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.
Usk and Prescoed
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 8
Assaults: 10
Staff assaults: 0
HMP Usk and Prescoed are generally well-managed establishments with strong leadership, where prisoners report feeling safe and experience positive staff relations. However, the Board raises significant concerns regarding the welfare and progression of specific prisoner groups, particularly IPP prisoners, and elderly/disabled individuals requiring social care. Challenges related to staffing, the impact of early release schemes on rehabilitation, and delays in Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) are highlighted as key areas needing intervention from both the Minister and HMPPS.
Key concerns identified
- The lack of recategorisation and level of recalls for IPP prisoners remains a concern, with an increase from 10 to 11 across both prisons.
- Rising number of prisoners with limited mobility and other disabilities face worries about access to personal social care from HMPPS, particularly for those who are frail or have cognitive challenges.
- The early release scheme risks becoming standard practice, leading to constant turnover and insufficient time for meaningful rehabilitation through ROTL in Category D open prisons.
- An increase in the average time required to achieve Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) at HMP Prescoed, involving several external agencies.
- The ageing population at HMP Usk presents significant challenges for both general and palliative healthcare, requiring additional resources and funding, and the current infrastructure is not well-suited for older individuals.
- The changed profile of prisoners at HMP Prescoed, due to overcrowding strategies, means some prisoners lack sufficient time for ROTL and require an expanded offering of purposeful activities.
- Insufficient phones at HMP Prescoed and a lack of privacy for prisoners using them.
- Rising number of prisoners with limited mobility and other disabilities face worries about access to personal social care from HMPPS, particularly for those who are frail or have cognitive challenges.
- The early release scheme risks becoming standard practice, leading to constant turnover and insufficient time for meaningful rehabilitation through ROTL in Category D open prisons.
- An increase in the average time required to achieve Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) at HMP Prescoed, involving several external agencies.
- The ageing population at HMP Usk presents significant challenges for both general and palliative healthcare, requiring additional resources and funding, and the current infrastructure is not well-suited for older individuals.
- The changed profile of prisoners at HMP Prescoed, due to overcrowding strategies, means some prisoners lack sufficient time for ROTL and require an expanded offering of purposeful activities.
- Insufficient phones at HMP Prescoed and a lack of privacy for prisoners using them.
Usk and Prescoed
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 27
Assaults: 18
Staff assaults: 0
HMP Usk and Prescoed are considered well-managed with positive outcomes for prisoners, who generally report feeling safe. Key strengths include high levels of purposeful activity, positive staff-prisoner relationships, and good healthcare, despite staffing concerns. However, the Board highlights issues such as the lack of IPP prisoner recategorisation, parole board delays, inadequate healthcare and probation staffing, and persistent property loss during transfers.
Key concerns identified
- Lack of recategorisation for IPP prisoners.
- Significant delays in parole board hearings.
- Concerns about access to support for personal social care for prisoners with limited mobility and disabilities.
- Inadequate healthcare staffing establishment, especially for the increasing number of elderly prisoners with complex needs.
- Inadequate number of probation officers, a repeated concern from previous reports.
- Persistent problem with the loss of prisoners' property during transfers between prisons, which has not improved.
- Impact of increased hospital transfers on staffing levels, leading to additional lockdowns.
- Delay in gaining support from HMPPS for escorted absence for men suitable for progression to open conditions.
- Significant delays in parole board hearings.
- Concerns about access to support for personal social care for prisoners with limited mobility and disabilities.
- Inadequate healthcare staffing establishment, especially for the increasing number of elderly prisoners with complex needs.
- Inadequate number of probation officers, a repeated concern from previous reports.
- Persistent problem with the loss of prisoners' property during transfers between prisons, which has not improved.
- Impact of increased hospital transfers on staffing levels, leading to additional lockdowns.
- Delay in gaining support from HMPPS for escorted absence for men suitable for progression to open conditions.
Usk and Prescoed
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 54
Assaults: 26
Staff assaults: 2
HMP Usk and Prescoed maintained good relationships between staff and prisoners and effectively restored regime activities following Covid-19 restrictions. While safety levels were low for assaults and self-harm, concerns persist regarding understaffing in mental health and probation services, and issues with prisoner property transfers. The prisons continue to demonstrate success in purposeful activity and resettlement, including high rates of first-night housing on release.
Key concerns identified
- Access to specialist mental health facilities remains a problem due to low staff numbers.
- IPP prisoners find last-minute adjournments to their parole hearings distressing.
- The number of probation officers is inadequate, with only one available where four are needed.
- The loss of prisoners’ property during transfers from other prisons continues to be an unresolved problem.
- IPP prisoners find last-minute adjournments to their parole hearings distressing.
- The number of probation officers is inadequate, with only one available where four are needed.
- The loss of prisoners’ property during transfers from other prisons continues to be an unresolved problem.
Usk and Prescoed
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 13
Assaults: 10
Staff assaults: 3
HMP Usk and Prescoed are considered effective, well-run prisons with low levels of violence and self-harm, successfully navigating Covid-19 restrictions while maintaining humane treatment. Challenges include reduced education funding, inadequate mental health and probation staffing, and persistent issues for men serving IPP sentences. The Board commends the cooperation between staff and prisoners, and the impressive rate of successful resettlement via Release on Temporary Licence.
Key concerns identified
- The effective decrease in education funding could negatively impact prisoner outcomes.
- Men serving IPP sentences, often long past their tariff, face severe mental health issues due to the hopelessness of their position.
- An urgent replacement is needed for a mental health nurse, leaving the team understaffed.
- The complement of probation officers is inadequate, with only one officer for a workload requiring four.
- There is a need to improve telephone access for men at HMP Usk.
- Men serving IPP sentences, often long past their tariff, face severe mental health issues due to the hopelessness of their position.
- An urgent replacement is needed for a mental health nurse, leaving the team understaffed.
- The complement of probation officers is inadequate, with only one officer for a workload requiring four.
- There is a need to improve telephone access for men at HMP Usk.
Usk and Prescoed
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 16
Assaults: 10
Staff assaults: 3
HMP Usk (Category C) and HMP Prescoed (Category D) operated under significant Covid-19 restrictions during the reporting period, leading to an atypical regime. Despite these challenges, the Board considers them to be safe, well-run prisons with low levels of violence and self-harm, effectively managed by staff. Key achievements include the early rollout of vaccinations and successful maintenance of off-site work placements for Prescoed prisoners, though concerns remain regarding education funding, OASys document quality, staffing retention, and telephone access.
Key concerns identified
- Stage 4 lockdown had significant consequences for vulnerable prisoners, requiring higher vaccination priority for officers and men.
- Concerns about an effective decrease in education funding negatively impacting prisoner outcomes.
- Up to 50% of OASys documents received in HMP Usk vary in quality or are incomplete, a repeated concern from 2020.
- Ways need to be explored to retain experienced and effective officers in HMPPS.
- The Board supports concerns regarding the decision to no longer nationally report ligature making as a self-harm incident.
- Efforts should be expanded to improve telephone access for men in Usk.
- Concerns about an effective decrease in education funding negatively impacting prisoner outcomes.
- Up to 50% of OASys documents received in HMP Usk vary in quality or are incomplete, a repeated concern from 2020.
- Ways need to be explored to retain experienced and effective officers in HMPPS.
- The Board supports concerns regarding the decision to no longer nationally report ligature making as a self-harm incident.
- Efforts should be expanded to improve telephone access for men in Usk.
Usk and Prescoed
PRISON
Concerns
Self-harm: 4
HMPs Usk and Prescoed are identified as effective and well-run prisons, providing safe and humane environments with good staff-prisoner relationships, even amidst the initial COVID-19 outbreak. Key concerns include the postponement of the OMiC pilot at Prescoed, a demotivating transfer policy for MCOSO, and slow transfer of prisoner records. The Board also highlights the poor condition of Lester unit, restrictions to the multi-faith room, and the negative impact of the pandemic on education assessments and future employment prospects.
Key concerns identified
- The OMiC pilot for the open estate at Prescoed has been indefinitely postponed, hindering prisoner development.
- MCOSO granted Category D status must reside in Usk for three months before moving to Prescoed, a policy seen as perplexing and demotivating.
- Prisoner records are often slow in reaching the open estate, causing delays in transition, risk assessment, ROTL planning, and prisoner discontentment.
- Lester, a prefabricated unit at Prescoed, remains dreary with unreliable plumbing and drainage, needing complete replacement.
- The multi-faith room is now locked and only accessible during services due to property damage, restricting prisoner access.
- Further development of social care provision at Usk is on hold due to funding challenges.
- The COVID-19 pandemic affected education success rates, with learners unable to complete final assessments.
- There is anxiety about the post-COVID-19 economic situation impacting prisoner employment on release.
- The absence of an observation process in education evaluation makes it difficult to judge prisoner progress effectively.
- MCOSO granted Category D status must reside in Usk for three months before moving to Prescoed, a policy seen as perplexing and demotivating.
- Prisoner records are often slow in reaching the open estate, causing delays in transition, risk assessment, ROTL planning, and prisoner discontentment.
- Lester, a prefabricated unit at Prescoed, remains dreary with unreliable plumbing and drainage, needing complete replacement.
- The multi-faith room is now locked and only accessible during services due to property damage, restricting prisoner access.
- Further development of social care provision at Usk is on hold due to funding challenges.
- The COVID-19 pandemic affected education success rates, with learners unable to complete final assessments.
- There is anxiety about the post-COVID-19 economic situation impacting prisoner employment on release.
- The absence of an observation process in education evaluation makes it difficult to judge prisoner progress effectively.