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.
Wayland
PRISON
Concerns
The Wayland IMB's 2025 prisoner attitudes survey reveals a concerning decline in prisoner safety and trust, alongside persistent issues with basic decency standards in accommodation. While some improvements were noted in literacy support and property reception, significant challenges remain in staff-prisoner relationships, access to healthcare appointments, and the overall restrictiveness of the regime. The report highlights high levels of loneliness and a substantial drop in family visits, urging management to address these core concerns to improve prisoner welfare and prepare them for release.
Key concerns identified
- Low levels of personal safety and a significant decline in interpersonal trust among prisoners, with 50% trusting no other prisoner.
- Persistent and widespread issues with basic decency standards in cells, including cleanliness on arrival, availability of cleaning materials, condition of furniture, and weekly bedding changes.
- Poor and inconsistent staff-prisoner relationships, marked by dismissive behaviour, a 'them vs us' culture, lack of respect, and limited time for meaningful interaction.
- Deterioration in healthcare access, with appointment ease returning to previous low levels, and issues with the quality of responses to healthcare complaints.
- A restrictive and depressing regime with limited time out of cell, frequent cancellation of association due to staff shortages, and infrastructure failures impacting food provision.
- High levels of loneliness among prisoners (61%), with only a quarter of those confiding in staff receiving help.
- A significant drop in family and friend visits (to 43%), primarily due to distance, highlighting challenges in maintaining external relationships.
- Persistent and widespread issues with basic decency standards in cells, including cleanliness on arrival, availability of cleaning materials, condition of furniture, and weekly bedding changes.
- Poor and inconsistent staff-prisoner relationships, marked by dismissive behaviour, a 'them vs us' culture, lack of respect, and limited time for meaningful interaction.
- Deterioration in healthcare access, with appointment ease returning to previous low levels, and issues with the quality of responses to healthcare complaints.
- A restrictive and depressing regime with limited time out of cell, frequent cancellation of association due to staff shortages, and infrastructure failures impacting food provision.
- High levels of loneliness among prisoners (61%), with only a quarter of those confiding in staff receiving help.
- A significant drop in family and friend visits (to 43%), primarily due to distance, highlighting challenges in maintaining external relationships.
Wayland
PRISON
Concerns
The IMB's latest survey at HMP Wayland shows a generally positive shift across many areas, including improved induction experiences, property handling, and healthcare complaint responses. However, significant challenges persist, particularly concerning staff's ability to provide effective support for personal issues and loneliness, which has worsened. Concerns also remain regarding cell decency, the pervasive availability of drugs, inadequate resettlement preparation, and the perceived unfairness of the complaints system, indicating much work is still needed.
Key concerns identified
- Staff are unable to effectively help prisoners with personal problems, and the ability to respond to loneliness has seen a catastrophic drop.
- Cell cleanliness and adequate equipping remain an unacceptable issue, with over half of respondents reporting unclean cells on arrival.
- The easy availability of drugs and hooch significantly compromises prisoner safety and rehabilitation efforts.
- Most prisoners (80%) feel they are not being helped by staff for life after release, and many struggle with literacy without adequate support.
- The complaints system is perceived as unfair by 79% of prisoners, and both Prisoner Forums and regime communications are largely considered ineffective.
- Cell cleanliness and adequate equipping remain an unacceptable issue, with over half of respondents reporting unclean cells on arrival.
- The easy availability of drugs and hooch significantly compromises prisoner safety and rehabilitation efforts.
- Most prisoners (80%) feel they are not being helped by staff for life after release, and many struggle with literacy without adequate support.
- The complaints system is perceived as unfair by 79% of prisoners, and both Prisoner Forums and regime communications are largely considered ineffective.
Wayland
PRISON
Concerns
This report on HMP Wayland, based on a prisoner attitudes survey ending March 2023, highlights significant concerns across various aspects of prison life. Key issues include ineffective induction, poor staff-prisoner trust and communication, and a failure of the key worker scheme. Prisoners report feeling unsafe, lacking support for resettlement, and facing challenges with property, healthcare access, and the complaints system, alongside issues in education provision. The Board emphasizes a general lack of curiosity from management regarding these persistent problems, underscoring the need for fundamental improvements.
Key concerns identified
- The ineffectiveness and lack of positive impact of the induction experience for new prisoners.
- Persistent poor communication from the prison regarding the regime and future plans.
- Inadequate cell conditions, including cleanliness, furniture, and sanitary ware, affecting basic decency.
- A significant lack of trust in staff (57% negative) and a perception that staff are unable to help with personal problems or loneliness (82% not helped).
- The failure of the key working scheme to provide consistent support or meaningful contact.
- High numbers of prisoners feeling unsafe and a profound lack of trust among fellow prisoners (68% trust none or very few).
- Minimal support for resettlement planning and life chances after release, with 96% feeling unhelped.
- Systemic problems with property handling, leading to delays and missing items.
- Low satisfaction with healthcare access and complaint responses.
- General unfairness and inadequacy in the formal complaints system (75% view Comp 1/1A as unfair).
- Deterioration in education provision, including access to materials, feedback, and library services.
- Persistent poor communication from the prison regarding the regime and future plans.
- Inadequate cell conditions, including cleanliness, furniture, and sanitary ware, affecting basic decency.
- A significant lack of trust in staff (57% negative) and a perception that staff are unable to help with personal problems or loneliness (82% not helped).
- The failure of the key working scheme to provide consistent support or meaningful contact.
- High numbers of prisoners feeling unsafe and a profound lack of trust among fellow prisoners (68% trust none or very few).
- Minimal support for resettlement planning and life chances after release, with 96% feeling unhelped.
- Systemic problems with property handling, leading to delays and missing items.
- Low satisfaction with healthcare access and complaint responses.
- General unfairness and inadequacy in the formal complaints system (75% view Comp 1/1A as unfair).
- Deterioration in education provision, including access to materials, feedback, and library services.
Wayland
PRISON
Concerns
The IMB for HMP Wayland concludes that the prison continues to be failed by the Prison Service and the government across multiple areas, from infrastructure maintenance to adequate staffing and training. The report notes a decline in the quality and effectiveness of prisoner treatment, with key concerns including prisoner safety, deteriorating accommodation, and inadequate resettlement support. While some positive initiatives have begun, the Board finds that fundamental issues persist and require urgent, comprehensive intervention.
Key concerns identified
- A significant proportion of prisoners (30.5%) report feeling unsafe after reception, an increase from previous years.
- The prison's basic accommodation and wider infrastructure are in accelerated decay, with conditions in some units bordering on inhumane due to non-functioning heating and windows.
- Critical staffing shortages, high turnover, and a lack of experienced officers severely hinder effective prisoner management and rehabilitation, with training for new recruits being inadequate.
- Prisoners express significant dissatisfaction with healthcare provision, citing extreme waiting times for GP appointments.
- The prison is failing prisoners at almost every level in their progression towards successful resettlement, with 20% having no known discharge address.
- The induction process for new prisoners is consistently reported as unhelpful, with 70% of respondents stating it did not meet their needs.
- The new segregation unit remains unused due to procurement and technical issues, and plans lack adequate staffing to provide the necessary 'care' element.
- Frequent prisoner property complaints persist due to inadequate management systems during reception, transfer, and cell clearances.
- The prison's basic accommodation and wider infrastructure are in accelerated decay, with conditions in some units bordering on inhumane due to non-functioning heating and windows.
- Critical staffing shortages, high turnover, and a lack of experienced officers severely hinder effective prisoner management and rehabilitation, with training for new recruits being inadequate.
- Prisoners express significant dissatisfaction with healthcare provision, citing extreme waiting times for GP appointments.
- The prison is failing prisoners at almost every level in their progression towards successful resettlement, with 20% having no known discharge address.
- The induction process for new prisoners is consistently reported as unhelpful, with 70% of respondents stating it did not meet their needs.
- The new segregation unit remains unused due to procurement and technical issues, and plans lack adequate staffing to provide the necessary 'care' element.
- Frequent prisoner property complaints persist due to inadequate management systems during reception, transfer, and cell clearances.
Wayland
PRISON
Concerns
Assaults: 118
Staff assaults: 116
HMP Wayland's reporting year was dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to a severely restricted regime with prisoners often locked in cells for up to 22 hours daily, and a virtual halt to education and purposeful activity. The Board raised significant concerns about critically low staffing levels and inexperience, alongside a substantial minority of prisoners feeling unsafe and declining trust in staff. While improvements were noted in use of force management and new drug detection methods, the Board struggled to monitor healthcare due to exclusion from meetings.
Key concerns identified
- Insufficient and inexperienced staff, negatively impacting prisoner management and rehabilitation efforts.
- A severely impoverished regime due to the pandemic, resulting in a near-total cessation of education, training, and purposeful activity, thereby failing to address rehabilitative needs.
- A significant proportion of prisoners (22%) report feeling unsafe, compounded by low trust in other prisoners and declining trust in staff.
- Ongoing deterioration of the prison estate, particularly new-build wings and issues with leaking roofs, alongside poor cell cleanliness and acceptance procedures.
- The Board's inability to effectively monitor healthcare provision, including mental health support, due to exclusion from key meetings.
- Persistent prisoner dissatisfaction with food quality, attributed to a very low per diem allowance.
- A severely impoverished regime due to the pandemic, resulting in a near-total cessation of education, training, and purposeful activity, thereby failing to address rehabilitative needs.
- A significant proportion of prisoners (22%) report feeling unsafe, compounded by low trust in other prisoners and declining trust in staff.
- Ongoing deterioration of the prison estate, particularly new-build wings and issues with leaking roofs, alongside poor cell cleanliness and acceptance procedures.
- The Board's inability to effectively monitor healthcare provision, including mental health support, due to exclusion from key meetings.
- Persistent prisoner dissatisfaction with food quality, attributed to a very low per diem allowance.
Wayland
PRISON
Concerns
Assaults: 211
Staff assaults: 85
HMP Wayland experienced a challenging year, marked by reduced violence but ongoing concerns regarding drug entry and a lack of national strategy for vulnerable self-isolating prisoners. Staffing levels were significantly impacted by the pandemic, hindering regime delivery and essential training. The prison's aging infrastructure and the delay in critical projects like a new segregation unit further compound difficulties in providing a rehabilitative and humane environment, though efforts by the Governor to improve conditions were noted.
Key concerns identified
- The incessant flow of drugs into the prison remains a great concern, despite efforts.
- The continuing plight of prisoners who self-isolate due to fear, a national problem for which a promised national strategy from HMPPS is still awaited since April 2019.
- The delay in the provision of the replacement segregation/care and separation/reintegration unit, which has been needed for six years and remains unfit for purpose.
- The overall accommodation provision in the prison is below acceptable HMPPS standards, with significant remedial work or replacement needed for several units, and issues with heating, ventilation, and lack of secure storage.
- The severe reduction in frontline staffing to 130 staff daily, coupled with a 12% churn rate and the absence of crucial personal and professional development training for officers.
- The persistently high rates of missed healthcare appointments (DNAs) across dentistry (55%), nurse practitioners (28%), and GP surgery (24%), indicating a serious waste of resources and missed opportunities.
- The ongoing problem of property complaints, which account for nearly 30% of Board applications, indicating a systemic issue with property management and a lack of respect for prisoners' belongings.
- The continuing plight of prisoners who self-isolate due to fear, a national problem for which a promised national strategy from HMPPS is still awaited since April 2019.
- The delay in the provision of the replacement segregation/care and separation/reintegration unit, which has been needed for six years and remains unfit for purpose.
- The overall accommodation provision in the prison is below acceptable HMPPS standards, with significant remedial work or replacement needed for several units, and issues with heating, ventilation, and lack of secure storage.
- The severe reduction in frontline staffing to 130 staff daily, coupled with a 12% churn rate and the absence of crucial personal and professional development training for officers.
- The persistently high rates of missed healthcare appointments (DNAs) across dentistry (55%), nurse practitioners (28%), and GP surgery (24%), indicating a serious waste of resources and missed opportunities.
- The ongoing problem of property complaints, which account for nearly 30% of Board applications, indicating a systemic issue with property management and a lack of respect for prisoners' belongings.