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.
Liverpool
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 557
HMP Liverpool, a Category B reception prison, continued to improve in some areas under new leadership despite persistent staffing challenges. Concerns escalated regarding prisoner safety, including increased self-harm, violence, and use of force, alongside significant delays in mental health transfers and regime delivery. The prison also struggles with the entry of illicit items and maintenance issues with its Victorian infrastructure.
Key concerns identified
- The constant struggle to find staff resources, leading to frequent regime cancellations and poor delivery of key worker contact.
- A significant increase in reported self-harm incidents (from 400 to 557), violence on both prisoners and staff, and use of force incidents (from 334 to 469).
- Failures in the use of body worn video cameras (BWVC) and an unreliable CCTV infrastructure, impacting monitoring and accountability.
- Frequent failure to deliver beyond minimum regime, resulting in prisoners being locked in cells for prolonged periods.
- The inhumane length of time prisoners with severe mental health issues are kept in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) awaiting appropriate hospital transfers.
- Outstanding prisoner complaints from other establishments, particularly regarding lost property during transfers, remain a persistent problem.
- The persistent and worsening problem of illicit items (drugs, mobile phones, weapons) entering the prison, despite vigilance.
- Significant delays in refurbishment works (G wing and new workshops) due to contractor liquidation, leaving 230 bedspaces unavailable and an uncertain timescale.
- Poor maintenance response times for the old building's infrastructure and electro-mechanical services, impacting security, safety, and decency.
- A significant increase in reported self-harm incidents (from 400 to 557), violence on both prisoners and staff, and use of force incidents (from 334 to 469).
- Failures in the use of body worn video cameras (BWVC) and an unreliable CCTV infrastructure, impacting monitoring and accountability.
- Frequent failure to deliver beyond minimum regime, resulting in prisoners being locked in cells for prolonged periods.
- The inhumane length of time prisoners with severe mental health issues are kept in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) awaiting appropriate hospital transfers.
- Outstanding prisoner complaints from other establishments, particularly regarding lost property during transfers, remain a persistent problem.
- The persistent and worsening problem of illicit items (drugs, mobile phones, weapons) entering the prison, despite vigilance.
- Significant delays in refurbishment works (G wing and new workshops) due to contractor liquidation, leaving 230 bedspaces unavailable and an uncertain timescale.
- Poor maintenance response times for the old building's infrastructure and electro-mechanical services, impacting security, safety, and decency.
Liverpool
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 400
Assaults: 129
Staff assaults: 51
HMP Liverpool has shown positive progress in some areas, including education and the key worker scheme, but faces significant challenges. The Board is concerned by increases in self-harm, violence, and deaths in custody, compounded by high staff absence leading to regime closures. Major issues include inhumane delays in mental health transfers for segregated prisoners and a critical lack of accessible accommodation for those with disabilities.
Key concerns identified
- Rising self-harm, suicides, and violence against both prisoners and staff.
- Inhumane delays in mental health transfers for segregated prisoners, leading to prolonged stays in the CSU and deteriorating mental health.
- Persistent staff absence causing frequent regime closures, impacting prisoner well-being and purposeful activity.
- Significant issues with illicit items due to delayed cell searches and lack of action on positive drug tests, coupled with drone activity.
- Acute shortage of accessible cells for prisoners with disabilities and a chaotic mental health referral process.
- Ongoing problems with lost prisoner property during transfers and unaddressed complaints from other establishments.
- Inhumane delays in mental health transfers for segregated prisoners, leading to prolonged stays in the CSU and deteriorating mental health.
- Persistent staff absence causing frequent regime closures, impacting prisoner well-being and purposeful activity.
- Significant issues with illicit items due to delayed cell searches and lack of action on positive drug tests, coupled with drone activity.
- Acute shortage of accessible cells for prisoners with disabilities and a chaotic mental health referral process.
- Ongoing problems with lost prisoner property during transfers and unaddressed complaints from other establishments.
Liverpool
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 347
Assaults: 90
Staff assaults: 31
HMP Liverpool, a Category B local adult male prison, generally provided a safe and humane environment in 2022 despite an old Victorian infrastructure and frequent regime closures due to staffing issues. The Board noted positive staff-prisoner relationships, maintained healthcare services, and satisfactory educational provision. Key concerns persist regarding long segregation periods for mentally ill prisoners, inconsistent main gate security, ongoing property issues during transfers, and insufficient investment for rehabilitation.
Key concerns identified
- Long periods of segregation for prisoners experiencing mental health difficulties.
- Inconsistent and not robust security arrangements at the main gate for staff/visitors, posing a contraband risk.
- Prisoner property continues to go astray during transportation between establishments.
- Insufficient investment to fund facilities and staffing levels to improve job prospects and rehabilitation.
- Improvement needed on the uptake and activation of body worn video cameras by all on duty officers.
- Inconsistent deployment of staffing to the Mandatory Drug Testing (MDT) programme.
- Inconsistent and not robust security arrangements at the main gate for staff/visitors, posing a contraband risk.
- Prisoner property continues to go astray during transportation between establishments.
- Insufficient investment to fund facilities and staffing levels to improve job prospects and rehabilitation.
- Improvement needed on the uptake and activation of body worn video cameras by all on duty officers.
- Inconsistent deployment of staffing to the Mandatory Drug Testing (MDT) programme.
Liverpool
PRISON
Concerns
Assaults: 91
Staff assaults: 43
HMP Liverpool operated under severe Covid-19 restrictions in 2021, leading to prisoners spending only one hour a day out of cell, though the environment remained calm. While healthcare and education were maintained at appropriate levels, significant concerns persisted regarding the holding of mentally ill prisoners in unsuitable conditions and the lack of progress in engaging all prisoners in purposeful activity. The Board also highlighted issues with the use of body-worn cameras, prisoner property management, and the effectiveness of the new resettlement contractor.
Key concerns identified
- Insufficient use of body-worn cameras by staff during incidents (49% activation rate).
- Seriously mentally ill prisoners waiting too long for transfer to secure mental health units and being held inappropriately in the CSU.
- Ongoing issues with the management and transfer of prisoner property, leading to complaints and compensation claims.
- Lack of significant progress in engaging all prisoners in full-time purposeful activity due to Covid restrictions and workshop development needs.
- Ineffectiveness of the new resettlement contractor (Seetec) leading to last-minute issues with housing and resettlement planning for releasing prisoners.
- Rubbish accumulating in gullies around I wing, linked to drone activity.
- Seriously mentally ill prisoners waiting too long for transfer to secure mental health units and being held inappropriately in the CSU.
- Ongoing issues with the management and transfer of prisoner property, leading to complaints and compensation claims.
- Lack of significant progress in engaging all prisoners in full-time purposeful activity due to Covid restrictions and workshop development needs.
- Ineffectiveness of the new resettlement contractor (Seetec) leading to last-minute issues with housing and resettlement planning for releasing prisoners.
- Rubbish accumulating in gullies around I wing, linked to drone activity.
Liverpool
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 315
Assaults: 123
HMP Liverpool faced significant challenges during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a restricted regime with prisoners spending limited time out of cell. Despite these restrictions, the prison was generally considered safe with reduced violence and self-harm incidents, and healthcare services were largely maintained. Key concerns persisted around the delayed transfer of mentally ill prisoners, property issues, infrastructure problems, and significant dental waiting times.
Key concerns identified
- Delays in transferring seriously mentally ill prisoners to appropriate secure facilities.
- Persistent issues with prisoners' property, causing stress and anxiety.
- Ongoing infrastructure problems, including an erratic heating system, broken cell windows on I wing facilitating drone drops, and severe vermin infestation in gullies.
- Significant delays in processing telephone PIN numbers, hindering prisoners' ability to contact family.
- Considerable delays in dental treatment, with an average waiting list of 30 weeks.
- Insufficient use of body worn cameras to record incidents involving use of force.
- Persistent issues with prisoners' property, causing stress and anxiety.
- Ongoing infrastructure problems, including an erratic heating system, broken cell windows on I wing facilitating drone drops, and severe vermin infestation in gullies.
- Significant delays in processing telephone PIN numbers, hindering prisoners' ability to contact family.
- Considerable delays in dental treatment, with an average waiting list of 30 weeks.
- Insufficient use of body worn cameras to record incidents involving use of force.