant numbers of prisoners released with ‘no fixed abode’.
- Continued issues with lost and missing property within High Down and during prison transfers.
- Problems with canteen supply and delays with issue of refunds.
High Down
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 577
Assaults: 269
Staff assaults: 133
HMP High Down's reporting year (Jan-Dec 2020) was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a prolonged lockdown with prisoners often confined to cells for over 23 hours daily, impacting humane treatment and mental health. While prisoner-on-prisoner assaults reduced, assaults on staff increased by 23%. Key concerns include insufficient body worn cameras, inadequate heating, and a lack of purposeful activity and progressive transfers, particularly as the prison prepares for recategorisation to Category C.
Key concerns identified
- A 23% increase in assaults against staff.
- Insufficient body worn video cameras for staff, with concerns they are not always worn or turned on.
- Prolonged lockdown leading to prisoners spending over 23 hours a day in cells, impacting humane treatment.
- Cramped conditions due to 400 single cells used for double occupancy, often with in-cell toilets.
- Categorisation issues, with Category C and D prisoners feeling aggrieved at being held in a Category A-standard local prison.
- Ongoing problems with television aerials and heating in some house blocks, and overheating cells in summer.
- Immigration detainees being held in prison conditions for excessively long periods.
- The adverse effect of the pandemic on prisoners' mental health and wellbeing.
- Lack of non-urgent healthcare appointments (dentist, optician, physiotherapist, chiropodist).
- Lack of courses for offending behaviour and progressive transfers, impacting sentence progression and resettlement.
- Insufficient activity spaces projected for the prison's recategorisation to a Category C establishment.
- Insufficient body worn video cameras for staff, with concerns they are not always worn or turned on.
- Prolonged lockdown leading to prisoners spending over 23 hours a day in cells, impacting humane treatment.
- Cramped conditions due to 400 single cells used for double occupancy, often with in-cell toilets.
- Categorisation issues, with Category C and D prisoners feeling aggrieved at being held in a Category A-standard local prison.
- Ongoing problems with television aerials and heating in some house blocks, and overheating cells in summer.
- Immigration detainees being held in prison conditions for excessively long periods.
- The adverse effect of the pandemic on prisoners' mental health and wellbeing.
- Lack of non-urgent healthcare appointments (dentist, optician, physiotherapist, chiropodist).
- Lack of courses for offending behaviour and progressive transfers, impacting sentence progression and resettlement.
- Insufficient activity spaces projected for the prison's recategorisation to a Category C establishment.