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.
Moorland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 600
Assaults: 132
Staff assaults: 43
HMP/YOI Moorland faced significant pressures this year from a high turnover of prisoners and early release schemes, yet reception staff performed well. While positive developments include improved ACCT records, successful translation programs, and some regime liberalisations, the report highlights concerns over increased violence, self-harm, and use of force. Key areas for development include addressing overcrowding (single cells as doubles), improving healthcare quality and access, and enhancing rehabilitation and purposeful activity for prisoners, particularly for IPPs.
Key concerns identified
- The continued use of small single cells as doubles, with barely screened toilets, raises concerns about dignity and humane treatment.
- Complaints regarding the quality, quantity, and ordering system of food are rising, with the food comments book often inaccessible.
- Prisoner-on-prisoner violence and self-harm incidents have increased, as have incidents where force was used.
- Preventing the availability of illicit items, especially drugs like Spice, remains a constant challenge, with a noticeable spike in 'under the influence' cases.
- The PPO has raised concerns about the quality of physical healthcare not being equivalent to community standards.
- There are delays in transferring PIN numbers for prisoners moving from private to public sector establishments, causing anxiety and impeding family contact.
- Inadequate bandwidth prevents the consistent deployment of body-worn video cameras.
- The amount of property lost during transfers, exacerbated by high prisoner churn, remains a significant problem.
- Limited specialised rehabilitation procedures are available for IPP prisoners, leading to persistent low optimism.
- Mental health waiting times of 5-6 months exclude many short-sentence prisoners from receiving necessary support.
- The amount of work available in workshops is reported to be lower than in the past, with instructors having to slow pace to occupy prisoners.
- Complaints regarding the quality, quantity, and ordering system of food are rising, with the food comments book often inaccessible.
- Prisoner-on-prisoner violence and self-harm incidents have increased, as have incidents where force was used.
- Preventing the availability of illicit items, especially drugs like Spice, remains a constant challenge, with a noticeable spike in 'under the influence' cases.
- The PPO has raised concerns about the quality of physical healthcare not being equivalent to community standards.
- There are delays in transferring PIN numbers for prisoners moving from private to public sector establishments, causing anxiety and impeding family contact.
- Inadequate bandwidth prevents the consistent deployment of body-worn video cameras.
- The amount of property lost during transfers, exacerbated by high prisoner churn, remains a significant problem.
- Limited specialised rehabilitation procedures are available for IPP prisoners, leading to persistent low optimism.
- Mental health waiting times of 5-6 months exclude many short-sentence prisoners from receiving necessary support.
- The amount of work available in workshops is reported to be lower than in the past, with instructors having to slow pace to occupy prisoners.
Moorland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 528
Assaults: 76
Staff assaults: 39
HMP/YOI Moorland is a Category C training and resettlement prison facing challenges including a substantial increase in self-harm incidents and prisoner assaults on staff. Overcrowding has led to dignity concerns with single cells being doubled, and the regime remains restrictive for many, despite efforts to expand activities. The Board continues to highlight issues with purposeful activity, IPP progression, and the need for consistency in monitoring and educational offerings.
Key concerns identified
- The substantial increase in self-harm incidents and ACCTs opened, alongside a significant rise in prisoner assaults on staff.
- Overcrowding issues, leading to the conversion of single cells into doubles, raising concerns about dignity and wellbeing.
- Limited purposeful activity and time out of cell, with many prisoners restricted to half-time work and a minimum of two hours out of cell for some.
- Continuing concerns for IPP prisoners, with work interruptions due to early release schemes and some remaining "stuck" without their needs being met.
- Lack of consistency in monitoring meetings for use of force, equalities, and health, and a need to expand the range of recognised education qualifications.
- Overcrowding issues, leading to the conversion of single cells into doubles, raising concerns about dignity and wellbeing.
- Limited purposeful activity and time out of cell, with many prisoners restricted to half-time work and a minimum of two hours out of cell for some.
- Continuing concerns for IPP prisoners, with work interruptions due to early release schemes and some remaining "stuck" without their needs being met.
- Lack of consistency in monitoring meetings for use of force, equalities, and health, and a need to expand the range of recognised education qualifications.
Moorland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 337
Assaults: 86
Staff assaults: 28
HMP/YOI Moorland is a Category C public sector resettlement prison for adults and young offenders, also serving as a foreign national hub, with an operational capacity of 1,058. The report highlights generally good accommodation and staff-prisoner relationships, with improvements in healthcare waiting times and education access. However, key concerns persist regarding staffing levels impacting regime and key work, ongoing issues with illicit substances, and significant delays in mental health transfers to specialist units, alongside a lack of prisoner confidence in the complaints system.
Key concerns identified
- Inconsistencies in the use of body-worn video cameras during use of force incidents remain a concern.
- There are ongoing issues with illicit substances getting into the prison despite security measures.
- Prisoners express little confidence in the complaints and discrimination incident reporting form (DIRF) systems, often reporting that forms go astray or receive no response.
- Concerns persist regarding the limited budget for food, leading to complaints about small portion sizes.
- The Board remains concerned about undue delays in transfers to specialist psychiatric units, with a statutory time limit of 28 days for transfers not yet in law.
- Lack of access to rehabilitative programmes, such as Horizon, is causing frustration, particularly for IPP prisoners and those for whom such programmes are specified by the parole board.
- Lost property, both within the establishment and during transfers, continues to be a significant cause of frustration.
- The incentives scheme is often perceived by prisoners as punitive rather than motivating.
- There are ongoing issues with illicit substances getting into the prison despite security measures.
- Prisoners express little confidence in the complaints and discrimination incident reporting form (DIRF) systems, often reporting that forms go astray or receive no response.
- Concerns persist regarding the limited budget for food, leading to complaints about small portion sizes.
- The Board remains concerned about undue delays in transfers to specialist psychiatric units, with a statutory time limit of 28 days for transfers not yet in law.
- Lack of access to rehabilitative programmes, such as Horizon, is causing frustration, particularly for IPP prisoners and those for whom such programmes are specified by the parole board.
- Lost property, both within the establishment and during transfers, continues to be a significant cause of frustration.
- The incentives scheme is often perceived by prisoners as punitive rather than motivating.
Moorland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 385
Assaults: 60
Staff assaults: 24
HMP/YOI Moorland, a Category C resettlement prison, reported a population of 915 against a reduced operational capacity of 964 for the year ending February 2022. The report noted positive trends with reduced self-harm and violence incidents but highlighted significant concerns regarding the treatment and progression of IPP prisoners and persistent delays in mental health transfers. Staffing shortages affected key worker provision and programme delivery, while long waiting times for dental care were also an issue.
Key concerns identified
- Delays in transferring mentally ill prisoners to psychiatric hospitals due to a national shortage of beds.
- A profound sense of helplessness and hopelessness among IPP prisoners due to lack of progression, clear action plans, and specific support.
- Significant backlog in the provision of offending behaviour programmes, hindering progression towards safe release for many prisoners.
- The failure to consistently provide meaningful key worker sessions due to staffing shortages and the limited availability of officers.
- Extremely long waiting lists for dental care (up to a year) and frequent cancellations of specialist pain clinic appointments.
- Reduced educational and employment opportunities, often part-time, with limited vocational qualifications available.
- A profound sense of helplessness and hopelessness among IPP prisoners due to lack of progression, clear action plans, and specific support.
- Significant backlog in the provision of offending behaviour programmes, hindering progression towards safe release for many prisoners.
- The failure to consistently provide meaningful key worker sessions due to staffing shortages and the limited availability of officers.
- Extremely long waiting lists for dental care (up to a year) and frequent cancellations of specialist pain clinic appointments.
- Reduced educational and employment opportunities, often part-time, with limited vocational qualifications available.
Moorland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 373
Assaults: 60
Staff assaults: 27
HMP and YOI Moorland adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic with a restricted regime, leading to reductions in violence and self-harm, and high reported safety levels. However, it also resulted in significant limitations on education, work, and association, impacting prisoner mental wellbeing and progression. Persistent national challenges, such as a shortage of secure psychiatric beds and inadequate food budgeting, continue to hinder effective prisoner care and resettlement despite local efforts.
Key concerns identified
- National shortage of secure psychiatric beds.
- Insufficient suitable accommodation for released prisoners.
- Backlog in the delivery of programmes identified in prisoners’ sentence plans.
- Underutilisation of in-cell technology investment.
- Daily budgetary allowance for food does not allow sufficient nutritional content.
- Inadequate re-establishment of meaningful key worker sessions.
- Insufficient attention to the progression and resettlement of IPP prisoners.
- Insufficient suitable accommodation for released prisoners.
- Backlog in the delivery of programmes identified in prisoners’ sentence plans.
- Underutilisation of in-cell technology investment.
- Daily budgetary allowance for food does not allow sufficient nutritional content.
- Inadequate re-establishment of meaningful key worker sessions.
- Insufficient attention to the progression and resettlement of IPP prisoners.
Moorland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 477
HMP/YOI Moorland, a Category C male resettlement prison, has reported significant improvements in safety metrics, including reductions in violence, self-harm, and drug use during the March 2019 – February 2020 reporting period. The Board noted positive developments in staff-prisoner relationships and the IEP system. However, national shortages in secure mental health beds, limited offending behaviour programmes, and a persistent lack of suitable accommodation for released prisoners remain key concerns.
Key concerns identified
- National shortage of secure psychiatric beds leading to delays in mental health transfers.
- Limited availability of offending behaviour programmes, especially for MCOSOs.
- Significant shortfall of suitable post-release accommodation for prisoners.
- Key worker sessions are being curtailed due to staff availability issues.
- The principle of ‘virtual’ segregation transfers, potentially moving complex prisoners without addressing their issues.
- Property loss (within and between establishments) continues to be the greatest category of Board applications.
- The national daily budget for food (£2.02 since 2010) is considered too low.
- Limited availability of offending behaviour programmes, especially for MCOSOs.
- Significant shortfall of suitable post-release accommodation for prisoners.
- Key worker sessions are being curtailed due to staff availability issues.
- The principle of ‘virtual’ segregation transfers, potentially moving complex prisoners without addressing their issues.
- Property loss (within and between establishments) continues to be the greatest category of Board applications.
- The national daily budget for food (£2.02 since 2010) is considered too low.