Source · IMB Annual Report
Pentonville
Year: 2022
Published: 24 Aug 2022
Type: Prison · Cat B, C, YOI
Population: 1,043
Recommendations: 14
Key concerns
Positive findings
Pentonville, a Category B/C YOI, operated with an average population of 1,043 against an operational capacity of 1,000, facing severe overcrowding and infrastructure issues. The reporting year was marked by significant staff shortages, leading to a restricted regime with many prisoners locked in cells for nearly 23 hours a day, hampering rehabilitation efforts. Key concerns include dilapidated buildings, disrupted mental health services, a critical gap in resettlement support for remand prisoners, and an underperforming Offender Management Unit. Positively, the prison saw success with its new drug-free wing and continued effective Covid-19 management.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 3 | 2 |
| Self-harm incidents | 564 | — |
| ACCT cases opened | 659 | 774 |
| Prisoner assaults | 327 | — |
| Assaults on staff | 201 | — |
| Use of force | 711 | 976 |
| Drug finds | 303 | — |
Positive findings
The launch of a drug-free wing has been an impressive success, allowing prisoners in recovery to avoid drug culture. Initiatives like online co-education and the Time4Change programme are beacons of excellence, alongside outstanding chaplaincy and vital resettlement services from partners. Staff demonstrated compassion and robustly managed Covid-19, and efforts for a neurodiverse wing have been noteworthy.
Key concerns
Estate/Conditions
The lack of privacy and cramped conditions, with men still forced to share cells designed for single occupancy, are not decent or humane. This situation is exacerbated by the crumbling fabric of the buildings, leading to vermin infestations and recurrent failures of heating and hot water.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Many prisoners are locked up for almost 23 hours a day under the Structured On-Wing Activity (SOWA) regime, which offers significantly less time out of cell than pre-Covid times. This, combined with wing-based activity, severely limits opportunities for education, training, and rehabilitation.
Staffing
Persistent staff shortages and low morale have led to the curtailment of the regime and an almost complete lack of key work, denying prisoners important support and causing significant frustration.
Mental Health
Mental health services are severely disrupted with a three-month waiting list, and the award-winning wellbeing centre remains massively under-utilised, indicating low expectations for its use.
Resettlement/Release
There is a critical gap in resettlement services for remanded prisoners, who now comprise nearly 75% of the population, as many agencies are not contracted to work with them.
Complaints/Property
The poor performance of the Offender Management Unit consistently leaves prisoners without basic and crucial information about their sentences, parole, and release dates for weeks or even months.
Substance Misuse
Drugs and other contraband remain ubiquitous in the prison, contributing to problems of debt-related violence which pose a constant threat to safety.
Equality/Diversity
Black and minority ethnic prisoners and young adults (YAs) are disproportionately overrepresented in use of force incidents, adjudications, and segregation, requiring further exploration and targeted support.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Given the major (infra)structural problems at Pentonville and overcrowding, how does the minister justify the instruction to the Governor to continue to increase the population? | Ministry of Justice | |
| 2 | When will you invest more in the fabric of the prison to provide a safe, decent and rehabilitative environment? | Ministry of Justice | |
| 3 | Will you commit to providing the necessary resources for the Governor to increase opportunities for education and activities in order to minimise the number of men who are locked up for almost 23 hours a day? | Ministry of Justice | |
| 4 | Will you commit to provide increased staffing to allow those who do not wish to engage in education or activities to be out of their cells for at least an hour morning and afternoon? | Ministry of Justice | |
| 5 | When will you invest in pay for prison staff in order to increase recruitment and retention rates? | Ministry of Justice | |
| 6 | Remanded prisoners are given few services to assist them with their release: given the big increase in the number of prisoners on remand, when will you address this critical gap in resettlement services? | Ministry of Justice | |
| 7 | Will the Prison Service increase the capacity of offending behaviour programmes and interventions at Pentonville, so that prisoners can benefit from these without needing to transfer to another prison? | HMPPS | |
| 8 | Will you introduce more initiatives (like Graduates Unlocked) to help raise the calibre of people applying to be prison officers? | HMPPS | |
| 9 | Property transfer between prisons, and systems regulating how much property prisoners may have, appear to be unworkable and unenforceable: will the Prison Service overhaul these at a national level? | HMPPS | |
| 10 | Will you commit to a detailed review of the impact of the wing-based provision of education and activities on opportunities for all prisoners to engage in activities that are central to rehabilitation? | Governor / Director | |
| 11 | Will you commission a robust interrogation of the allocations process for activities to ensure that it serves prisoners and teaching staff better? | Governor / Director | |
| 12 | Will you undertake a comprehensive overhaul of the property store and systems at Pentonville to improve this function for the decency of prisoners (and to avoid wasting unnecessary staff time)? | Governor / Director | |
| 13 | What systems will you put in place to ensure both that the offender management unit’s performance never falls to the unacceptable levels of the past year ever again, and that prisoners will get prompt and accurate information, in particular about sentence calculation/release dates? | Governor / Director | |
| 14 | How will you improve physical access to the library for men who are on wings without direct access? | Governor / Director |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (including transfers) | 45 | 38 |
| Canteen | 12 | 10 |
| Care and separation unit | 7 | 3 |
| Discrimination | 1 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2 | 3 |
| Education | 11 | 6 |
| Employment/activity | 22 | 14 |
| Equality | 2 | 0 |
| Healthcare | 75 | 39 |
| Incentives and earned privileges | 0 | 1 |
| Legal | 16 | 10 |
| Letters/phone calls | 20 | 14 |
| OMU/release/parole | 30 | 15 |
| Other | 30 | 16 |
| Property | 95 | 43 |
| Staff behaviour | 12 | 5 |
| TOTAL | 401 | 230 |
| Violence/safety | 10 | 7 |
| Visits | 11 | 6 |
| Work opportunities | 0 | 0 |
Related inspections & investigations
16 Mar 2026
HMIP · IRP
16 Jul 2025
HMIP · Urgent Notification
30 Jun 2025
HMIP · Unannounced
11 Apr 2023
HMIP · IRP
11 Jul 2022
HMIP · Unannounced
11 Mar 2026
PFD
Peter Campbell · This report is being sent to: HM Prison & Probation Service | Phoenix Futures | Practice Plus Group
Other reports for Pentonville
Report details
- Establishment
- Pentonville
- Type
- Prison · Cat B, C, YOI
- Report year
- 2022
- Published
- 24 August 2022
- Responsible body
- HMP Pentonville
- Recommendations
- 14
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 1 — Serious concern
Population
| Population | 1,043 |
| Operational capacity | 1,000 |
| CNA (designed for) | 909 115% |
| Time out of cell | 1.2h/day |
Service providers
Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC)
Penrose (sub-contracted by MTCNovo via the London CRC); from June 2021, the pre-release team
Education
Novus
Escort contractor
Serco
Gym qualifications
Active IQ
Healthcare and pharmacy
Practice Plus
Housing resettlement
St Mungo’s
Maintenance
Government Facility Services Ltd
Mental health
Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust NHS
Resettlement support
Only Connect, Switchback, StandOut
Substance misuse programme
Building Futures
Visitors’ centre
Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact)