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.
Peterborough (women)
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 1,355
Assaults: 47
Staff assaults: 109
HMP/YOI Peterborough (Women) struggled significantly with a lack of decent regime and severe staffing shortages during the reporting year, impacting prisoner morale and increasing violence. While management of self-harm and staff-prisoner relations remained commendable, issues with the new healthcare provider regarding medication, complaints, and mental health waiting lists persisted. The Board expressed strong concerns about the slow progress on mental health legislation and the critical need for improved purposeful activity and resettlement accommodation for women.
Key concerns identified
- The pervasive lack of a decent and rehabilitative regime, with frequent curtailment of time out of cell and disproportionate facility closures in the women's prison.
- Severe staff shortages, high sickness levels, and instability in both frontline and management teams, impacting all aspects of prison life.
- Ongoing challenges with the new healthcare provider, including staffing, timely medication, and a significant number of unresolved patient complaints.
- The persistent poor quality and insufficient provision of education, work, and skills opportunities.
- Delays in the enactment of the Mental Health Bill and a continued lack of suitable approved accommodation for women on release.
- Severe staff shortages, high sickness levels, and instability in both frontline and management teams, impacting all aspects of prison life.
- Ongoing challenges with the new healthcare provider, including staffing, timely medication, and a significant number of unresolved patient complaints.
- The persistent poor quality and insufficient provision of education, work, and skills opportunities.
- Delays in the enactment of the Mental Health Bill and a continued lack of suitable approved accommodation for women on release.
Peterborough (women)
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 2,882
Assaults: 23
Staff assaults: 65
HMP/YOI Peterborough (Women) is generally well-led, offering a disciplined and fair regime with humane treatment. Key strengths include improved safety focus, reduced self-harm (despite a prolific individual temporarily skewing numbers), and increased education attendance. However, significant concerns remain regarding the influx of severely mentally ill prisoners not receiving appropriate external care, delays in prescribed medication, and inconsistencies in key work delivery and regime due to staff shortages. The Board highlights challenges in resettlement, particularly accommodation, and issues with delays in offender management processes.
Key concerns identified
- The number of prisoners showing extreme symptoms of mental illness, who should be diverted to appropriate healthcare.
- Prisoners being left without prescribed medications for days or weeks upon arrival or transfer, leading to anxiety and self-harm.
- Inadequate climate control in cells, with insufficient fans in summer and heating issues in winter.
- The inconsistent quality and compliance of key worker allocation and contact, with some prisoners unaware of the system.
- Concerning delays in arranging assessment and admission to hospital for mentally unwell prisoners.
- Staff shortages leading to curtailment of the regime, particularly at weekends and impacting library access.
- Delays in risk assessments for Home Detention Curfew (HDC) and Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) applications due to Community Offender Management (COM) input.
- Securing ample post-release accommodation remains a significant challenge.
- Unserviceable key kitchen equipment causing strain on meal provision.
- Shortage of smaller/petite size clothing options for prisoners.
- Bland and "stodgy" food, with requests for more salads and fruit.
- Insufficient staff resources to consistently and promptly process social video call applications for family contact.
- Significant postal delays causing distress and frustration, likely due to staff shortages.
- Prisoners being left without prescribed medications for days or weeks upon arrival or transfer, leading to anxiety and self-harm.
- Inadequate climate control in cells, with insufficient fans in summer and heating issues in winter.
- The inconsistent quality and compliance of key worker allocation and contact, with some prisoners unaware of the system.
- Concerning delays in arranging assessment and admission to hospital for mentally unwell prisoners.
- Staff shortages leading to curtailment of the regime, particularly at weekends and impacting library access.
- Delays in risk assessments for Home Detention Curfew (HDC) and Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) applications due to Community Offender Management (COM) input.
- Securing ample post-release accommodation remains a significant challenge.
- Unserviceable key kitchen equipment causing strain on meal provision.
- Shortage of smaller/petite size clothing options for prisoners.
- Bland and "stodgy" food, with requests for more salads and fruit.
- Insufficient staff resources to consistently and promptly process social video call applications for family contact.
- Significant postal delays causing distress and frustration, likely due to staff shortages.
Peterborough (Women)
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 1,154
Assaults: 29
Staff assaults: 43
HMP Peterborough (Women) navigated a challenging year with Covid-19 restrictions, managing outbreaks and staff shortages while still making improvements in safety and achieving its accommodation on release target. Despite this, prisoner dissatisfaction with healthcare services remained high, alongside concerns about the effectiveness of the key worker system and the impact of probation service changes on resettlement. The Board noted the prison's strong commitment to prisoner welfare and its proactive efforts in communication and SEN support.
Key concerns identified
- The Board remains concerned at the number of women serving very short sentences.
- The handover from community rehabilitation companies (CRCs) to the National Probation Service (NPS) left gaps in provision of resettlement services, and NPS will be restricting their activities further.
- The restitution of a robust key work system whereby women are aware of this support and know their assigned key worker.
- Further progress on adapting the prison’s regime and practice to suit the needs of women better.
- The widespread perception among prisoners that all Healthcare services (Clinical, Mental, and substance misuse) are not up to the standard expected.
- The handover from community rehabilitation companies (CRCs) to the National Probation Service (NPS) left gaps in provision of resettlement services, and NPS will be restricting their activities further.
- The restitution of a robust key work system whereby women are aware of this support and know their assigned key worker.
- Further progress on adapting the prison’s regime and practice to suit the needs of women better.
- The widespread perception among prisoners that all Healthcare services (Clinical, Mental, and substance misuse) are not up to the standard expected.
Peterborough (Women)
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 1,014
Assaults: 28
Staff assaults: 53
The reporting year was dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic, during which HMP Peterborough (Women) managed the emergency well, leading to significant improvements in safety outcomes. However, the restrictive regime severely impacted women's wellbeing and rehabilitation. Key concerns remain regarding national support for complex needs women, the effectiveness of the key worker system, and the need to adapt the regime better to women's specific needs.
Key concerns identified
- Lack of proactive national support from HMPPS for complex needs residents.
- Need for a robust key work system where women know and feel supported by their assigned key worker.
- Further progress needed on adapting the prison’s regime and practice to suit the needs of women better.
- Concerns about the lack of cells meeting the needs of prisoners with disabilities.
- Five residents exceeded 42 days in segregation due to lack of alternative secure accommodation.
- Suspension of dental services for longer than in the community, causing painful conditions.
- Need for a robust key work system where women know and feel supported by their assigned key worker.
- Further progress needed on adapting the prison’s regime and practice to suit the needs of women better.
- Concerns about the lack of cells meeting the needs of prisoners with disabilities.
- Five residents exceeded 42 days in segregation due to lack of alternative secure accommodation.
- Suspension of dental services for longer than in the community, causing painful conditions.
Peterborough (Women)
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 1,697
This annual report for HMP/YOI Peterborough (Women) highlights overall fair and humane treatment of prisoners, with a good regime offering ample time out of cell. Positive developments include improved safety resources, healthcare governance, and the successful rollout of the OMiC programme. Key concerns, however, persist regarding the lack of suitable accommodation on release, challenges in managing women with complex needs, and a significant rise in self-harm incidents.
Key concerns identified
- The lack of suitable accommodation for women on release remains a significant concern, with 36% of women lacking settled accommodation, hindering efforts to reduce reoffending.
- The management of women with complex needs is challenging; some are segregated for long periods with limited regimes, and the prison lacks resources for appropriate interventions and an on-site forensic psychologist.
- Despite increased focus on safety, there has been a significant increase in self-harm incidents (1697 compared to 939 last year), largely from a few prolific self-harmers, and substance misuse remains an issue.
- In-cell toilets are not screened for privacy, particularly in shared cells, and improved in-cell facilities for women with disabilities are required, as wing cells lack essential aids like grab rails and raised toilet seats.
- Equality issues persist, including difficulties in sourcing specific canteen products for Black, Asian and minority ethnic prisoners and a high number of racial discrimination reports (46 out of 76).
- The poor quality of mattresses and difficulty obtaining replacements are noted complaints impacting prisoner well-being.
- The management of women with complex needs is challenging; some are segregated for long periods with limited regimes, and the prison lacks resources for appropriate interventions and an on-site forensic psychologist.
- Despite increased focus on safety, there has been a significant increase in self-harm incidents (1697 compared to 939 last year), largely from a few prolific self-harmers, and substance misuse remains an issue.
- In-cell toilets are not screened for privacy, particularly in shared cells, and improved in-cell facilities for women with disabilities are required, as wing cells lack essential aids like grab rails and raised toilet seats.
- Equality issues persist, including difficulties in sourcing specific canteen products for Black, Asian and minority ethnic prisoners and a high number of racial discrimination reports (46 out of 76).
- The poor quality of mattresses and difficulty obtaining replacements are noted complaints impacting prisoner well-being.