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.
Kirkham
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 7
Assaults: 13
Staff assaults: 2
HMP Kirkham, a Category D open prison, faced significant challenges during the reporting period (Jan 2024 - Jul 2025) due to high prisoner churn from temporary release schemes, which disrupted its resettlement function and exhausted staff. Despite this, the Board found the prison to be a safe environment, with improvements in healthcare, purposeful activity, and complaints management. Key concerns remain around illicit substances, staffing, budget cuts impacting education, and the aging estate.
Key concerns identified
- The pervasive issue of illicit substances and mobile phones, exacerbated by insufficient searches and the absence of in-cell telephony.
- The overwhelming impact of Temporary Presumptive Recategorisation Scheme (TPRS) and early release schemes on the prison's resettlement function, leading to a high churn of prisoners and difficulties in motivation and engagement.
- Inadequate staffing levels that do not reflect the current complex cohort of prisoners, leading to staff exhaustion and limiting security measures.
- Budget reductions negatively impacting education, vocational training, and the availability of activity places.
- Persistent issues with the aging estate, including prolonged lack of heating and hot water, roof damage, and recurring pest control problems.
- Challenges in resettlement planning, including delays in Release On Temporary Licence (ROTL) processing, insufficient pre-release accommodation arrangements, and minimal resettlement planning for many TPRS prisoners.
- The overwhelming impact of Temporary Presumptive Recategorisation Scheme (TPRS) and early release schemes on the prison's resettlement function, leading to a high churn of prisoners and difficulties in motivation and engagement.
- Inadequate staffing levels that do not reflect the current complex cohort of prisoners, leading to staff exhaustion and limiting security measures.
- Budget reductions negatively impacting education, vocational training, and the availability of activity places.
- Persistent issues with the aging estate, including prolonged lack of heating and hot water, roof damage, and recurring pest control problems.
- Challenges in resettlement planning, including delays in Release On Temporary Licence (ROTL) processing, insufficient pre-release accommodation arrangements, and minimal resettlement planning for many TPRS prisoners.
Kirkham
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 5
Assaults: 10
Staff assaults: 2
HMP Kirkham faced unprecedented challenges in 2023, primarily due to the Temporary Presumptive Recategorisation Scheme (TPRS) which led to a significant influx of prisoners and placed immense pressure on staff, resources, and the prison's resettlement-focused regime. While the Board noted staff's resilience and improvements in some areas like healthcare waiting times and new facilities, key concerns included increased assaults, persistent illicit substance issues, and significant disruption to purposeful activities and resettlement services. Staffing shortages exacerbated these problems, leading to curtailment of activities and impacting crucial offender management processes.
Key concerns identified
- Prisoner-on-prisoner assaults increased during the reporting year.
- Large numbers of prisoners were returned to closed conditions, including from the TPRS scheme.
- Ongoing issues with illicit substances persisted despite enhanced security measures.
- The Temporary Presumptive Recategorisation Scheme (TPRS) severely impacted the regime, resettlement services, and staff capacity.
- Purposeful activities and access to education were curtailed due to low staff numbers and redeployments.
- Prisoners expressed concerns about sentence progression and lack of communication.
- Issues with building maintenance, including heating, hot water, and the need to remove unused buildings for safety.
- Lack of in-cell telephony prevented confidential prisoner conversations.
- Workload on the Offender Management Unit (OMU) from TPRS and ROTL processes hindered progression.
- A number of prisoners were released without settled accommodation for the first time, often due to minimal resettlement planning for TPRS arrivals.
- Large numbers of prisoners were returned to closed conditions, including from the TPRS scheme.
- Ongoing issues with illicit substances persisted despite enhanced security measures.
- The Temporary Presumptive Recategorisation Scheme (TPRS) severely impacted the regime, resettlement services, and staff capacity.
- Purposeful activities and access to education were curtailed due to low staff numbers and redeployments.
- Prisoners expressed concerns about sentence progression and lack of communication.
- Issues with building maintenance, including heating, hot water, and the need to remove unused buildings for safety.
- Lack of in-cell telephony prevented confidential prisoner conversations.
- Workload on the Offender Management Unit (OMU) from TPRS and ROTL processes hindered progression.
- A number of prisoners were released without settled accommodation for the first time, often due to minimal resettlement planning for TPRS arrivals.
Kirkham
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 3
Assaults: 4
Staff assaults: 4
HMP Kirkham, a Category D open prison, maintained a population of 470 against a capacity of 699 during 2022. The Board reported low levels of violence and no deaths in custody, commending staff efforts to re-establish a workable regime post-Covid. Key concerns included the persistent transfer of unsuitable prisoners, the urgent need for CCTV and in-cell technology upgrades, and the curtailment of prisoner activities due to staff redeployments. Despite challenges, 100% of prisoners were accommodated on release, and 62% secured employment.
Key concerns identified
- The continued transfer of prisoners unsuitable for open conditions, leading to increased returns to closed conditions, despite ministers' assurances.
- The urgent need for a CCTV upgrade.
- The lack of in-cell technology and telephony, contributing to illicit mobile phone use and associated issues.
- Curtailment of various activities (gym, C2W, mail room) due to staff redeployment, despite high staffing levels.
- Disparity in prisoner pay between outworkers and internal activities, causing discontent.
- Persistent issues with billet maintenance, including ventilation, unrefurbished showers, and heating/hot water.
- Significant waiting times for standard dental check-ups (21 weeks).
- Ongoing concerns about the effectiveness of property transfers between prisons.
- The urgent need for a CCTV upgrade.
- The lack of in-cell technology and telephony, contributing to illicit mobile phone use and associated issues.
- Curtailment of various activities (gym, C2W, mail room) due to staff redeployment, despite high staffing levels.
- Disparity in prisoner pay between outworkers and internal activities, causing discontent.
- Persistent issues with billet maintenance, including ventilation, unrefurbished showers, and heating/hot water.
- Significant waiting times for standard dental check-ups (21 weeks).
- Ongoing concerns about the effectiveness of property transfers between prisons.
Kirkham
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 3
Assaults: 9
Staff assaults: 3
HMP Kirkham, a Category D open prison, faced significant challenges during the reporting period due to the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting regime consistency and leading to periods of lockdown and outbreak declarations. While the prison maintained fair and humane treatment and received commendations for its healthcare provision and resettlement efforts through the accelerator project, key concerns remain. These include the continued transfer of unsuitable prisoners, high drug use, infrastructure deficiencies, and issues with senior management cohesion and dedicated staffing for diversity and resettlement.
Key concerns identified
- Concerns persist regarding the continued transfer of prisoners unsuitable for an open establishment, contributing to high drug use, absconds, and issues with prisoner behaviour.
- Infrastructure challenges remain, including persistent poor lighting, delays in maintenance, recurring heating and hot water problems, and an outdated IT system, coupled with uncertainty over the funding for a new gym.
- Significant issues in resettlement planning, particularly concerning the lack of dedicated staff for finance, banking, and debt management, and the failure of new service providers (SeeTec) to adequately secure accommodation for releasing prisoners, leading to releases to no fixed abode.
- A perceived lack of cohesion within the Senior Management Team (SMT) and insufficient dedicated resources for a full-time, Kirkham-based Diversity and Inclusion Manager.
- Infrastructure challenges remain, including persistent poor lighting, delays in maintenance, recurring heating and hot water problems, and an outdated IT system, coupled with uncertainty over the funding for a new gym.
- Significant issues in resettlement planning, particularly concerning the lack of dedicated staff for finance, banking, and debt management, and the failure of new service providers (SeeTec) to adequately secure accommodation for releasing prisoners, leading to releases to no fixed abode.
- A perceived lack of cohesion within the Senior Management Team (SMT) and insufficient dedicated resources for a full-time, Kirkham-based Diversity and Inclusion Manager.
Kirkham
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 1
Assaults: 6
Staff assaults: 1
HMP Kirkham, an open Category D prison, navigated 2020 with significant regime changes due to COVID-19, managed by strong leadership. Despite these challenges, the prison maintained a safe environment with low self-harm and violence incidents, and positive staff-prisoner relationships. Key concerns include unsuitable prisoner transfers, estate issues like poor lighting and heating, and challenges with drug misuse services due to staffing and accommodation problems.
Key concerns identified
- Individuals unsuitable for a Category D establishment are still being transferred to Kirkham, despite repeated concerns.
- The prison suffers from poor site lighting and an inadequate CCTV system, hindering the detection of contraband and intruders.
- Recurring problems with heating and hot water in billets require urgent boiler replacements, currently delayed until 2022.
- Telephone charges are too high, and the 'Purple Visits' system is restrictive, limiting vital family contact.
- The drug service faces significant challenges due to three staff vacancies and the urgent need for new premises, impacting service delivery.
- Persistent drug use and drops remain an issue, leading to related problems like bullying over drug debt.
- The prison suffers from poor site lighting and an inadequate CCTV system, hindering the detection of contraband and intruders.
- Recurring problems with heating and hot water in billets require urgent boiler replacements, currently delayed until 2022.
- Telephone charges are too high, and the 'Purple Visits' system is restrictive, limiting vital family contact.
- The drug service faces significant challenges due to three staff vacancies and the urgent need for new premises, impacting service delivery.
- Persistent drug use and drops remain an issue, leading to related problems like bullying over drug debt.