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.
Stocken
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 718
Assaults: 68
Staff assaults: 71
HMP Stocken, a Category C training prison, maintained a generally safe environment for prisoners and staff during the reporting year, despite an increased population. The Board highlights persistent concerns including delays in mental health transfers, the loss of prisoner property due to inconsistent volumetric controls, and an insufficient number of cells for disabled prisoners. Positive developments include improved ACCT interactions, increased staff diversity, and effective key working, though staffing challenges and drone activity impacting regime remain.
Key concerns identified
- Prisoners’ excess personal property continues to be lost or mislaid due to 'sending prisons' not enforcing volumetric property controls.
- It takes too long to transfer prisoners with mental health problems to secure mental health facilities, often resulting in prolonged stays in the CSU.
- An increasing number of prisoners held out of area, coupled with the prison's rural location, makes maintaining family ties difficult.
- A lack of 'enhanced' gate security equipment at HMP Stocken remains a concern, despite being one of the larger public-run prisons.
- There is an insufficient number of cells suitable for prisoners with disability or mobility issues, especially given the ageing prison population, with new wings lacking such provision.
- Certain prisoners held in the CSU on suspicion of illicit activities are not sufficiently briefed by the security department about the reasons for their investigation.
- Some members of the Senior Management Team appear not fully committed to the aims of the equality and diversity department.
- Recruiting and maintaining prisoner representatives is difficult due to constant prisoner movements.
- The healthcare unit experienced high staff turnover leading to long delays in responding to prisoner applications/complaints.
- Issues have been reported with the newly opened pharmacy, particularly concerning reliance on agency staff.
- The oldest wings of the prison are showing signs of age, requiring repairs and refurbishment.
- Time out of cells in the late afternoon/evening has been restricted due to increased drone activity, impacting the regime.
- It takes too long to transfer prisoners with mental health problems to secure mental health facilities, often resulting in prolonged stays in the CSU.
- An increasing number of prisoners held out of area, coupled with the prison's rural location, makes maintaining family ties difficult.
- A lack of 'enhanced' gate security equipment at HMP Stocken remains a concern, despite being one of the larger public-run prisons.
- There is an insufficient number of cells suitable for prisoners with disability or mobility issues, especially given the ageing prison population, with new wings lacking such provision.
- Certain prisoners held in the CSU on suspicion of illicit activities are not sufficiently briefed by the security department about the reasons for their investigation.
- Some members of the Senior Management Team appear not fully committed to the aims of the equality and diversity department.
- Recruiting and maintaining prisoner representatives is difficult due to constant prisoner movements.
- The healthcare unit experienced high staff turnover leading to long delays in responding to prisoner applications/complaints.
- Issues have been reported with the newly opened pharmacy, particularly concerning reliance on agency staff.
- The oldest wings of the prison are showing signs of age, requiring repairs and refurbishment.
- Time out of cells in the late afternoon/evening has been restricted due to increased drone activity, impacting the regime.
Stocken
PRISON
Concerns
HMP Stocken is a Category C training prison with an operational capacity of 1,071, generally providing a safe and humane environment. The report highlights improvements in education and vocational training and increased staff recruitment and retention, but raises concerns about prolonged mental health transfer delays, property transfer issues, and the prison's unfunded role in direct resettlement. The Board also notes the need for refurbishment in older parts of the estate and long waiting times for accredited programmes.
Key concerns identified
- Delay in transferring mentally ill prisoners to secure mental health facilities, leading to extended stays in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU).
- The continued issue of prisoner property not being transferred with individuals, causing delays and problems upon arrival.
- Lack of planned refurbishment or enlargement for older parts of the establishment, including the CSU, despite the need for remedial work.
- The increasing number of prisoners held 'out of area', negatively impacting family ties.
- HMP Stocken not being funded as a resettlement prison, despite an increasing number of prisoners being released directly from the establishment.
- Long waiting times for accredited offending behaviour programmes.
- Concerns regarding the interpersonal skills of some new and young prison officers.
- The continued issue of prisoner property not being transferred with individuals, causing delays and problems upon arrival.
- Lack of planned refurbishment or enlargement for older parts of the establishment, including the CSU, despite the need for remedial work.
- The increasing number of prisoners held 'out of area', negatively impacting family ties.
- HMP Stocken not being funded as a resettlement prison, despite an increasing number of prisoners being released directly from the establishment.
- Long waiting times for accredited offending behaviour programmes.
- Concerns regarding the interpersonal skills of some new and young prison officers.
Stocken
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 407
HMP Stocken, a Category C male training prison, generally provides a safe and humane environment with commendable out-of-cell time and good physical healthcare. However, the Board remains concerned about the high number of prisoners with mental health issues and significant delays in transfers to secure facilities. Staffing levels, particularly in key work and education management, continue to be a challenge, impacting regime delivery and offender management. The report also highlights issues with inappropriate transfers, long waiting times for programmes, and the need to improve the education provision and increase food allowance.
Key concerns identified
- Inappropriate transfers, including those on open ACCTs or with short stays, are increasing, indicating that prisoner flow is not working as it should.
- Transfers of prisoners to Category B establishments take too long, and the Population Management Unit (PMU) is ineffective.
- Waiting times for mandatory programmes are excessively long, causing frustration for prisoners.
- Wing-based electronic kiosks are not available, which is seen as a backward step by transferees from other prisons.
- The food allowance for prisoners is insufficient given the rising cost of living and needs to be increased.
- The education provider is consistently failing to provide a good service, and the contract requires review.
- Despite a reduced attrition rate, continued effort is needed to address staffing and recruitment levels.
- Transfers of prisoners to Category B establishments take too long, and the Population Management Unit (PMU) is ineffective.
- Waiting times for mandatory programmes are excessively long, causing frustration for prisoners.
- Wing-based electronic kiosks are not available, which is seen as a backward step by transferees from other prisons.
- The food allowance for prisoners is insufficient given the rising cost of living and needs to be increased.
- The education provider is consistently failing to provide a good service, and the contract requires review.
- Despite a reduced attrition rate, continued effort is needed to address staffing and recruitment levels.
Stocken
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 232
Assaults: 51
Staff assaults: 42
HMP Stocken generally provides a safe and humane environment, with strong efforts in safer custody and no deaths in custody this year. However, the Board highlights significant challenges including chronic understaffing across various departments, persistent delays in staff vetting, and a critical shortage of secure mental health provision, leading to unsuitable placements within the prison. Issues with prisoner transfers, including incomplete assessments and uncontrolled property, and a lack of category D prison places continue to hinder progression and resettlement efforts. The performance of the education provider is also a key concern.
Key concerns identified
- Urgent need for increased secure mental health facilities for prisoners who should not be in prison.
- Delays in staff vetting processes, causing recruitment issues.
- Insufficient capacity in category D prisons and slow transfers for eligible prisoners.
- Prisoners transferred to Stocken without completed OASys assessments, increasing pressure on OMU.
- Non-enforcement of volumetric control for prisoner property transfers by other establishments, leading to excess property and backlogs.
- Need to increase staffing numbers for officers and administrative staff.
- Purposeful activity opportunities, such as Structured On Wing Activity (SOWA), need to increase.
- Performance concerns regarding the education provider, PeoplePlus, including low staff morale and missed targets.
- Backlog of property in the stores needing to be addressed.
- Mental health cases being held in segregation due to national shortage of secure mental health provision.
- Lengthy waiting times for potential transferees in the segregation unit.
- Transfers of prisoners recategorised to B taking too long.
- Shortage of places on offending behaviour programmes impacting prisoner progression.
- Delays in staff vetting processes, causing recruitment issues.
- Insufficient capacity in category D prisons and slow transfers for eligible prisoners.
- Prisoners transferred to Stocken without completed OASys assessments, increasing pressure on OMU.
- Non-enforcement of volumetric control for prisoner property transfers by other establishments, leading to excess property and backlogs.
- Need to increase staffing numbers for officers and administrative staff.
- Purposeful activity opportunities, such as Structured On Wing Activity (SOWA), need to increase.
- Performance concerns regarding the education provider, PeoplePlus, including low staff morale and missed targets.
- Backlog of property in the stores needing to be addressed.
- Mental health cases being held in segregation due to national shortage of secure mental health provision.
- Lengthy waiting times for potential transferees in the segregation unit.
- Transfers of prisoners recategorised to B taking too long.
- Shortage of places on offending behaviour programmes impacting prisoner progression.
Stocken
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 349
Assaults: 64
Staff assaults: 45
HMP Stocken, a category C training prison, experienced significant disruption during the reporting year (May 2020 – April 2021) due to the Covid-19 pandemic, yet managed a commendable response to the outbreak and achieved high vaccination rates. Despite an extended period of restricted regime, the Board found the prison generally safe and commended the leadership and staff. Key concerns include persistent issues with prisoner transfers, resettlement support, and access to programmes.
Key concerns identified
- Persistent lack of capacity in category D prisons, leading to significant numbers of category D prisoners remaining at Stocken.
- Delays in the recategorisation and transfer of prisoners, particularly for those moved to category B and D, with some waiting over 42 days. This issue was also raised last year.
- Ineffective ‘prisoner flow’ and resettlement support for prisoners released directly from Stocken, as it is not funded as a resettlement prison.
- Grave concerns over the lack of access to essential offending behaviour programmes, hindering risk reduction and progression.
- Significant issues with prisoners' property not being transferred effectively, leading to losses and compensation claims.
- Lack of places at secure mental health facilities, leading to prisoners with severe mental health difficulties being inappropriately held in prison.
- Delays in the recategorisation and transfer of prisoners, particularly for those moved to category B and D, with some waiting over 42 days. This issue was also raised last year.
- Ineffective ‘prisoner flow’ and resettlement support for prisoners released directly from Stocken, as it is not funded as a resettlement prison.
- Grave concerns over the lack of access to essential offending behaviour programmes, hindering risk reduction and progression.
- Significant issues with prisoners' property not being transferred effectively, leading to losses and compensation claims.
- Lack of places at secure mental health facilities, leading to prisoners with severe mental health difficulties being inappropriately held in prison.
Stocken
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 387
Assaults: 132
Staff assaults: 79
HMP Stocken, a Category C training prison, has expanded its population to 1038 with an operational capacity of 1044. The IMB judges the prison to be relatively safe and humane, with excellent education and training. However, key concerns include a critical shortage of secure mental health facilities and Category D places, issues with prisoner transfers, and repeated problems with adjudication paperwork. The Board commends improvements in maintenance, a significant reduction in drug availability, and the successful implementation of the keyworker scheme, while highlighting the need for better funding and management oversight in several areas.
Key concerns identified
- Pressing need for increased capacity in secure mental health facilities and Category D (Open) prisons.
- Need to increase capacity in all categories in London and the South East due to too many prisoners being far from home.
- In-cell telephony should be funded for all Category C prisoners.
- More active and prompt allocation of re-categorised prisoners to appropriate locations is needed, as movement is often at the whim of officials.
- Funds should be redirected from prisons reducing resettlement preparation to prisons like Stocken which increasingly fulfill this role without adequate funding.
- Frequent long delays in financial approval for repairs and refurbishments are unacceptable, requiring closer monitoring of external contractors.
- Improve prisoners' attendance and punctuality at workshops and education sites.
- Adjudications continue to cause concern, with too many ending in dismissal for avoidable technical reasons (a repeated issue).
- Paperwork for Segregation reviews (Rule 45s) needs to be accurate and available in good time to facilitate constructive dialogue.
- Need to increase capacity in all categories in London and the South East due to too many prisoners being far from home.
- In-cell telephony should be funded for all Category C prisoners.
- More active and prompt allocation of re-categorised prisoners to appropriate locations is needed, as movement is often at the whim of officials.
- Funds should be redirected from prisons reducing resettlement preparation to prisons like Stocken which increasingly fulfill this role without adequate funding.
- Frequent long delays in financial approval for repairs and refurbishments are unacceptable, requiring closer monitoring of external contractors.
- Improve prisoners' attendance and punctuality at workshops and education sites.
- Adjudications continue to cause concern, with too many ending in dismissal for avoidable technical reasons (a repeated issue).
- Paperwork for Segregation reviews (Rule 45s) needs to be accurate and available in good time to facilitate constructive dialogue.