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.
Lewes
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 651
Assaults: 194
Staff assaults: 79
HMP Lewes saw improvements in its regime, leading to increased time out of cell and a fall in prisoner-on-prisoner violence. Healthcare provision also improved, with reduced waiting times for routine appointments. However, significant challenges persist with the prison's heating system, gaps in mental health services, and a worrying increase in self-harm and assaults on staff. The Board highlighted ongoing concerns regarding disproportionality in the use of force and adjudications against certain prisoner groups.
Key concerns identified
- Persistent issues with the heating and hot water system, leading to unacceptably hot or cold conditions.
- Significant gaps in psychiatry provision, impacting mental health service delivery.
- Continuing delays for prisoners requiring transfer to secure mental health facilities.
- Increase in self-harm incidents, up by around one third over two years, despite a slowing rate of increase.
- Increase in assaults on staff (15%) and use of force incidents (25%), with disproportionality against young adults and ethnic minority prisoners.
- Fall in prisoner attendance at education since late 2024 following regime changes.
- Disappointment that plans to renew and expand CCTV collapsed, leaving some high-risk areas uncovered.
- Property remains the biggest category of prisoner complaint.
- Significant gaps in psychiatry provision, impacting mental health service delivery.
- Continuing delays for prisoners requiring transfer to secure mental health facilities.
- Increase in self-harm incidents, up by around one third over two years, despite a slowing rate of increase.
- Increase in assaults on staff (15%) and use of force incidents (25%), with disproportionality against young adults and ethnic minority prisoners.
- Fall in prisoner attendance at education since late 2024 following regime changes.
- Disappointment that plans to renew and expand CCTV collapsed, leaving some high-risk areas uncovered.
- Property remains the biggest category of prisoner complaint.
Lewes
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 620
Assaults: 209
Staff assaults: 73
HMP Lewes is a Category B local prison facing significant challenges in safety, healthcare, and infrastructure, despite some positive developments. Self-harm incidents and prisoner-on-prisoner violence have increased substantially, while time out of cell remains limited. Persistent issues with the estate, healthcare staffing, and disproportionality in treatment continue to impact prisoner welfare, necessitating ongoing Board scrutiny and recommendations to the Minister, Prison Service, and Governor.
Key concerns identified
- The inappropriate use of F wing, which houses vulnerable prisoners, as an overflow for newly arrived prisoners, and the use of CSU for constant supervision or prisoners on open ACCTs.
- Significant increases in self-harm incidents (27%) and prisoner-on-prisoner violence (67%).
- Persistent poor infrastructure, including heating and hot water supply issues, and inadequate repair and maintenance services, especially in older parts of the prison.
- Lengthy waiting times for mental health assessments and psychiatry provision, coupled with medication safety breaches through unobserved hatches and ligature risks.
- Limited time out of cell for prisoners, particularly at weekends, and insufficient purposeful activity places for the entire population.
- Disproportionality in segregation unit placements and incentives scheme for Asian, Muslim, and Black/Black British prisoners.
- Significant increases in self-harm incidents (27%) and prisoner-on-prisoner violence (67%).
- Persistent poor infrastructure, including heating and hot water supply issues, and inadequate repair and maintenance services, especially in older parts of the prison.
- Lengthy waiting times for mental health assessments and psychiatry provision, coupled with medication safety breaches through unobserved hatches and ligature risks.
- Limited time out of cell for prisoners, particularly at weekends, and insufficient purposeful activity places for the entire population.
- Disproportionality in segregation unit placements and incentives scheme for Asian, Muslim, and Black/Black British prisoners.
Lewes
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 490
Staff assaults: 101
HMP Lewes continues to face severe challenges, primarily driven by staff shortages that restrict the regime, leaving many prisoners out of cell for only an hour a day. This has contributed to significant increases in self-harm and assaults on staff, while issues with healthcare provision, mental health support, and the decency of accommodation persist. The Board highlights the disproportionate use of force against BAME prisoners and the ongoing lack of resettlement support for those on remand.
Key concerns identified
- Significant increase in self-harm and staff assaults, and disproportionate use of force against BAME prisoners.
- Prisoners without work or education are out of cell for little more than an hour a day, with limited work/education places and a non-functional key worker system.
- Inappropriate use of the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) for complex mental health cases, and long waits for mental health assessments, psychiatrists, and secure transfers.
- Inadequate provision of working washing/drying machines and kit, and persistent delays in repairs to the Victorian wing, leading to poor heating, hot water, and damp.
- Overall staff shortages and the counting of non-effective staff significantly impact the regime and service delivery.
- Remand prisoners receive no support for resettlement.
- Inappropriate allocation of prisoners to the vulnerable prisoner wing leads to bullying and inadequate induction.
- Prisoners without work or education are out of cell for little more than an hour a day, with limited work/education places and a non-functional key worker system.
- Inappropriate use of the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) for complex mental health cases, and long waits for mental health assessments, psychiatrists, and secure transfers.
- Inadequate provision of working washing/drying machines and kit, and persistent delays in repairs to the Victorian wing, leading to poor heating, hot water, and damp.
- Overall staff shortages and the counting of non-effective staff significantly impact the regime and service delivery.
- Remand prisoners receive no support for resettlement.
- Inappropriate allocation of prisoners to the vulnerable prisoner wing leads to bullying and inadequate induction.
Lewes
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 347
Assaults: 144
Throughout the reporting year, HMP Lewes operated under significant Covid-19 restrictions, severely limiting the regime and leading to an overwhelmingly poor experience for prisoners. The Board identified an inhumane regime with prisoners often locked in cells for nearly 23 hours a day, alongside a concerning deterioration in healthcare provision due to staffing shortages and overreliance on agency staff. Key issues included an inadequate induction process, persistent decency issues in accommodation, and disproportionate treatment of ethnic minority prisoners in various disciplinary and incentives schemes.
Key concerns identified
- The inhumane regime, with prisoners often locked in cells for almost 23 hours a day, has had a detrimental impact on physical and mental welfare.
- Disproportionate treatment of ethnic minority prisoners in areas such as use of force, adjudications, and the incentives and earned privileges scheme.
- The induction process is inadequate, leaving new prisoners vulnerable and ill-informed.
- Main residential areas are often not decent, suffering from persistent problems like broken showers, windows, lack of toilet lids, and pigeons on wings.
- Deterioration in physical and mental health service delivery due to inadequate staffing and overreliance on agency staff, leading to medication issues and long waiting lists.
- Insufficient education and work places, combined with a backlog in sentence plans and transfer delays, hinder prisoner progression and resettlement.
- Disproportionate treatment of ethnic minority prisoners in areas such as use of force, adjudications, and the incentives and earned privileges scheme.
- The induction process is inadequate, leaving new prisoners vulnerable and ill-informed.
- Main residential areas are often not decent, suffering from persistent problems like broken showers, windows, lack of toilet lids, and pigeons on wings.
- Deterioration in physical and mental health service delivery due to inadequate staffing and overreliance on agency staff, leading to medication issues and long waiting lists.
- Insufficient education and work places, combined with a backlog in sentence plans and transfer delays, hinder prisoner progression and resettlement.
Lewes
PRISON
Concerns
The IMB report for HMP Lewes (Feb 2020-Jan 2021) highlighted the severe impact of Covid-19 restrictions, which led to prisoners being locked in cells for up to 23.5 hours daily, deemed inhumane. While a new healthcare provider brought improvements, significant concerns remain regarding mental health bed availability, disproportionate use of force against BAME prisoners, and the plight of IPP prisoners. The Board commended staff resilience but expressed ongoing concerns about regime restrictions and the lack of purposeful activity.
Key concerns identified
- Lack of sufficient mental health beds in residential institutions.
- Poor coordination between prison service and local authorities for pre-release housing assessments.
- Inhumanity of long-term IPP prisoners with no prospect of release.
- Disproportionate use of force against BAME prisoners.
- Inadequate reinstatement of key working, work, and education opportunities.
- High number of ACCT plans and constant watches in the CSU.
- Underuse of body-worn video cameras by staff.
- Lack of covers for in-cell toilets, compromising decency and hygiene.
- Continued ingress of drugs and illicit items.
- Impact of prolonged lock-up (up to 23.5 hours) and lack of time in the open air.
- Poor coordination between prison service and local authorities for pre-release housing assessments.
- Inhumanity of long-term IPP prisoners with no prospect of release.
- Disproportionate use of force against BAME prisoners.
- Inadequate reinstatement of key working, work, and education opportunities.
- High number of ACCT plans and constant watches in the CSU.
- Underuse of body-worn video cameras by staff.
- Lack of covers for in-cell toilets, compromising decency and hygiene.
- Continued ingress of drugs and illicit items.
- Impact of prolonged lock-up (up to 23.5 hours) and lack of time in the open air.
Lewes
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 369
Assaults: 236
This report covers HMP Lewes from February 2019 to January 2020. The Board is concerned about prisoner safety due to illicit items and frequent lockdowns, noting a worsened regime and often indecent accommodation. Healthcare suffered from staff shortages and long waiting times, while education, work, and resettlement efforts were hampered by lack of places and IPRC closures. Despite some positive initiatives, the Board maintains serious concerns regarding basic entitlements, mental health provision, and the overall humane treatment of prisoners.
Key concerns identified
- High availability of drugs and illicit items affecting prison stability and safety.
- Residential accommodation often not decent, with basic entitlements (shoes, blankets, furniture, crockery) frequently unavailable.
- Worsened regime with insufficient unlock hours and frequent lockdowns.
- Healthcare services impacted by staff shortages, poor processes, and long waiting times for GP appointments.
- Seriously mentally unwell prisoners kept in unsuitable accommodation and regime conditions.
- Lack of work/education places, poor attendance, and unsuccessful implementation of the OMiC model.
- Residential accommodation often not decent, with basic entitlements (shoes, blankets, furniture, crockery) frequently unavailable.
- Worsened regime with insufficient unlock hours and frequent lockdowns.
- Healthcare services impacted by staff shortages, poor processes, and long waiting times for GP appointments.
- Seriously mentally unwell prisoners kept in unsuitable accommodation and regime conditions.
- Lack of work/education places, poor attendance, and unsuccessful implementation of the OMiC model.