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.
The Verne
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 222
HMP The Verne is a Category C training prison for men convicted of sexual offences, housing 645 prisoners at the end of the reporting period. The Board found it generally safe and humane, commending healthcare, key worker improvements, and the new Building Choices program. Key concerns include staffing uncertainty, lack of 24-hour clinical cover, and the impact of budget cuts on education and purposeful activity.
Key concerns identified
- Uncertainty regarding the permanence of the visa exemption for prison officers creates workforce uncertainty.
- The lack of 24-hour on-site clinical cover leads to reliance on emergency services and staff shortages for escorts.
- Severe, ongoing problems with clothes dryers on D wing are resulting in damp laundry for elderly and infirm prisoners.
- The capacity of the new Building Choices sex offence programme is insufficient to meet the rehabilitative needs of the prisoner population.
- Significant budget cuts and tendering uncertainty are impacting the provision and number of education and vocational training programmes.
- There is no formal pathway for medical assessment of neurodiversity, and support for neurodiverse prisoners is under-resourced.
- The lack of 24-hour on-site clinical cover leads to reliance on emergency services and staff shortages for escorts.
- Severe, ongoing problems with clothes dryers on D wing are resulting in damp laundry for elderly and infirm prisoners.
- The capacity of the new Building Choices sex offence programme is insufficient to meet the rehabilitative needs of the prisoner population.
- Significant budget cuts and tendering uncertainty are impacting the provision and number of education and vocational training programmes.
- There is no formal pathway for medical assessment of neurodiversity, and support for neurodiverse prisoners is under-resourced.
The Verne
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 140
Assaults: 12
HMP The Verne is a Category C training prison for sex offenders, holding 605 prisoners with an operational capacity of 608. The IMB noted generally good staff-prisoner relationships and effective healthcare, but raised significant concerns about the deplorable state of the healthcare building and kitchen roof. Key issues also include the barely functioning key worker scheme, a backlog in OASys assessments, and increased bullying linked to the prison's more moderate regime.
Key concerns identified
- The key worker scheme is barely functioning, with a compliance rate of just 11.5% for sessions allocated.
- The healthcare building is in a deplorable state, urgently needing temporary and long-term new accommodation.
- The kitchen roof is in a very poor state, with rainwater leaking through, causing extensive mould and peeling paint.
- The absence of an end-of-life care facility is a concern, especially given the elderly population and associated burden of bed-watches on staff.
- Need to expedite the introduction of a sex offence programme at The Verne, as many prisoners are released without completing one.
- The Offender Management Unit remains understaffed, leading to significant backlogs in OASys assessments and reviews.
- The more moderate regime and free association have led to increased bullying, coercive behaviour, and grooming of vulnerable prisoners.
- The healthcare building is in a deplorable state, urgently needing temporary and long-term new accommodation.
- The kitchen roof is in a very poor state, with rainwater leaking through, causing extensive mould and peeling paint.
- The absence of an end-of-life care facility is a concern, especially given the elderly population and associated burden of bed-watches on staff.
- Need to expedite the introduction of a sex offence programme at The Verne, as many prisoners are released without completing one.
- The Offender Management Unit remains understaffed, leading to significant backlogs in OASys assessments and reviews.
- The more moderate regime and free association have led to increased bullying, coercive behaviour, and grooming of vulnerable prisoners.
The Verne
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 58
Assaults: 16
Staff assaults: 6
HMP The Verne maintains a generally safe and respectful environment, successfully implementing a new self-harm monitoring system and demonstrating strong staff-prisoner relationships. The Board commends the high-quality physical healthcare provision, including excellent vaccination rates, and welcomes the establishment of a new 16-room social care unit aimed at addressing the long-standing concern for elderly and frail prisoners. However, significant challenges persist, particularly in resettlement provision, severe understaffing in the Offender Management Unit leading to backlogs, and long waiting times for mental health services and external healthcare appointments due to staff shortages.
Key concerns identified
- The lack of 24-hour dedicated social care provision for frail, elderly prisoners.
- Inadequate funding and provision for resettlement, which is increasingly critical given the high number of direct releases from this training prison.
- Significant understaffing in the Offender Management Unit (OMU), leading to substantial backlogs in OASys assessments and reviews.
- Frequent cancellation of external healthcare appointments (approximately one-third) due to insufficient prison staff for escorts, or lack of appropriate transport/trained staff.
- Long waiting times for mental health services, with waiting lists of approximately 10 weeks for a psychologist and 15 weeks for a psychiatrist.
- The Board regrets the lack of a 'community hospital' facility, which would alleviate strain on staff and reduce external hospital visits for minor procedures.
- Inadequate funding and provision for resettlement, which is increasingly critical given the high number of direct releases from this training prison.
- Significant understaffing in the Offender Management Unit (OMU), leading to substantial backlogs in OASys assessments and reviews.
- Frequent cancellation of external healthcare appointments (approximately one-third) due to insufficient prison staff for escorts, or lack of appropriate transport/trained staff.
- Long waiting times for mental health services, with waiting lists of approximately 10 weeks for a psychologist and 15 weeks for a psychiatrist.
- The Board regrets the lack of a 'community hospital' facility, which would alleviate strain on staff and reduce external hospital visits for minor procedures.
The Verne
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 85
Assaults: 29
Staff assaults: 2
HMP The Verne, an adult training prison for men convicted of sexual offences, has largely restored its 'core day' regime following COVID-19, maintaining a safe environment with good staff-prisoner relationships and high-quality healthcare. However, the report highlights critical issues, particularly regarding the inadequate 24-hour social care and onsite hospital provision for its growing elderly and frail population. Significant understaffing in the Offender Management Unit continues to undermine resettlement efforts for the substantial number of prisoners released directly from this training prison, alongside concerns about low prisoner pay and a third of the population lacking purposeful activity.
Key concerns identified
- Lack of 24-hour social care provision and inadequate care packages for frail elderly prisoners, particularly those with incontinence.
- Serious understaffing of the Offender Management Unit, significantly impacting resettlement provision.
- Absence of a community hospital or equivalent onsite facility for elderly prisoners, leading to cancelled external appointments and strain on escort staff.
- Unsatisfactory resettlement provision, including a lack of dedicated funding, for prisoners released directly from this training prison.
- Approximately one-third of the prisoner population is not engaged in purposeful activity.
- Low prisoner pay compared to other prisons, causing discontent.
- Serious understaffing of the Offender Management Unit, significantly impacting resettlement provision.
- Absence of a community hospital or equivalent onsite facility for elderly prisoners, leading to cancelled external appointments and strain on escort staff.
- Unsatisfactory resettlement provision, including a lack of dedicated funding, for prisoners released directly from this training prison.
- Approximately one-third of the prisoner population is not engaged in purposeful activity.
- Low prisoner pay compared to other prisons, causing discontent.
The Verne
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 54
Assaults: 22
HMP The Verne experienced a challenging year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a major outbreak, significant staff absences, and disruption to the prison regime, including education, work, and visits. Despite these challenges, the prison maintained a very safe environment with low violence, and the Board commended staff dedication and the strong ethos of mutual respect. Key concerns persist regarding the provision of 24-hour social and healthcare for the ageing population, slow progress on a proposed hospital unit, and the need for more purposeful activity.
Key concerns identified
- Lack of 24-hour provision for frail, elderly residents needing regular personal care.
- The need for prison staff to be treated as a priority group in respect of vaccination in any future pandemic.
- Delays in establishing a 'community hospital' and a facility enabling 24-hour social care at The Verne.
- The need for the Governor to continue the search for further employment opportunities for Verne residents.
- The need for prison staff to be treated as a priority group in respect of vaccination in any future pandemic.
- Delays in establishing a 'community hospital' and a facility enabling 24-hour social care at The Verne.
- The need for the Governor to continue the search for further employment opportunities for Verne residents.
The Verne
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 73
Assaults: 4
Staff assaults: 1
HMP The Verne is praised as a very safe training prison for MCOSO prisoners, maintaining high standards in staff-prisoner relationships and overall humane treatment, successfully remaining COVID-19 free. Key concerns include the lack of 24-hour social care for its growing elderly and frail population, and inadequate resettlement provision for prisoners released directly into the community. Issues with gym facilities and education provision due to COVID-19 also presented challenges during the reporting period.
Key concerns identified
- The lack of 24-hour social care provision for the growing number of frail, elderly prisoners.
- Inadequate resettlement provision for prisoners released directly into the community.
- Significant problems with the gym's infrastructure, including leaks and a buckled floor.
- Withdrawal of education services by Weston College due to COVID-19.
- Prisoner and visitor lifts and stairlifts being out of use, impacting accessibility for those with mobility problems.
- Inadequate resettlement provision for prisoners released directly into the community.
- Significant problems with the gym's infrastructure, including leaks and a buckled floor.
- Withdrawal of education services by Weston College due to COVID-19.
- Prisoner and visitor lifts and stairlifts being out of use, impacting accessibility for those with mobility problems.