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Independent Monitoring Boards annual report

Onley

Report year 2023 Published 8 Aug 2023 Type Prison, category C Population 740 Responsible body HMP Onley 10 recommendations

Original IMB report page ↗ Ministerial response, 1 Nov 2023 ↗ imb.org.uk ↗

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 Onley, a Category C training and resettlement prison, faced significant challenges primarily due to persistent officer staff shortages during the reporting year. These shortages severely impacted the daily regime, key work delivery, access to education and workshops, and overall purposeful activity, leading to prisoners spending prolonged periods in their cells. The Board also raised concerns about illicit substances, food quality, and delays in prisoner property, while commending positive staff-prisoner relationships and efforts in resettlement and employment on release.

Positive findings

Summary written by this site (AI-generated)
The Board observed positive relationships between staff and prisoners, and cell bell response times improved during the reporting year. A full shower refurbishment was completed, and in-cell telephony was well received. The complaints process was managed well with 97% of complaints responded to within five working days. The Board commended the achievement of 16% employment on release, despite challenges. Accommodation repairs were effectively managed, and segregation reviews were conducted respectfully by experienced, professional staff. By the end of the reporting year, the kitchen was almost fully staffed.

Recommendations

All 10 recommendations

Key concerns

All 18 key concerns

Recommendations 10 items · 8 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.

Recommendation 1

Addressee: Other, minister · Topic: Staffing · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation
What further assistance can be given to recruitment in an area where employment levels are high and salaries are slightly above the national average, to address staff shortages that have an impact on all areas of the establishment and the daily life of the prisoners?

Wording differs from source

Recommendation 2

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Estate · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation
Can a date be given for when the capital bid for replacement windows, approved in 2019, will be carried out?

Wording differs from source

Recommendation 3

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Food

Recommendation
Will there be any review of the food budget, which appears insufficient to ensure that prisoner meals are of a sufficient quality and quantity?

Wording differs from source

Recommendation 4

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Education · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation
What additional support can be made available to increase the number of qualified instructors, given that a lack of instructors has had an impact on available workshop spaces?

Wording differs from source

Recommendation 5

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Staffing · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation (the Board's words)
What further support can be provided to ensure key work is delivered consistently and to a high standard for all prisoners despite the shortage of prison officers?

Source text verified

Recommendation 6

Addressee: HMPPS · Topic: Other · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation
How will you ensure that the situation regarding the loss or delay of prisoner property is improved, given it remains a problem and a main area of complaint despite the introduction of the Prisoners’ Property Framework?

Wording differs from source

Recommendation 7

Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Regime · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation (the Board's words)
When is it envisaged that a full and sustainable regime will be available to all prisoners in HMP Onley?

Source text verified

Recommendation 8

Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Other · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation (the Board's words)
What action can be taken to ensure there is improvement in the management and processing of property and that it is issued to prisoners in a timely manner?

Source text verified

Recommendation 9

Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Substance Misuse

Recommendation (the Board's words)
When will there be a return to full mandatory drug testing (MDT)?

Source text verified

Recommendation 10

Addressee: Governor / Director · Topic: Staffing · Repeated from a previous year

Recommendation
What local actions are underway to improve officer staffing levels, given that prison officer shortages impacted on the daily life of prisoners and on the implementation of key work as intended in the offender management in custody (OMiC) model?

Wording differs from source

Key concerns 18 items

Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.

Key concern 1

Substance Misuse

Illicit substances were still prevalent in the prison despite enhanced security measures.

Key concern 2

Safety

The enhanced gate security (EGS) was not always operational due to staff shortages. This meant staff and visitors were not always searched.

Key concern 3

Mental Health

Poor mental health, frustration with the regime and debt issues were main triggers for self-harm.

Key concern 4

Staffing · Repeated from a previous year

The key work system was severely affected by officer staff shortages.

Key concern 5

Food/Catering

Food supply chain issues and kitchen staff shortages raised concerns over food quality, healthy options, portion sizes and choices.

Key concern 6

Regime/Time Out of Cell

The Board was concerned about the amount of time prisoners remained in their cells.

Key concern 7

Healthcare · Repeated from a previous year

There was an absence of in-cell lockers for prisoners taking in-cell prescription (ICP) medicines.

Key concern 8

Education/Purposeful Activity · Repeated from a previous year

Access to education, library services and workshops was affected by officer staff shortages and a part-time working regime.

Key concern 9

Staffing · Repeated from a previous year

Instructor staff shortages contributed to a lack of available workspaces for the prison population.

Key concern 10

Staffing · Repeated from a previous year

Officer shortages on the wings meant that prisoners did not always receive regular key work sessions.

Key concern 11

Staffing · Repeated from a previous year

Staff shortages had an impact on all areas of the establishment and the daily life of the prisoners.

Key concern 12

Estate/Conditions · Repeated from a previous year

Cell windows remain not fit for purpose and their replacement is needed.

Key concern 13

Food/Catering

The food budget appears insufficient to ensure that prisoner meals are of a sufficient quality and quantity.

Key concern 14

Complaints/Property · Repeated from a previous year

The loss or delay of prisoner property is a problem and a main area of complaint despite the introduction of the Prisoners’ Property Framework.

Key concern 15

Segregation · Repeated from a previous year

Recategorised prisoners are still waiting in the CSU far too long prior to a transfer to a B category establishment.

Key concern 16

Resettlement/Release · Repeated from a previous year

Still some delays in prisoners gaining access to TSP which is delaying D category eligibility.

Key concern 17

Estate/Conditions · Repeated from a previous year

The poor state of the windows in the older parts of the prison.

Key concern 18

Mental Health · Repeated from a previous year

Lack of access to professional counselling services or talking therapies.

Source wording under review

Safety statistics

Incidents during the reporting year.

IndicatorThis yearPrevious
Deaths in custody0not recorded
Self-harm incidents223227
ACCT cases opened185188
Prisoner assaults8083
Assaults on staff6770
Use of force343332

Population

Population740
CNA (designed for)742 (100% occupied)

Applications to the IMB

CategoryCurrentPrevious
Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions 10 18
Canteen, facility list, catalogues 8 11
Confidential Access 8 12
Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions 3 10
Equality 0 0
Finance, including pay, private monies, spends 3 3
Food and kitchens 12 12
Health, including physical, mental, social care 34 44
Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions 17 17
Miscellaneous 87 52
Property during transfer or in another facility 107 146
Property within the establishment 33 24
Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell 11 22
Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation 49 67
Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying 61 37
Transfers 24 34

Report details

Establishment
Onley
Type
Prison, category C
Report year
2023
Published
8 August 2023
Responsible body
HMP Onley
Recommendations
10
MoJ rating (2025/26)
2, Concern

Service providers

ServiceProvider
EducationPeoplePlus
Escort contractorAmey
Healthcare and pharmacyPractice Plus Group
LibraryPeoplePlus
MaintenanceAmey Estates
OpticiansPrison Optical Trust
Resettlement supportEast of England
Substance misuse programmeForward Trust
Visitors’ centrePrison Advice and Care Trust (Pact)

Related inspections and investigations

HMIP inspection, 6 Jan 2026

IRP

HMIP inspection, 6 May 2025

Unannounced · Safety 2 · Respect 2 · Activity 1 · Release 2

HMIP inspection, 6 Jun 2022

Unannounced

Stephen Gedge

PPO fatal incident · 9 Sep 2024 · Natural causes

Other reports for Onley

2026

Published 15 Jul 2026 · Self-harm 416 · Key concerns recorded

2025

Published 24 Jul 2025 · Population 737 · Self-harm 393 · Key concerns recorded

2024

Published 2 Aug 2024 · Population 726 · Self-harm 258 · Key concerns recorded

2022

Published 26 Jul 2022 · Population 650 · Self-harm 227 · Key concerns recorded

2021

Published 20 Jul 2021 · Population 645 · Self-harm 184 · Key concerns recorded

2020

Published 28 Apr 2020 · Population 730 · Self-harm 319 · Key concerns recorded