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.
Northumberland
PRISON
Concerns
HMP Northumberland, a Category C prison, experienced a challenging year due to RAAC issues impacting various areas, including education and reception, and contributing to spikes in self-harm and violence. Despite these challenges, the Board noted significant improvements in accommodation, healthcare provision, and progress in securing housing for prisoners on release. Key concerns remain around the inadequacy of mental health support and the effectiveness of education and vocational training in preparing prisoners for employment.
Key concerns identified
- Inadequate mental health provision and slow access to support for prisoners.
- Destabilising impact of RAAC on prison safety, particularly regarding increased violence and self-harm, and disruption to education and workshops.
- Concerns over the effectiveness of initial assessment and the adequacy of education and training in preparing prisoners for employment upon release.
- Limited capacity in vocational workshops and the modest level of qualifications attainable.
- Long waiting times for optician appointments (16 weeks).
- Destabilising impact of RAAC on prison safety, particularly regarding increased violence and self-harm, and disruption to education and workshops.
- Concerns over the effectiveness of initial assessment and the adequacy of education and training in preparing prisoners for employment upon release.
- Limited capacity in vocational workshops and the modest level of qualifications attainable.
- Long waiting times for optician appointments (16 weeks).
Northumberland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 463
Assaults: 189
HMP Northumberland, a category C prison, is generally assessed as safe, despite a slight increase in violent incidents and self-harm. Significant progress has been made in primary healthcare provision, staff-prisoner relationships, and a revised regime aims to boost purposeful activity. However, the Board holds severe and repeated concerns regarding the profound lack of appropriate mental health provision, leading to the inappropriate use of segregation for acutely unwell prisoners, alongside challenges with education attendance and property management.
Key concerns identified
- The persistent lack of mental health provision for prisoners, including delays in appropriate placements, is a repeated concern.
- The inappropriate use of the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) to house severe mental health cases, with some remaining beyond 42 days, significantly impacts their well-being and staff.
- Recruitment challenges within the mental health team and for key healthcare positions persist.
- Education suffers from very low attendance rates (often 50%) and early session closures, leading to substantial lost learning time.
- There are limited opportunities for engagement in arts (drama, music) within the curriculum.
- Issues with prisoner property going missing during cell clearances or transfers remain a problem.
- The single Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) struggles with an overwhelming caseload for the growing prison population.
- The inappropriate use of the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) to house severe mental health cases, with some remaining beyond 42 days, significantly impacts their well-being and staff.
- Recruitment challenges within the mental health team and for key healthcare positions persist.
- Education suffers from very low attendance rates (often 50%) and early session closures, leading to substantial lost learning time.
- There are limited opportunities for engagement in arts (drama, music) within the curriculum.
- Issues with prisoner property going missing during cell clearances or transfers remain a problem.
- The single Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) struggles with an overwhelming caseload for the growing prison population.
Northumberland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 314
Assaults: 151
HMP Northumberland generally provides a safe and humane environment, with improvements in regime and education post-Covid, and promising employment initiatives like The Recruitment Junction. However, significant challenges persist concerning mental health support and transfers, unreliable healthcare provision, and poor resettlement outcomes, especially regarding post-release employment and housing. These issues, particularly mental health and homelessness, remain areas of repeated concern for the Board.
Key concerns identified
- The availability of mental health support for prisoners and delays in identifying appropriate placements for those with serious mental health conditions remain a concern, highlighted as a repeated issue.
- A lack of improvement in ensuring housing for men released into homeless situations, which was also a concern in the previous year.
- The need for more privacy during general interviews at reception to identify potential vulnerabilities.
- Too many ACCTs are closed without adequate exploration of the causes of self-harm, and the use of 'listeners' could be improved.
- Perceived easy availability of drugs within the prison, as reported in a prisoner survey.
- Unreliable healthcare provision due to staffing and leadership difficulties throughout 2022.
- Poor rehabilitation and release planning, evidenced by only 12% of prisoners being in employment six weeks after release, against a target of 20%.
- A lack of improvement in ensuring housing for men released into homeless situations, which was also a concern in the previous year.
- The need for more privacy during general interviews at reception to identify potential vulnerabilities.
- Too many ACCTs are closed without adequate exploration of the causes of self-harm, and the use of 'listeners' could be improved.
- Perceived easy availability of drugs within the prison, as reported in a prisoner survey.
- Unreliable healthcare provision due to staffing and leadership difficulties throughout 2022.
- Poor rehabilitation and release planning, evidenced by only 12% of prisoners being in employment six weeks after release, against a target of 20%.
Northumberland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 312
Assaults: 120
HMP Northumberland, a Category C prison, successfully managed the Covid-19 pandemic during 2021, maintaining a safe and humane environment with commendable staff dedication. While the regime was restricted, efforts were made to provide in-cell activities and gradually reopen purposeful activity. Key concerns remain around the lasting impact on prisoner mental health, insufficient opportunities for rehabilitation, and the unacceptable issue of prisoners being released into homelessness.
Key concerns identified
- Limited opportunities for learning, employment and training to mitigate the disadvantages of lockdowns and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on preparation for release.
- Uncertainty about the full effect of the pandemic on prisoner mental health, requiring assurance of a fully funded infrastructure for mental health support.
- Men are released into homeless situations due to inadequate housing stock and inter-agency communication issues.
- Continuing shortage of places on specialist units in the area for those with significant mental health needs.
- Uncertainty about the full effect of the pandemic on prisoner mental health, requiring assurance of a fully funded infrastructure for mental health support.
- Men are released into homeless situations due to inadequate housing stock and inter-agency communication issues.
- Continuing shortage of places on specialist units in the area for those with significant mental health needs.
Northumberland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 423
Assaults: 152
HMP Northumberland demonstrated exemplary management of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in no related deaths among prisoners and commended staff and prisoner responses. The report highlights a sustained decline in violence and self-harm, alongside good staff-prisoner relationships and effective ACCT management. Key concerns include the continued lack of specialist mental health places, significantly restricted regimes impacting education and resettlement, and escalating dental waiting times.
Key concerns identified
- The persistent lack of sufficient places in specialised mental health facilities in the North East, leading to prolonged segregation for some prisoners.
- The significant reduction in opportunities for men to re-engage with learning, employment, and training due to pandemic restrictions, hindering preparation for release.
- The need to return to enhanced regimes and recommence social visits at the earliest opportunity, while acknowledging necessary protective measures during the pandemic.
- The continued availability of drugs inside the prison, despite sustained efforts by staff to disrupt supply.
- Long and increasing waiting times for dental appointments, reaching up to 249 working days by year-end.
- The lack of 24-hour residential care on site, resulting in 41 prisoners being bed-watch patients in outside hospitals.
- The significant reduction in opportunities for men to re-engage with learning, employment, and training due to pandemic restrictions, hindering preparation for release.
- The need to return to enhanced regimes and recommence social visits at the earliest opportunity, while acknowledging necessary protective measures during the pandemic.
- The continued availability of drugs inside the prison, despite sustained efforts by staff to disrupt supply.
- Long and increasing waiting times for dental appointments, reaching up to 249 working days by year-end.
- The lack of 24-hour residential care on site, resulting in 41 prisoners being bed-watch patients in outside hospitals.