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Bullingdon

AI-generated report summary HMP Bullingdon faced chronic overcrowding and significant staff shortages, which impacted safety, regime delivery, and staff-prisoner relationships throughout the reporting year. While healthcare provision was generally good and improvements were seen in some areas like equality data analysis and IT systems, challenges such as high violence, drug availability, and prisoner churn hindering progression persisted. The Board highlighted a continuing high number of self-harm incidents, though a recent decline was noted.

Year: 2022 Published: 2 Dec 2022 Type: Prison · Cat local Population: 1,062 Recommendations: 10 Key concerns Positive findings
Original IMB report page ↗ Ministerial response · 31 Jan 2023 ↗

Safety statistics

Incidents during reporting year
IndicatorThis yearPrevious
Deaths in custody67
Self-harm incidents889979
Drug finds495—

Positive findings

AI-generated summary
The Board welcomed the continued success of the body and airport scanners in curbing drug entry and improvements in equality and diversity data collection. Healthcare provision was noted as generally good, improving, and well-managed, with proactive staff recruitment. Benefits from the Reducing Reoffending Accelerator (RRA) project were felt, improving guidance for prisoners and bringing in employers. A reduction in mental health cases unsuited for prison care and a decrease in self-harm incidents were observed, attributed to effective safety intervention meetings, expanded key work, and enhanced mental health services. The prison's IT systems have been upgraded, and a new initiative for regular cell checks by governors was introduced to improve decency. Drug and alcohol rehabilitation services maintained a good level despite staffing pressures.

Key concerns

7 items
Overcrowding Repeated The prison continues to be chronically overcrowded, despite repeated representations by the Board that the overcrowding is unacceptable. There are 521 cells designed for single occupancy, most of which are occupied by two prisoners. Overcrowding also puts great pressure on communal spaces and facilities. It is incompatible with the fair and decent treatment of prisoners.
Staffing There is an increasing shortage of staff in the prison and the number of resignations is up on the previous year.
Staffing The proportion of staff with limited experience has increased compared with the previous reporting year.
Substance Misuse There continues to be a problem with the availability and use of drugs. This is despite the strenuous efforts which were made in the reporting year on the part of the prison.
Resettlement/Release The increasing churn of prisoners has meant that in many cases prisoners are not able to progress from unskilled work to skilled work, or if they do, to finish any training courses that they undertake as part of that skilled work. Similarly, in a number of cases prisoners have been unable to complete education courses owing to transfer or release.
Safety Repeated It is possible that the chronic staff shortages will begin to have a greater impact on the safety and stability of the prison. Levels of violence are still far too high (see 4.3.1).
Safety Repeated The key issue for the prison has been the continuing high number of cases of self-harm.

Recommendations

10 items · 3 repeated

Recommendation 1

Addressee: Ministry of Justice

The prison continues to be chronically overcrowded, despite repeated representations by the Board that the overcrowding is unacceptable. There are 521 cells designed for single occupancy, most of which are occupied by two prisoners. Overcrowding also puts great pressure on communal spaces and facilities. It is incompatible with the fair and decent treatment of prisoners. Does the minister consider this to be acceptable?

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Overcrowding

Recommendation 1

Addressee: HMPPS

The proportion of staff with limited experience has increased compared with the previous reporting year. What steps can the Prison Service take to ensure that the numbers of experienced staff are maintained at adequate levels?

Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Staffing

Recommendation 1

Addressee: Governor / Director

There is an increasing shortage of staff in the prison. Some of the shortage can be attributed to absences of staff who have resigned in the course of the reporting year. What steps can the Governor take to address this problem?

Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Staffing

Recommendation 2

Addressee: Ministry of Justice

There is an increasing shortage of staff in the prison and the number of resignations is up on the previous year. What steps will the minister be taking to address the staff shortage problem?

Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Staffing

Recommendation 2

Addressee: HMPPS

There continues to be a problem with the availability and use of drugs. This is despite the strenuous efforts which were made in the reporting year on the part of the prison. What further steps can the Prison Service take to address the availability and use of drugs in the prison?

Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Substance Misuse

Recommendation 2

Addressee: Governor / Director

There continues to be a high proportion of staff with limited experience. In some instances, these staff have no experience of the prison regime before Covid. How will the Governor ensure that these staff receive further appropriate training so that they can carry out their duties effectively?

Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Staffing

Recommendation 3

Addressee: HMPPS

The increasing churn of prisoners has meant that in many cases prisoners are not able to progress from unskilled work to skilled work, or if they do, to finish any training courses that they undertake as part of that skilled work. Similarly, in a number of cases prisoners have been unable to complete education courses owing to transfer or release. What steps can the Prison Service take to address this problem?

Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Resettlement

Recommendation 3

Addressee: Governor / Director

There continues to be a problem with the availability and use of drugs. This is despite the strenuous efforts which were made in the reporting year on the part of the prison. What further steps can the Governor take to address the availability and use of drugs in the prison?

Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Substance Misuse

Recommendation 4

Addressee: Governor / Director

What plans does the Governor have to address the continuing high levels of violence in the prison?

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Safety

Recommendation 5

Addressee: Governor / Director

What plans does the Governor have to address the continuing high number of cases of self-harm in the prison?

Repeated Source text verified

Recorded status:

Topic: Safety

Applications to the IMB

CategoryCurrentPrevious
Accommodation (including laundry; clothing and ablutions) 37 35
Adjudications 5 8
Canteen, Facility List, Catalogues 43 22
Education, Employment and Training (including IEP) 19 11
Equality and diversity 4 9
Family, Visits, Mail and Phone 87 38
Finance and Pay 16 11
Food and Kitchens 21 16
Health 110 114
Misc. including Complaints System and Regime 52 45
Property during transfer or in another establishment or location 29 36
Property within the establishment 58 45
Sentence mgt. including HDC ROTL, parole release date, categorization 62 54
Staff/prisoner concerns including bullying 81 90
Transfers 20 9

Related inspections & investigations

13 Apr 2026 HMIP · IRP
28 Jul 2025 HMIP · Unannounced Safety 2 · Respect 2 · Activity 1 · Release 2
24 Oct 2022 HMIP · Unannounced
— PPO fatal incident Kenneth Shotter
— PPO fatal incident Garrick Pierson · Self-inflicted
— PPO fatal incident Rikki Brackett
— PPO fatal incident Mark Williams
11 Sep 2023 PPO fatal incident Colin Black · Other non-natural
21 Jul 2014 PFD Marcin Stoga · State Custody related deaths

Other reports for Bullingdon

2025 Published 26 Nov 2025 Population 1,066 · Self-harm 753 · Concerns
2024 Published 9 Jan 2025 Population 902 · Concerns
2023 Published 14 Dec 2023 · Self-harm 634 · Concerns
2021 Published 1 Dec 2021 Population 1,034 · Self-harm 916 · Concerns
2020 Published 27 Oct 2020 Population 1,057 · Self-harm 599 · Concerns