HMP BRIXTON Prison Regime Info

Online Library documents for HMP BRIXTON

UNLOCKING TIMES

Mon: 08:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 17:00
Tue: 08:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 17:00
Wed: 08:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 17:00
Thu: 08:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 17:00
Fri: 08:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 17:00
Sat: 08:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 17:00
Sun: 08:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 17:00
 

ASSOCIATION

Each residential block has morning or afternoon Association sessions but there is no evening Association

HEALTH & SPORTS

There is no sports field but Brixton has an Astroturf area.

Sports available include;

• Basketball
• Circuit Training
• Over 40s
• Over 50s
• Remedial
• Soccer
• Soft Tennis
• Volleyball
• Weight Training

LIBRARY

1 hour twice a week.

FAITH

Every prison has a Chaplaincy department managed by a Co-ordinating Chaplain and supported by admin staff, other Chaplains and ‘Sessional Chaplains’ (faith leaders who visit for specific services or sessions). The Chaplaincy is considered an important part of the prison structure. When a prisoner arrives at a prison they are usually seen by a Chaplain within 24 hours and are invited to register as a specific religion (if they haven’t already done so) and can change their declared religion at any time.

The Chaplaincy does far more than just pastoral care; they often are able to lend radios, musical instruments and typewriters; they may take part in Sentence Planning and are available as a ‘listening ear’ and are able, sometimes, to help with domestic problems. Most Chaplaincies run various courses and activities which may or may not have a religious theme. Every prisoner has the right to follow their religious practices and attend Chapel for services pertaining to their declared faith (even when segregated).

The Chaplaincy are able to organise faith activities for all main religions (as recognised by the Prison Service; this does not, at present include Rastafarian as a specific religion) and contact faith representatives to visit individual or groups of prisoners for the purpose of religious activities. The chaplaincy can also intercede on matters of religious dress, diet and artefacts. A full list of permitted artefacts can be found in the Glossary Section under Religious Artefacts.

You can contact the Chaplaincy by letter or by telephoning the main prison number and asking to speak to the Chaplaincy. The Chaplaincy works as part of the prison and cannot, therefore, guarantee confidentiality (they can explain this to you in detail). Prisoners can contact the Chaplaincy in person or by Application.

Chaplaincy Statement of Purpose (HMPS)
The Chaplaincy is committed to serving the needs of prisoners, staff and religious traditions by engaging all human experience. We will work collaboratively, respecting the integrity of each tradition and discipline. We believe that faith and the search for meaning directs and inspires life, and are committed to providing sacred spaces and dedicated teams to deepen and enrich human experience. We contribute to the care of prisoners to enable them to lead law-abiding and useful lives in custody and after release.

The Co-ordinating Chaplain at Brixton is: Phil Chadder

Full-time Anglican, Catholic and Muslim Chaplains, Part-time Free Church Chaplain

Facilities for: Buddhist, Hindu, Jehovah Witness, Jewish, Mormon, Orthodox Christian, Quakers, Sikh
 

HEALTHCARE

Healthcare services are delivered by a consortium led by Care UK, including the South
London and Maudsley NHS FoundationTrust (SLaM), with pharmacy and other services
provided by Lambeth Community Health, and dental services by Weymouth Group.

NHS Lambeth (the Primary Care Trust) is the commissioner and holds the contract with Care UK, which was recently extended to 2013.

Visiting Specialists

• CPN
• Dentist
• InReach
• Optician
• Physio
• Podiatry
• Stop Smoking

Nearest Hospital

Kings College Hospital

Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS

Tel: 020 3299 9000
2 miles

NHS Healthcare Information for Brixton

Prison Healthcare Manager: Mr Taps Mutakati

Tel: 020 8588 6119

Offender Health Commissioning Manager
Loraine Rossati
Mental Health & Adults Team, Strategy & Services Directorate, NHS Lambeth
Tel: 020 3049 4261

offenderhealth@lambethpct.nhs.uk

If anybody has comments or complaints about healthcare at HMP Brixton they should contact Ms Rossati directly.

PCT: Lambeth Primary Care Trust
London Strategic Health Authority

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS is there to help when you need advice, or wish to make a complaint. As a patient, relative or carer PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have about any aspect of your NHS care.

The service aims to:
• advise and support patients, their families and carers
• provide information on NHS services
• listen to your concerns, suggestions or queries
• help sort out problems quickly on your behalf

PALS acts independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and where appropriate, relevant organisations to negotiate prompt solutions. If necessary they can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.

Contact Information
These contact details are just for PALS.
Please DO NOT send confidential or other patient information to this contact address.

Monday-Friday, 09:00 -17:00
Tel: 0800 587 8078
Fax: 020 3049 4355
Email: pals@lambethpct.nhs.uk

Lambeth PALS,
1 Lower Marsh,
London
SE1 7NT.

There is also a Dental Helpline for ALL NHS dental enquiries: 01702 226668
 

EDUCATION

EDUCATION PROVIDER
Kensington and Chelsea College
Hortensia Road, London SW19 0QS
Tel: 020 7573 3600

Career Information & Advice Services (CIAS)
Prospects Services Ltd
Prospects House, 19 Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 1LT
Tel: 020 8315 1500
 

Most courses lead to nationally recognised qualifications. All take place in a newly refurbished Learning and Skills centre.

Classes available include;

• Art
• Basic Education
• Computer Studies
• English
• Key Skills
• Language
• Life and Social Skills
• Literacy
• Maths
• Music
• Numeracy
• Open University

OFSTED INSPECTION

OFSTED inspect education establishments from schools to colleges to prisons. They inspect education facilities within prisons and have inspected HMP Brixton.

Inspection judgements
Inspectors use a four-point scale to summarise their judgements about achievement and standards, the quality of provision, and leadership and management, which includes a grade for equality of opportunity.

Key for inspection grades

• Grade 1 Outstanding;
• Grade 2 Good;
• Grade 3 Satisfactory;
• Grade 4 Inadequate.

Click Here for further information on how inspection judgements are made.

Scope of the inspection
In deciding the scope of the inspection, inspectors take account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and comments from the local Learning and Skills Council (LSC) or other funding body. Where appropriate, inspectors also consider the previous inspection report , reports from the inspectorates’ monitoring visits, and data on learners and their achievements over the period since the previous inspection.

OFSTED NUMBER: 52255

Last inspection: 28/04/2008

Summary of grades awarded

Effectiveness of provision: Grade 2
Capacity to improve: Grade 2
Achievement and standards: Grade 2
Employability training: Grade 2
Literacy, numeracy and ESOL: Grade 2
Personal development and social integration: Grade 2
Quality of provision Good: Grade 2
Employability training: Grade 2
Literacy, numeracy and ESOL: Grade 2
Personal development and social integration: Grade 2
Leadership and management: Grade 2
Equality of opportunity: Grade 2

To read their report click here.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

There are no traditional workshops.

Employment available includes;

• Catering
• Laundry
• Sports Studies

Accredited vocational qualifications are available in;

• Art and Computer Graphics
• Health & Safety Training
• Information and Computer Technology
• Radio Production
• Support/Advice and Guidance

Unitisation (approved external qualification) Level 2, Preparation for Life and Work (SSA 14) - Numeracy

Current Wages

Employed: £3.15 - £25.00
Education: £1 per session
Retired: £3.50
Long term sick: £3.50
 

OFFENCE FOCUSED COURSES

• Alcohol Awareness
• Drug Awareness
• Enhanced Thinking Skills (ETS)
• P-ASRO
• Self-Injury Groups
• Short Duration Programme (Drugs)
• Short Motivational Package

RESETTLEMENT

• ADFAM
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Cocaine Anonymous
• Electric Radio Brixton
• Narcotics Anonymous
• New Bridge
• PACT (Prison Advice & Care Trust)
• St. Giles Trust

• Job club
• Job Centre+

FAMILY DAYS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

PRISON PERFORMANCE
Ministry of Justice Performance Rating for this prison: 3
This is on a scale from 1 (serious concerns) to 4 (Exceptional) and is worked out by the Ministry of Justice taking into account 34 criteria such as overcrowding, purposeful activities etc. A score of 3 is considered a good performance. Published quarterly.

Average weekly hours of Purposeful Activity: 17.1 (2010)
This figure is supplied by each prison to the Prison Service. Actual hours are usually dependent on activities etc. and should be taken as the maximum time either in workshops or education over a whole week.

Both of these figures are published retrospectively by the MoJ and HMPS and may have changed since the figures were published but they give a simple comparison between prisons.

PRISON BUDGET
Annual Budget: £18,700,000 (2011-12)*
Approx cost per prisoner place (2010): £38,527

*The annual budget allocated to the governor covers all major costs of running the prison but excludes most costs related to education and healthcare.
  

Parliamentary Information
CONSTITUENCY: Streatham
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: Chuka Umunna (Labour)

Prisoners may write to either their ‘Home MP’ or the MP in whose constituency their current prison lies.
The address to write to is:
House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

Local Authority
London Borough of Lambeth
Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, London SW2 1RW
Tel: 020 7926 1000

Click Here for link

You can contact the local authority on matters such as libraries, environmental health, trading standards, food hygiene, social services, education and electoral registration.

Trading Standards
The nearest Trading Standards department is at:
Trading Standards, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, London SW2 1RW
Tel: 08454 04 05 06
Click Here for link

Trading Standards can help with problems with purchases such as weights and measures, ‘best by’ dates, pricing & faulty goods.

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephones
Most prisons now have PIN phones. Your relative or friend usually needs to apply to have your name and number on his/her telephone account. You will usually receive a call from the prison to check who you are and to ensure you are happy for them to call you. Prisoners cannot receive telephone calls.

There is no restriction on who prisoners can call except in the case of calls to journalists intended to be broadcast. In some cases child protection measures may mean extra checks on who they call.

Prisoners can normally make calls only during ‘association’ periods. Some prisons limit the length of time a call can last to avoid queues and people being disappointed. Prisoners’ telephone calls are very expensive; calls to landlines now cost 10p per minute and 37.5 p to mobiles (compared to 2p in a public phone box). In most prisons the phone calls can be listened to and/or recorded.

In general prisoners phone calls follow the same rules as for letters in as far as who can be contacted and what can be said. If the rules are broken the prison may terminate the call.

If a prisoner is newly convicted or transferred they should be offered an immediate ‘Reception’ phone call to tell you where they are. It may take a few days for numbers to be transferred or added.

Letters
When you write to a prisoner you must include your full name and address. In most prisons the letters are searched and can be read before being given to the prisoner.

You can write about anything but letters must not be obscene, name ‘victims’, or be a threat to discipline or security. Do not enclose any items with letters. Make sure you put sufficient postage to cover the costs (anything bigger than A5 counts as ‘large’). Prisoners can normally receive a ‘reasonable’ number of letters per week.

If you send greetings cards these should be of reasonable size and not padded or pouched. Do not send musical cards. If you are sending more than one card put them all inside one outer envelope, this saves postage. Remember to include your full details (you could put your details on a ‘Post-It’ note stuck to the card or include a letter which has your details).

Always put the prisoner’s full name and prison number. If the person has been moved their mail will be forwarded.

On conviction or transfer a prisoner should be given a ‘Reception’ letter to write to tell you where they are.
Prisoners are given a free letter each week to post out, they can send more, but at their own expense. Some prisons allow you to send in stamps.

You can send stamped address envelopes (address to yourself), for the prisoner to reply, to any prisoner in any prison.

Prisoners are not allowed to send you letters or information to be posted on social networking internet sites.

Remember all letters are opened and checked and may be read.

Full information about prisoners’ correspondence can be found in Prison Service Instruction 2011-006

Photographs
You can usually send in photographs but in some prisons these must not include any image of the prisoner. Child protection measures may mean that some prisoners may not receive pictures of children, unless they are their own and were not ‘victims’. If you send pictures of children include an explanatory note identifying who the children are and their relationship to the prisoner.

Money
It is not a good idea to send cash, this can get ‘lost’ in the prison. Prisons prefer Postal Orders, but you could send a cheque. Make these payable to ‘H M Prison Service’, write your name on the back and also the prisoner’s full name and prison number. Any money sent which is deemed to be ‘anonymous’ can be stopped.
Money you send is paid into the prisoner’s ‘Private Cash’ account and they get access to a certain amount (depending upon IEP) each week [currently £15.50 for Standard prisoners]. Include your full detail in an accompanying letter or note. It takes about a week for the money to be credited to the prisoner.

Visits
For full information about visits please refer to our ‘Visit Info’ section for this prison. Visits are very important to prisoners. At most prisons you may not give any item to the prisoner. Any items you wish to give them must usually be posted to the prison, and often after the prisoner has placed an ‘application’ for authorisation to have it sent in. The items which can be posted in are very limited. Check with the prisoner first and wait until they confirm that you can post it.

Emergencies
If there is a serious emergency - close family serious illness, death, or other reason you need to inform the prisoner immediately, you should telephone the main prison number and explain the problem to the operator who will transfer you to the appropriate person. If you are unhappy about their response redial and ask to speak to the Chaplaincy. Prison staff will not pass on general messages but only critical and very urgent messages. You should provide full details of the prisoner including their number.

Support and Advice
There are many very good charities and agencies who offer support and advice to people with family or friends in prison. We have a special section ‘Help/Support’ which has details and contact information for many of these. Do not hesitate or feel shy about calling any of these; they are there to offer support and advice.

Prison Video Link (PVL)
All prisons with video link facilities have at least one courtroom and two briefing rooms where the defendant can hold a conference with their solicitor before and, if required, after their court hearing.

If court hearings are not taking place it may be possible for solicitors, barristers and Probation Officers to hold interviews with a prisoner via video link to save having to visit the prison.

The facility is also available to assist the Parole Board in dealing with oral hearings.

It should be noted however that court hearings must take priority. At other times, operational reasons may mean bookings are refused or cancelled at short notice.

To book the Video Link facility telephone: 020 8588 6000 ext 6165
 

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP)

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales (HMI Prisons) is an independent inspectorate which reports on conditions for, and treatment of, those in prisons, young offender institutions and immigration detention facilities. They provide independent scrutiny of the conditions for and treatment of prisoners and other detainees, promoting the concept of 'healthy prisons' in which staff work effectively to support prisoners and detainees to reduce reoffending or achieve other agreed outcomes.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) is appointed from outside the Prison Service, for a term of five years. The Chief Inspector reports to Ministers on the treatment of prisoners and conditions in prisons in England and Wales.

The Inspectorate’s programme of inspection is based on a mixture of chronology and risk assessment. Full inspections run on a five or three year cycle; all unannounced follow-up inspections run on a risk-assessed basis.

Full inspections
Prison establishments holding adults and young adults are inspected once every five years. Establishments holding juveniles are inspected every three years. This type of inspection lasts for at least one week. The Inspectorate collects information from many sources, including the people who work there, the people who are imprisoned or detained there, and visitors or others with an interest in the establishment. Inspection findings are reported back to the establishment’s managers. Reports are published within 16 weeks of inspection. The establishment is then expected to produce an action plan, based on the recommendations made within the report, within a short period following publication.

Full follow-up inspections
Follow-up inspections are unannounced and proportionate to risk. In full follow-up inspections inspectors assess progress made and undertake in-depth analysis of areas of serious concern identified in the previous full inspection, particularly on safety and respect.

Short follow-up inspections
Short follow-up inspections are also unannounced and conducted where the previous full inspection and their intelligence systems suggest that there are comparatively fewer concerns.

Escort inspections
Three escort inspections are conducted every year.

Pre-inspection visit
One month prior to each full announced inspection, an inspector will visit the establishment to plan the inspection and request a range of preliminary information. In addition, researchers will attend to conduct a confidential survey of a representative proportion of the prisoner population. Results from the prisoner survey are provided for inspectors prior to the inspection and constitute an important source of evidence.

The inspection
All inspections are conducted against the Inspectorate's published inspection criteria, 'Expectations'. Expectations' are based on international human rights standards, as well as Prison Service Orders and Standards, and over all issues considered essential to the safe, respectful and purposeful treatment of prisoners in custody and their effective resettlement.
'Expectations' is the document which sets out the detailed criteria HMI Prisons uses to appraise and inspect prisons. These criteria are used to examine every area of prison life, from reception to resettlement, including;

• safer custody
• health services
• good order
• work
• diversity
• resettlement

The concept of a healthy prison is one that was first set out by the World Health Organisation, but it has been developed by this Inspectorate, and is now widely accepted as a definition of what ought to be provided in any custodial environment. It rests upon four key tests:

• safety: prisoners, even the most vulnerable, are held safely
• respect: prisoners are treated with respect for their human dignity
• purposeful activity: prisoners are able, and expected, to engage in activity that is likely to benefit them
• resettlement: prisoners are prepared for release into the community, and helped to reduce the likelihood of reoffending

Post-inspection action
Inspection reports are published within 16 weeks of the inspection. Prior to publication, the Prison Service (or whoever is responsible for the establishment) is invited to correct any factual inaccuracies within the report. The establishment is then expected to produce an action plan, based on the recommendations made in the report, within two months of publication. A progress report on the action plain is produced after a further 12 months.

HMCIP REPORT
Last Inspection by HMCIP: 1–10 December 2010 - unannounced full follow-up inspection
Report Dated: February 2011
Published: May 2011

They said:
“HMP Brixton is an overcrowded, Victorian, local prison on a small, inner London site. Its certified normal capacity is just over 500 prisoners but, at the time of this follow-up inspection, the average number of prisoners held was between 725 and 775. Many men doubled up in cells built for one.

“ The prison predominantly served the courts of south London, and dealt with about 90 new receptions each week. Half of the prisoners it held were un-sentenced and most had been in the prison for less than three months. Two out of five of the prisoners we surveyed said they had a drug problem when they came into the prison – many more than in comparable prisons and more than when we last inspected Brixton.

“ Despite these challenges, Brixton had improved since our last inspection. Some of these improvements were significant. Most importantly, at the time of the inspection, there had been no self-inflicted deaths for three years, compared with seven in the two years before the last inspection. Illicit drug use, though still too high, had reduced; there was no longer a smell of cannabis on the wings. The use of a pest controller meant that the prison’s vermin problem was now more under control.

“ However, the problems that did remain were substantial and it was clear that managers and staff would struggle to maintain what, in many respects, were the minimum of basic standards. Fundamentally, the prison was overcrowded. Many prisoners shared small cells that were dirty and in a poor state of repair. Toilets in the cells were often unscreened. The minimum time anyone could spend in their cell was about 18 hours a day. Many prisoners were locked up for 21 hours a day, and those who had morning association were often locked up from lunchtime (mid-morning) until breakfast the following day. In a very poor environment it is worth noting that the quality of food was good – although served much too early.

“ The lack of time out of cell reflected the prison’s limited space to offer purposeful activity. The education and workshops offered – such as textiles and the prison radio – were often very good, but the amount of activity offered was not nearly enough for the number of prisoners held.

“ Although we observed good, friendly staff-prisoner relationships, prisoner perceptions of their own safety were poor. The personal officer scheme was very limited. The sense from many prisoners was that staff were friendly enough, but they could not always be relied on to resolve problems and trouble. Governance and record keeping around discipline and security was poor. The gatehouse was alarmingly chaotic.

“ Resettlement, however, was an area where the prison made a difference in challenging circumstances. It made energetic use of local community resources, and the highly visible chaplaincy exemplified Brixton’s positive work. Community resources strengthened the prison’s diversity work but this did not extend sufficiently beyond issues of race. There was good work to address prisoner’s offending behaviour and give them the practical assistance they needed to stay of trouble when they left the prison. Brixton was beginning to tie into some London-wide resettlement initiatives; these were promising but needed further development.

“ The most disturbing sight in the prison was the inpatient mental health care. Some young men, who had been sectioned, were waiting for up to six months for a place in a secure mental health hospital. Some cells were in a very poor state of repair with ripped linoleum floors, graffiti on the walls and dirty toilets without seats. The staff we spoke to were concerned about their inability to move some very ill patients to more suitable care. They made a point of introducing us to a distressed prisoner who appeared unable to care for himself in even the most basic way and who was in an extremely disordered cell. It was a disgraceful way to hold someone who was little more than a boy and very sick.

“ Prison capacity is not simply a question of how many prisoners can be squeezed into the beds available. Brixton has simply too many prisoners and is not a suitable site for a busy local prison. As my predecessors have urged before, the purpose and function of Brixton prison should be reviewed and redefined, and the resources required to deliver that purpose and function must be provided.”

Nick Hardwick February 2011
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons

Michael Spurr, Chief Executive Officer of NOMS said;
"I'm pleased that the Chief Inspector has recognised the improvements which have taken place at Brixton since the last inspection. Good quality education and work, and tackling offending behaviour, all reduce the likelihood of re-offending and help to protect the public. The challenges presented by Brixton's physical environment are well-documented, but staff work hard to provide as extensive a regime as possible. I acknowledge the Chief Inspector’s point about the need to provide clarity about the purpose and function and will look to do this."

Click here to read the full report

Previous Report
by HMCIP: May 2008 (Announced Full-Up Inspection)

They said:
“Brixton prison in many ways exemplifies all the problems of our overcrowded prison system. It has old, cramped and vermin-infested buildings, no workshops to provide skills training, and two prisoners eating and living in a cell with an unscreened toilet no more than an arm’s length away. A visit to the top landings of Brixton’s old wings would quickly dispel any notion that our prisons are ‘cushy’.

“At the time of this inspection those problems were exacerbated by the evident availability of drugs within the prison, undermining effective drug treatment and feeding violence and gang cultures. Over half the prisoners at Brixton told us that they had felt unsafe there, and nearly one in three were feeling unsafe at the time of the inspection. Procedures to identify and deal with violence and gang-related activity, and to support vulnerable prisoners, were underdeveloped. Measures to prevent the supply of drugs into the prison were inadequate: there were no drug dogs; there had been limited police and security engagement; positive mandatory drug tests were high; and there was insufficient suspicion, random or voluntary testing.

“Staff were a visible and busy presence on the wings, and related well to prisoners. However, as prisoners told us, they did not appear to take a sufficiently proactive role in supporting those who felt unsafe or challenging intimidatory or inappropriate behaviour. The personal officer scheme was ineffective.

“Despite this, there were some signs of hope and improvement. A new and energetic management team had begun to put in place the systems that the prison needed, and had lacked. The positive approach of staff provided a strong foundation to develop their role – in the same way that diversity, race and the support of foreign national prisoners had been actively and positively promoted.

“Similarly, the education department had improved considerably since the last inspection, and was providing a high quality service for the 30% of prisoners who could access it. However, for the rest, Brixton offered very little indeed. In the absence of any workshops, there was no vocational skills training, and the work that was available – for about half the population at any one time – was low-skilled and menial. Prisoners’ time out of cell was very limited, though commendably regular and consistent. There was no evening association, and an unemployed prisoner could be locked up for 22 hours a day.

“Brixton’s main advantage is its location: within the community to which most prisoners will return. It was therefore somewhat disappointing that relationships with agencies outside the prison, to assist with prisoners’ resettlement, were limited. There were excellent links with some statutory and voluntary drug support schemes, but many of the other resettlement pathways were underdeveloped. Prisoners’ initial needs were not effectively recorded to support custody planning, and pre-release work took place too late to be really effective.

“This will be a disappointing report for the committed management team and the many hardworking staff at Brixton. There are things that can and must be managed better – in particular, the supply of drugs, which requires effective internal management and support from both police and prison security services. However, it is hard to see how Brixton, given its physical limitations, can be transformed into an effective local prison, offering both decency and rehabilitation to its 800 prisoners. Those responsible for offender management in the London area need to decide what role Brixton can and should play in their strategy – perhaps as a resettlement prison for south London - and then ensure that it is resourced for that role. HMP Brixton 6 Without that, Brixton will simply continue to recycle its prisoners and risk demoralising its managers and staff.”

Anne Owers July 2008 HM
Chief Inspector of Prisons

Click here to read the full report

Independent Monitoring Board

By law every prison and immigration removal centre must have an Independent Monitoring Board. IMBs in prisons derive their responsibilities from the Prison Act 1952 (Section 6). Prison Rules dealing with IMBs are numbers; 74 to 80

IMBs were known as ‘Boards of Visitors’ and are still referred to in the legislation under their old titles, although this is likely to change in the near future.

The Independent Monitoring Board for each establishment is made up of independent and unpaid volunteers from the local area. They monitor the day-to-day life in the establishment and ensure that proper standards of care and decency are maintained. Members have unrestricted access to all areas of the prison at all times and can talk to any prisoner they wish, out of sight and hearing of a members of staff. They visit all areas such as; kitchens, workshops, accommodation blocks, recreation areas, healthcare centre and chaplaincy.

If a prisoner or detainee has an issue that they have been unable to resolve through the usual internal channels, they can place a confidential request to see a member of the IMB. Problems might include concerns over lost property, visits from family or friends, special religious or cultural requirements, or even serious allegations such as bullying. In addition, if something serious happens at the prison, for example a riot or a death in custody, IMB members may be called in to attend and observe the way in which it is handled.

IMB members sample food, can attend adjudications and should visit people held in the segregation unit. They must also be kept informed on such issues as the use of restraints.

The IMB meets regularly, usually once per month, and has an elected Chair and Vice Chair. Members work together as a team to raise any matters of concern and to keep an independent eye on the prison.

Last Update: April 2012