The summary and positive findings below were written from the report by an AI model. The Board's own wording is in the report linked above.
Summary
Summary written by this site (AI-generated)
HMP Rye Hill, a Category B training prison primarily for men convicted of sexual offences, housed 661 prisoners at the end of the reporting year. The Board noted positive developments in prisoner-led initiatives, low violence, and improvements in healthcare provision and education efficiency. However, significant concerns persist regarding the progression and anxiety of IPP prisoners, the lack of compassionate releases, inconsistent medication transfers across the prison estate, and inadequate support for sexual offence prisoners transitioning to release.
Positive findings
Summary written by this site (AI-generated)
The induction process and prisoner-led initiatives promoting community and relationships were well-run. Violence and illicit item finds remained low. The new incentives policy is embedded and effective, and key worker sessions met targets. Healthcare saw the introduction of a new integrated provider (Practice Plus Group) and improvements such as a new palliative care cell and a proposed on-site dialysis unit. Purposeful activity was significantly enhanced by a successful Media Hub, and education delivery efficiency improved to 82%. Pilot projects like the 'Building Future Network' are supporting long-sentence and IPP prisoners.
Recommendations 5 items · 3 repeated
Recommendations were extracted from the report by AI, and responses and their status from the ministerial response by AI. Each recommendation shows whether its wording has been checked against the report.
Addressee: Ministry of Justice · Topic: Resettlement · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation (the Board's words)
The Board is aware of the Justice Select Committee’s IPP review and announcements at the end of the reporting period and also the new initiatives Rye Hill is putting in place to support this cohort. However, we are still concerned that they will make little material difference to those with complex needs without dedicated budget provision. The issue of IPP progression has been repeatedly raised in annual reports and the recent decision to not accept the recommendations around re-sentencing and reducing licence periods has increased the anxiety for these prisoners.
Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Healthcare
Recommendation (the Board's words)
The Board is concerned that processes designed to ensure prisoners have sufficient prescribed medication with them when transferring to Rye Hill are not being consistently applied across the prison estate.
Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Healthcare · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation (the Board's words)
The Board is still concerned that not one compassionate release has been agreed despite a number of applications and despite the increase in the number of terminally ill prisoners dying in custody at Rye Hill.
Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Resettlement · Repeated from a previous year
Recommendation (the Board's words)
The Board remains concerned that the movements from Category B to Category C and then to Category D prisons represent a particular problem for prisoners convicted of sexual offences and with the increasing number of direct releases (54 this year against only 20 in 2019/2020 reporting year) frequently leaves them being released with no specialist support.
Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Education
Recommendation (the Board's words)
The Board is concerned over the number of older prisoners who have complained to the IMB about being required to retake English and maths level 1 qualifications to obtain a particular work role because they have no way to prove their qualification/s. We would like to see a balanced approach taken when prisoners are clearly proficient in the skills even when formal certificates cannot be produced.
Key concerns 5 items
Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.
Key concern 1
Resettlement/Release · Repeated from a previous year
The Board is aware of the Justice Select Committee’s IPP review and announcements at the end of the reporting period and also the new initiatives Rye Hill is putting in place to support this cohort. However, we are still concerned that they will make little material difference to those with complex needs without dedicated budget provision. The issue of IPP progression has been repeatedly raised in annual reports and the recent decision to not accept the recommendations around re-sentencing and reducing licence periods has increased the anxiety for these prisoners.
Key concern 2
Healthcare
The Board is concerned that processes designed to ensure prisoners have sufficient prescribed medication with them when transferring to Rye Hill are not being consistently applied across the prison estate.
Key concern 3
Healthcare · Repeated from a previous year
Lack of compassionate releases being agreed despite a number of applications and an increase in terminally ill prisoners dying in custody at Rye Hill.
Key concern 4
Resettlement/Release · Repeated from a previous year
The Board remains concerned that the movements from Category B to Category C and then to Category D prisons represent a particular problem for prisoners convicted of sexual offences and with the increasing number of direct releases (54 this year against only 20 in 2019/2020 reporting year) frequently leaves them being released with no specialist support.
Key concern 5
Education/Purposeful Activity
The Board is concerned over the number of older prisoners who have complained to the IMB about being required to retake English and maths level 1 qualifications to obtain a particular work role because they have no way to prove their qualification/s. We would like to see a balanced approach taken when prisoners are clearly proficient in the skills even when formal certificates cannot be produced.
Safety statistics
Incidents during the reporting year.
Report details
- Establishment
- Rye Hill
- Type
- Prison, category B
- Report year
- 2023
- Published
- 24 August 2023
- Responsible body
- HMP Rye Hill
- Recommendations
- 5
- MoJ rating (2025/26)
- 3, Good
Related inspections and investigations
HMIP inspection, 20 Aug 2024
Unannounced · Safety 4 · Respect 4 · Activity 3 · Release 4
HMIP inspection, 1 Sep 2019
Unannounced
PPO fatal incident · 2 Sep 2004 · Natural causes
PPO fatal incident · 31 Mar 2026 · Natural causes
PPO fatal incident
PPO fatal incident · Natural causes
PPO fatal incident
Prevention of future deaths report · 22 May 2018 · State Custody related deaths
Prevention of future deaths report · 2 Jul 2015 · State Custody related deaths
Other reports for Rye Hill
Published 14 Aug 2026 · Population 1,119 · Self-harm 190 · Key concerns recorded
Published 8 Aug 2025 · Population 840 · Self-harm 235 · Key concerns recorded
Published 13 Sep 2024 · Population 662 · Self-harm 343 · Key concerns recorded
Published 1 Aug 2022 · Population 616 · Self-harm 240 · Key concerns recorded
Published 19 Aug 2021 · Population 656 · Key concerns recorded
Published 19 Aug 2020 · Population 658 · Key concerns recorded