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.
Portland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 550
Assaults: 228
HMP/YOI Portland has seen significant improvements in its regime and overall safety, with positive staff-prisoner relationships and increased key work. However, persistent challenges include the ingress of illicit substances, inadequate ventilation in Beaufort wing, and insufficient purposeful activity. Healthcare staffing has improved, but mental health provision is still stretched due to rising demand, and external transport issues continue to affect prisoner movements and initial health screenings.
Key concerns identified
- Ingress of illicit substances continues to be an issue, leading to concerns about prisoner debt and self-harm risk.
- Inadequate ventilation in Beaufort wing persists, making conditions inhumane in hot weather, a concern raised previously.
- The prison lacks sufficient purposeful activity spaces, meaning not all eligible prisoners can attend work or education full-time.
- Mental health staffing levels remain inadequate to treat the increasing number of prisoners with ongoing mental health needs.
- Issues with external transport (Serco) cause late arrivals, delayed first-night health screenings, and problems with prisoner transfers.
- Social activities and video call slots are limited, particularly impacting young offenders and families residing far from the remote prison.
- Inadequate ventilation in Beaufort wing persists, making conditions inhumane in hot weather, a concern raised previously.
- The prison lacks sufficient purposeful activity spaces, meaning not all eligible prisoners can attend work or education full-time.
- Mental health staffing levels remain inadequate to treat the increasing number of prisoners with ongoing mental health needs.
- Issues with external transport (Serco) cause late arrivals, delayed first-night health screenings, and problems with prisoner transfers.
- Social activities and video call slots are limited, particularly impacting young offenders and families residing far from the remote prison.
Portland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 759
Assaults: 252
HMP/YOI Portland continued to face significant challenges during the reporting year, primarily due to staff shortages and overcrowding, which impacted regime delivery and the reintroduction of double cells. Violence and self-harm incidents increased substantially, although measures to improve safety and reduce illicit substances showed some positive results. Healthcare staffing improved, but mental health provision and transfers remained a concern, while resettlement efforts were severely strained by poorly implemented early release schemes.
Key concerns identified
- Overcrowding, leading to doubling up in cells designed for one individual, impacts decency and the ability to transfer prisoners for training.
- Serious shortcomings in HMPPS management of the poorly planned early release scheme, relying on overworked OMU staff without increased resources.
- The Prison Service struggles to attract staff due to uncompetitive remuneration, training, and professional development.
- Protracted waits for mental health transfers and inadequate mental health staffing to treat the high caseload.
- Poor service from external suppliers, particularly Serco, impacting prisoner transport and transfers.
- Inadequate accommodation to segregate different prisoner cohorts appropriately.
- Ventilation issues on Beaufort wing during hot weather and the closure of in-house laundry facilities remain unaddressed due to lack of funding.
- Key work sessions have not increased for all prisoners due to staffing shortages, limiting relationship building between prisoners and staff.
- Serious shortcomings in HMPPS management of the poorly planned early release scheme, relying on overworked OMU staff without increased resources.
- The Prison Service struggles to attract staff due to uncompetitive remuneration, training, and professional development.
- Protracted waits for mental health transfers and inadequate mental health staffing to treat the high caseload.
- Poor service from external suppliers, particularly Serco, impacting prisoner transport and transfers.
- Inadequate accommodation to segregate different prisoner cohorts appropriately.
- Ventilation issues on Beaufort wing during hot weather and the closure of in-house laundry facilities remain unaddressed due to lack of funding.
- Key work sessions have not increased for all prisoners due to staffing shortages, limiting relationship building between prisoners and staff.
Portland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 416
Assaults: 187
HMP/YOI Portland demonstrated a well-controlled environment with positive staff-prisoner relations and good physical facilities during the reporting year ending March 2023. However, the Board highlighted significant challenges in mental health provision due to staffing shortages, a fragmented resettlement program, and persistent issues with property delays. Recommendations focused on better funding for resettlement, improved communication regarding property, and prioritising key work to support prisoner wellbeing and progression.
Key concerns identified
- The resettlement programme is fragmented, underfunded, and needs a return to a properly funded service within establishments.
- The Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 is on hold, leaving a gap for prisoners released with no fixed abode.
- The Prison Council's effectiveness is hampered by lack of awareness among prisoners regarding its role and representatives.
- Significant delays and poor communication regarding internal property cause frustration for prisoners.
- Key work is not prioritised sufficiently, hindering early identification of deteriorating mental health and engagement with learning.
- Persistent mental health staffing shortages mean prisoners wait longer for professional support.
- There is overlap, confusion, and a lack of communication between Offender Management Unit and Community Offender Managers, leading to service gaps.
- The Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 is on hold, leaving a gap for prisoners released with no fixed abode.
- The Prison Council's effectiveness is hampered by lack of awareness among prisoners regarding its role and representatives.
- Significant delays and poor communication regarding internal property cause frustration for prisoners.
- Key work is not prioritised sufficiently, hindering early identification of deteriorating mental health and engagement with learning.
- Persistent mental health staffing shortages mean prisoners wait longer for professional support.
- There is overlap, confusion, and a lack of communication between Offender Management Unit and Community Offender Managers, leading to service gaps.
Portland
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 262
Assaults: 102
HMP/YOI Portland, a Category C prison for adult males and young adults, navigated a challenging year dominated by Covid-19 restrictions. While perceptions of safety improved and the pandemic was handled effectively, significant concerns persist around inhumane conditions on Beaufort wing, protracted mental health transfer waits, and poorly managed resettlement service reforms. Staffing levels in key areas remain problematic, and the board highlighted issues with external service providers and the inconsistent use of body-worn cameras.
Key concerns identified
- The inhumane conditions in Beaufort wing, particularly in hot weather, despite repeated unsuccessful bids for funding to address poor design and ventilation.
- The protracted wait for accessing transfers to secure mental health units, which negatively impacted residents and segregation regimes.
- Significant shortcomings in resettlement provision following the transfer of services from Catch22 to HMPPS and Interventions Alliance, leading to an unacceptable burden on staff and reduced service quality.
- Challenges in recruiting Operational Support Grades (OSGs) and staff for healthcare and education due to uncompetitive pay and conditions.
- Poor service provision by external suppliers, specifically Serco for resident transport, causing late arrivals and lack of crucial information.
- Sporadic compliance by prison officers with the mandatory wearing of Body Worn Cameras, hindering incident reviews and de-escalation training.
- The failure to share neurodiversity data collected during induction by Weston College more widely with prison staff across the establishment.
- The high incidence of self-harm, with a notable increase during the reporting year attributed to a small number of prolific individuals.
- The protracted wait for accessing transfers to secure mental health units, which negatively impacted residents and segregation regimes.
- Significant shortcomings in resettlement provision following the transfer of services from Catch22 to HMPPS and Interventions Alliance, leading to an unacceptable burden on staff and reduced service quality.
- Challenges in recruiting Operational Support Grades (OSGs) and staff for healthcare and education due to uncompetitive pay and conditions.
- Poor service provision by external suppliers, specifically Serco for resident transport, causing late arrivals and lack of crucial information.
- Sporadic compliance by prison officers with the mandatory wearing of Body Worn Cameras, hindering incident reviews and de-escalation training.
- The failure to share neurodiversity data collected during induction by Weston College more widely with prison staff across the establishment.
- The high incidence of self-harm, with a notable increase during the reporting year attributed to a small number of prolific individuals.
Portland
PRISON
Concerns
HMP/YOI Portland, a Category C prison, faced significant challenges in delivering a stable daily regime, with frequent shutdowns impacting education and activity opportunities. While prisoner-on-prisoner assaults reduced slightly, overall violence remained high, and the prison struggled with drug ingress and staff shortages in mental health services. The Board noted concerns regarding poor building maintenance, staff attitudes towards prisoners, and issues with property transfers.
Key concerns identified
- Lack of accommodation available through local authorities in Dorset for released prisoners, specifically night-shelter facilities and move-on supported housing provision.
- Urgent structural repairs required to the fabric of buildings, plumbing, heating and telephony systems, and an updated assessment of health and safety conditions in workshops.
- Systems to ensure the safe storage of prisoner property, specifically during inter-prison transfers, need addressing due to high amounts of missing property.
- Checks need to be put in place to ensure that critically unwell prisoners cannot be unilaterally transferred without prior negotiation and comprehensive medical records.
- Failure to deliver a consistent regime, with frequent shutdowns and last-minute changes impacting education, work, and programmes, and destabilising the prisoner population.
- Prisoners from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, those with mental health problems, and those with other protected characteristics do not feel understood or supported by operational staff; confidence in discrimination incident reporting and complaints process is low.
- Concerns about use of force practices, specifically the failure of staff to wear/switch on body-worn cameras and issues with recovering CCTV footage.
- Ongoing difficulties in the appointment and retention of psychologists and psychiatrists, impacting healthcare service provision.
- Unacceptable number of prisoners failing to attend pre-arranged healthcare appointments due to OSG staff not following agreed protocols, a repeated issue.
- The ingress of illicit drugs into Portland needs to be addressed due to its impact on health, well-being, and links to debt, bullying, and violence.
- Urgent structural repairs required to the fabric of buildings, plumbing, heating and telephony systems, and an updated assessment of health and safety conditions in workshops.
- Systems to ensure the safe storage of prisoner property, specifically during inter-prison transfers, need addressing due to high amounts of missing property.
- Checks need to be put in place to ensure that critically unwell prisoners cannot be unilaterally transferred without prior negotiation and comprehensive medical records.
- Failure to deliver a consistent regime, with frequent shutdowns and last-minute changes impacting education, work, and programmes, and destabilising the prisoner population.
- Prisoners from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, those with mental health problems, and those with other protected characteristics do not feel understood or supported by operational staff; confidence in discrimination incident reporting and complaints process is low.
- Concerns about use of force practices, specifically the failure of staff to wear/switch on body-worn cameras and issues with recovering CCTV footage.
- Ongoing difficulties in the appointment and retention of psychologists and psychiatrists, impacting healthcare service provision.
- Unacceptable number of prisoners failing to attend pre-arranged healthcare appointments due to OSG staff not following agreed protocols, a repeated issue.
- The ingress of illicit drugs into Portland needs to be addressed due to its impact on health, well-being, and links to debt, bullying, and violence.