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.
Rye Hill
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 235
Assaults: 27
HMP Rye Hill, a privately run Category C training prison for men convicted of sexual offences, successfully managed a significant expansion and recategorisation during the reporting year. The prison saw a considerable reduction in violence, self-harm, and use of force, alongside an 'outstanding' CQC rating for its healthcare provision. Key concerns persist regarding the ongoing injustice of IPP sentences, the complexities of the compassionate release process, and issues with prisoner property and hospital escort availability.
Key concerns identified
- The lack of a centrally directed, long-term solution to the injustice of the IPP sentence and its impact on the mental health and wellbeing of affected prisoners.
- The need for government initiatives to facilitate national partnerships for employment for prisoners convicted of sexual offences (PCoSOs) and encourage appropriate employment opportunities on release.
- The compassionate release process remains unnecessarily difficult, with specific requirements leading to applications not being completed before death.
- The need for increased staff to avoid rationing hospital escorts, given the ageing population and high demand.
- Concerns regarding property lost on transfer, especially sensitive documentation, and the need for improved checking processes.
- Questions regarding the reliability of the prison body scanner and its impact on CSU placements.
- A sense of hopelessness among many IPP prisoners and a potential gap in one-to-one targeted support for more complex prisoners.
- The need for government initiatives to facilitate national partnerships for employment for prisoners convicted of sexual offences (PCoSOs) and encourage appropriate employment opportunities on release.
- The compassionate release process remains unnecessarily difficult, with specific requirements leading to applications not being completed before death.
- The need for increased staff to avoid rationing hospital escorts, given the ageing population and high demand.
- Concerns regarding property lost on transfer, especially sensitive documentation, and the need for improved checking processes.
- Questions regarding the reliability of the prison body scanner and its impact on CSU placements.
- A sense of hopelessness among many IPP prisoners and a potential gap in one-to-one targeted support for more complex prisoners.
Rye Hill
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 343
Assaults: 43
HMP Rye Hill is a privately run Category B training prison for men convicted of sexual offences, currently transitioning to become an all-Category C facility, holding 662 prisoners against an operational capacity of 625. The report highlights improvements in education and employment, good staff-prisoner relationships, and a new neurodiversity team, but raises significant concerns about the systemic injustice of IPP sentences, protracted compassionate release processes, and persistent issues with property transfers and inter-prison moves.
Key concerns identified
- The injustice of the IPP sentence and its impact on prisoners' mental health and wellbeing, with no centrally directed, long-term solution.
- The compassionate release process remains unnecessarily difficult and slow due to the requirement for hospital consultant confirmation, causing delays for terminally ill prisoners.
- Prisoner-requested transfers within the estate are almost impossible, leading to prisoners being held far from family and friends, negatively impacting their mental wellbeing.
- The persistent problem of prisoner property not being sent on transfer into HMP Rye Hill, despite existing policies, with no effective process to address missing items.
- Concerns about the accelerated timeframe for the new building's opening and the subsequent transition to an all-category C establishment, particularly regarding the allocation of prisoners and support for Category B prisoners during this change.
- The compassionate release process remains unnecessarily difficult and slow due to the requirement for hospital consultant confirmation, causing delays for terminally ill prisoners.
- Prisoner-requested transfers within the estate are almost impossible, leading to prisoners being held far from family and friends, negatively impacting their mental wellbeing.
- The persistent problem of prisoner property not being sent on transfer into HMP Rye Hill, despite existing policies, with no effective process to address missing items.
- Concerns about the accelerated timeframe for the new building's opening and the subsequent transition to an all-category C establishment, particularly regarding the allocation of prisoners and support for Category B prisoners during this change.
Rye Hill
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 246
Assaults: 39
HMP Rye Hill, a Category B training prison primarily for men convicted of sexual offences, housed 661 prisoners at the end of the reporting year. The Board noted positive developments in prisoner-led initiatives, low violence, and improvements in healthcare provision and education efficiency. However, significant concerns persist regarding the progression and anxiety of IPP prisoners, the lack of compassionate releases, inconsistent medication transfers across the prison estate, and inadequate support for sexual offence prisoners transitioning to release.
Key concerns identified
- IPP progression and the anxiety caused by the rejection of recommendations around re-sentencing and reducing licence periods, particularly for those with complex needs and without dedicated budget provision.
- Inconsistent application of processes across the prison estate for ensuring prisoners have sufficient prescribed medication when transferring to Rye Hill.
- The continued lack of compassionate releases despite numerous applications and an increase in terminally ill prisoners dying in custody.
- Challenges for sexual offence prisoners in progressing from Category B to C and D prisons, and the increasing number of direct releases without specialist support.
- Older prisoners being required to retake English and Maths level 1 qualifications for work roles due to inability to prove prior attainment, despite clear proficiency.
- Inconsistent application of processes across the prison estate for ensuring prisoners have sufficient prescribed medication when transferring to Rye Hill.
- The continued lack of compassionate releases despite numerous applications and an increase in terminally ill prisoners dying in custody.
- Challenges for sexual offence prisoners in progressing from Category B to C and D prisons, and the increasing number of direct releases without specialist support.
- Older prisoners being required to retake English and Maths level 1 qualifications for work roles due to inability to prove prior attainment, despite clear proficiency.
Rye Hill
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 240
Assaults: 4
HMP Rye Hill adapted its regime throughout the year due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, maintaining a safe and secure environment with reductions in self-harm and violence. The Board commends the prison's communication strategy and staff efforts, but highlights significant concerns regarding IPP prisoner progression, end-of-life care procedures, and the lack of specialist resettlement support for sex offenders released directly from the prison. Healthcare provision faces challenges with a pending change of provider and long waiting times for care assessments.
Key concerns identified
- Progress for the IPP cohort remains a significant concern across the estate.
- Difficulties persist in arranging appropriate end-of-life care and compassionate release, impacting Rye Hill's older population disproportionately.
- The preparation for release path, including transfers to lower category prisons, frequently does not happen in practice for sexual offenders, leading to release without specialist 'through the gate' support.
- Issues arise from changes to in-possession property rules, causing unfairness due to items being disallowed without explanation or transition.
- There is a need for refresher training for key workers once regimes are fully reopened.
- Prisoners desire a specific appeal form for recategorisation decisions instead of using the general Comp1 process.
- Difficulties persist in arranging appropriate end-of-life care and compassionate release, impacting Rye Hill's older population disproportionately.
- The preparation for release path, including transfers to lower category prisons, frequently does not happen in practice for sexual offenders, leading to release without specialist 'through the gate' support.
- Issues arise from changes to in-possession property rules, causing unfairness due to items being disallowed without explanation or transition.
- There is a need for refresher training for key workers once regimes are fully reopened.
- Prisoners desire a specific appeal form for recategorisation decisions instead of using the general Comp1 process.
Rye Hill
PRISON
Concerns
The IMB report for HMP Rye Hill (April 2020 – March 2021) details the prison's operation under COVID-19 restrictions, maintaining a safe and humane environment with commendations for case management and a prompt vaccination program. Key challenges included the significant impact of restrictions on IPP prisoner progression, insufficient mental health transfer places, and the need for broader education courses. The report also raised concerns about equality monitoring, the high threshold for upholding discrimination complaints, and ongoing difficulties with resettlement accommodation and Probation Service arrangements for released prisoners.
Key concerns identified
• The progression of IPP prisoners, especially those extensively over-tariff, has been severely impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, hindering their parole hearings.
• There is insufficient access to appropriate secure hospital settings and specialist support for prisoners with significant mental health issues, including personality disorders.
• The prison's education offerings need to include more personal and social development courses to support the progression of lower-risk prisoners not suitable for accredited programmes.
• Concerns exist regarding the low number of discrimination incident reporting forms (DIRFs) being logged and upheld, indicating potential issues with the process or prisoner understanding.
• There is insufficient access to appropriate secure hospital settings and specialist support for prisoners with significant mental health issues, including personality disorders.
• The prison's education offerings need to include more personal and social development courses to support the progression of lower-risk prisoners not suitable for accredited programmes.
• Concerns exist regarding the low number of discrimination incident reporting forms (DIRFs) being logged and upheld, indicating potential issues with the process or prisoner understanding.
Rye Hill
PRISON
Concerns
Assaults: 71
Staff assaults: 39
HMP Rye Hill, a Category B training prison for men convicted of sexual offences, operated at or near its maximum capacity of 664 during the reporting year. The IMB found the prison to be a generally safe and fair environment, with improvements in healthcare provision and staff stability. However, significant concerns persist regarding the inadequate provision for elderly and disabled prisoners, the protracted process for compassionate release, and the lack of specialist support and resettlement opportunities for IPP and other complex needs prisoners.
Key concerns identified
- The long periods some prisoners with mental health and behavioural disorders spend in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU) due to poor provision of secure hospital and specialist unit places, especially for men convicted of sexual offences.
- Physical constraints and limitations of the prison estate in providing adapted housing and facilities for elderly and disabled prisoners.
- The protracted process for applying for compassionate release for dying prisoners.
- The scaling back of personal and social development courses in favour of a focus on English and mathematics.
- Insufficient funded support and tailored interventions for IPP prisoners with complex needs, particularly Category B men convicted of a sexual offence, leading to prolonged over-tariff stays.
- The ongoing difficulty in finding suitable places in resettlement prisons for Category B men convicted of a sexual offence nearing the end of their sentences.
- Physical constraints and limitations of the prison estate in providing adapted housing and facilities for elderly and disabled prisoners.
- The protracted process for applying for compassionate release for dying prisoners.
- The scaling back of personal and social development courses in favour of a focus on English and mathematics.
- Insufficient funded support and tailored interventions for IPP prisoners with complex needs, particularly Category B men convicted of a sexual offence, leading to prolonged over-tariff stays.
- The ongoing difficulty in finding suitable places in resettlement prisons for Category B men convicted of a sexual offence nearing the end of their sentences.