Source · IMB Annual Report
Pentonville
Year: 2020
Published: 9 Sep 2020
Type: Prison · Cat B, C, local, YOI
Population: 1,025
Recommendations: 12
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP/YOI Pentonville, a category B/C local prison, faces significant challenges in providing a safe and rehabilitative environment. While staff demonstrated resilience during COVID-19, and some improvements were made in drug reduction and key working, the prison's deteriorating infrastructure, high levels of violence, and persistent issues with regime delivery severely impacted prisoner welfare and resettlement. The Board highlights a lack of investment, poor maintenance, and inadequate staffing as root causes, resulting in concerns about safety, healthcare access, and purposeful activity.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 6 | 1 |
| Self-harm incidents | 682 | 598 |
| ACCT cases opened | 786 | 742 |
Positive findings
Staff demonstrated heroic efforts and flexibility in response to COVID-19. The prison made good progress in tackling drug problems through a coherent strategy and increased dog finds. Key working was successfully restarted in January 2020. The Wellbeing Centre received a national award. Family activity days, support for young adults, creative arts courses, and pre-release initiatives increased. The complaints system saw positive changes with electronic logging and improved accountability. Healthcare waiting times were generally comparable to the community, with overall satisfaction in clinical services.
Key concerns
Safety
Hand-made weapons were found on a regular basis.
Safety
Self-harm increased by 14%.
Safety
There were six deaths in custody.
Safety
Assaults on staff increased by 30%.
Safety
No firm funding for the remaining two wings for CCTV.
Safety
Body-worn video cameras (BWVCs) were not always worn by staff and the technology failed regularly. There was insufficient management grip on the use of force.
Safety
Only one dog handler turned up – and not daily.
Estate/Conditions
Pentonville is unsuitable for the incarceration of prisoners in the 21st century. But there is still no sign of the significant and urgent financial investment noted as being needed.
Estate/Conditions
Refurbished landing was ‘mothballed’ for months because of ineffective water pressure. Although £284,000 funding was agreed in September 2019 for refurbishment of showers, this work has not begun.
Estate/Conditions
Organising lift engineers, plumbers or pest control seemed to be daily challenges for GFSL.
Healthcare
Hospital appointments were sometimes cancelled at short notice because of a shortage of prison officer escorts.
Healthcare
Applications to the Board about healthcare increased by around 50%.
Mental Health
Repeated
Attendance at the wellbeing centre is not seen as a clinical priority by the prison, and during any routine lockdown the centre is empty. The Board has raised this concern repeatedly.
Resettlement/Release
Many prisoners have complex and multiple needs that a local prison serving the local courts is ill equipped to address.
Resettlement/Release
Despite planned improvements in provision and an effective provider, homelessness remains a problem.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Constructive use of prisoners’ time is negatively affected by what seem to be persistent problems in delivering them to education and work – the 56% average attendance figure is dismal.
Resettlement/Release
Rehabilitation, as a means of progression towards successful resettlement, takes a back seat.
Estate/Conditions
Work to replace insecure cell windows and grilles, identified in 2016, had still not been completed by end of reporting year, allowing contraband entry.
Estate/Conditions
Physical condition and layout of the reception area remain poorly suited for its purpose, with a large central holding room raising safety concerns.
Safety
Interviewing booths offer little privacy for sensitive cell sharing risk assessments and safety questions.
Safety
Person escort records are frequently incomplete or inaccurate, leading to officer numbers in reception being poorly matched and late cell allocations.
Safety
Installation of the planned airport-style body scanner has been delayed.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Induction sessions are not always delivered to every prisoner; vulnerable prisoners sent to the vulnerable prisoner unit often receive no induction or basic kit.
Safety
Only 10 trained Listeners for over 1,000 prisoners, described as an ‘all-time low’.
Safety
The Challenge, Support, and Intervention Plan (CSIP) scheme only started to be implemented in January 2020, despite being mandatory since February 2019.
Safety
Catch 22’s contract for gang analysis ended in March 2020, leaving a need for a robust solution to gang conflict issues.
Safety
Risks remained for vulnerable prisoners mixing with the wider population when accessing medication, visits or work, despite reserved clinic times.
Safety
Repeated
Lack of a full induction for new vulnerable prisoners arriving from reception was a recurring concern.
Safety
Vulnerable prisoners with mobility problems were sometimes placed on the vulnerable prisoner unit, which was not a fit or safe location, with broken lifts, no exercise yards, and unclear fire evacuation procedures.
Safety
Governance of use of force remained poor, with increased incidents, incomplete reports, poor data collection, and Body-Worn Video Cameras rarely activated or failing.
Substance Misuse
Prevalence of drugs, especially cannabis, remains a problem.
Substance Misuse
Rapiscan technology for scanning mail for drugs was introduced but not in routine use due to training and staff deployment costs.
Estate/Conditions
Persistent plumbing issues across the prison cause frequent lack of hot/cold water, blocked toilets/showers, and leaks.
Estate/Conditions
Many cells still have inadequately screened toilets.
Estate/Conditions
Many showers are mouldy, infested with flies and in a poor state of repair; the plan to deep-clean all toilets by end of 2019 has not been completed.
Estate/Conditions
Persistent problem of vermin, especially cockroaches.
Estate/Conditions
Refurbishment of a landing was completed but remained non-operational due to plumbing issues for months.
Estate/Conditions
Several lifts were out of operation for extended periods, causing problems for prisoners (and visitors) with mobility issues.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Insufficient supplies of clothing at reception and on the wings.
Food/Catering
Complaints about small food portions, and food arriving cold on wings due to faulty heated trolleys.
Food/Catering
Recurrent equipment issues and vermin in the kitchen.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Kitchen workers lack sufficient time for telephone calls, showers and association.
Segregation
Repeated
The Segregation Unit (CSU) suffered from a vermin problem again this year, and its overall fabric is very tired and in urgent need of further renovations, with cells often out of use and broken observation panels.
Segregation
One prisoner was held on the segregation unit for five months awaiting a place in the high-security estate, highlighting unacceptable delays by the Prison Service.
Complaints/Property
The adjudication process is cumbersome and bureaucratic, with lengthy forms, procedural failures, frequent absence of 'charging officers', and non-availability of key evidence compromising it.
Staffing
Resistance of some staff to embrace change has contributed to problems, including staff suspensions and governor movements.
Equality/Diversity
No meaningful progress was made on equalities work since April 2019, with the strategy not updated and little focused work with protected groups.
Complaints/Property
Lack of effective support for the User Voice prison council led to much frustration and loss of confidence among prisoners.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
A refreshed local Incentives and Earned Privileges (IEP) policy is overdue and much needed, as prisoners complain they are not getting promised privileges.
Complaints/Property
Prisoner property continued to be a concern, with frequent delays in property arriving or going missing, and delays in receiving legitimate posted property, impacting morale and IEP system effectiveness.
Healthcare
Difficulties in coordination between prison and healthcare staff can have clinical consequences, compounded by the absence of a healthcare liaison governor for months.
Substance Misuse
Inadequate supervision by officers of opiate-substitute medication queues risked diversion of drugs.
Safety
Failure to provide all prisoners with photo-identity cards raises the risk of prisoner impersonation to obtain dispensed drugs illicitly.
Healthcare
Secondary health tests do not always occur within seven days when incoming prisoners are not located on the early days wing.
Healthcare
Some prisoners are deterred from attending particular healthcare facilities because of gang tensions.
Mental Health
Unpredictable unlock arrangements reduced the time available to attend mental health clinics and courses.
Mental Health
ACCT forms for prisoners are not always brought to the Wellbeing Centre by escorts.
Substance Misuse
Many prisoners likely have alcohol problems that are not being picked up at reception or later, with veterans being a group masking their needs.
Substance Misuse
From mid-March, drug rehabilitation group work and through-the-gate support stopped due to COVID-19, with local drug services often not taking new clients.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Low education attendance rate of 56% due to issues with the prison’s organisation and problems delivering prisoners to education.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Will you take steps to reduce the population in Pentonville and invest in the fabric of the prison to provide a safe and rehabilitative environment?
Response
I acknowledge the Board’s comments about investing in the fabric of the prison to provide a safe and rehabilitative environment. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) remains committed to the delivery of extensive structural works to HMP/YOI Pentonville’s main entrance and a redesigned gatehouse incorporating enhanced gate security screening at reception. In addition, £1.5 million has been allocated for decency based projects to be carried out during this financial year which includes A, C, E, G and J wing showers. Further funding will be sought to allow for the refurbishment to outstanding works on D and F wings. Refurbishment work to the Segregation unit is now complete and significant resource has been devoted to painting and cleaning the prison in areas such as the toilets. Likewise, Government Facility Services Limited have been tasked to tackle the vermin issue. There are currently no plans to reduce HMP/YOI Pentonville’s prisoner population, projections of the prison estate have meant that all existing prisons, other than those already earmarked for closure, are required. However, to take account of the complexities of running a regime during the pandemic, the operational capacity was reduced to 1078 (slightly lower than the maximum number the prison can hold). I would like to emphasise to the Board that ensuring prisons have sufficient capacity to cope with demand is a crucial part of the Government’s effort to create a more effective justice system. That is why the Prime Minister reaffirmed HM Prison and Probation Service’s (HMPPS) commitment to provide an additional 10,000 prison places to help create a modern, efficient estate that is sustainable into the future. My officials have been working with partners across the criminal justice system to understand and manage the impact of an additional 20,000 new police officers joining the force will have on the system. |
Other | Partial |
| 2 |
Will you commit to giving Pentonville the funding it needs to install CCTV on those wings which still do not have it?
Response
Regarding the Board’s questions about installing CCTV and replacing the remaining windows (including grilles) of the prison, funding has been secured for CCTV to be fitted on E and F wings over this financial year and MoJ Estates are funding a rolling programme to replace all cell windows throughout the establishment (at around 100 windows fitted per annum). HMPPS Prison Maintenance Group will ensure that the windows requiring the most urgent need for replacement are prioritised. |
Other | In progress |
| 3 |
Will you commit to funding the repair or replacement of all remaining insecure cell windows and grilles, which were identified four years ago as needing urgent attention?
Response
Regarding the Board’s questions about installing CCTV and replacing the remaining windows (including grilles) of the prison, funding has been secured for CCTV to be fitted on E and F wings over this financial year and MoJ Estates are funding a rolling programme to replace all cell windows throughout the establishment (at around 100 windows fitted per annum). HMPPS Prison Maintenance Group will ensure that the windows requiring the most urgent need for replacement are prioritised. |
Other | In progress |
| 4 |
Will the investment in technology made during the lockdown be sustained going forward – for example, more video links for those having legal visits?
Response
I support the Board’s view about a continued investment in the technology evidenced during lockdown and am convinced that technology can play an important role in helping offenders turn their lives around, both within prison and after release. Government departments have worked at speed to bring in this new technology to the forefront. In May 2020 we announced that secure family video calls would be introduced at prisons and in young offender institutes across England and Wales, and I am pleased that the facility is now available in over 100 establishments (exact figure stood at 107 on 1st September). Whilst the current video call service is a temporary measure, intended for use whilst contact with family and friends is limited as a result of social distancing measures, HMPPS is considering a longer-term solution for video calls in line with Lord Farmer’s review recommendations in August 2017, focussing on those who do not receive face-to-face visits under normal circumstances. Aside from family video calls, we have also supported virtual telemedicine and face-to-face compassionate end-of-life calls. Furthermore, HMPPS has been working rapidly to enhance the capability of video prison conferencing facilities. This work has been central to the Lord Chancellor’s, the Rt. Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, ambition to keep courts sitting so that justice can be served. The key benefit enables criminal justice service professionals (CJSP) to remotely join video calls between a court and a prison using the existing video hardware (whereas previously CJSP needed to be physically present in court). Similarly, this new technology also allows CJSP to join remotely on video calls facilitated at the prison associated to consultations on case proceedings. Steps are being taken to increase video conferencing capacity at some locations through revising and extending operating hours during the weekdays, and in some cases on Saturdays. Alongside this work, HMPPS are increasing the number of video link outlets at several critical sites where capacity is limited, as well as to support specialist courts, including the youth and women’s estate. This work will provide HMP/YOI Pentonville with additional video rooms, providing nine which can be used as legal visits for prisoners. In addition to this, the modular buildings that currently house the video-equipment where the court-facing work takes place will be replaced. This environmental improvement should significantly improve the courts’ user experience. The equipment installed during Covid-19 will continue to be a resource for prisons to help increase the number of hearings and associated consultations by video. |
Other | In progress |
| 5 |
Will the Prison Service deliver essential refurbishment for decency, such as toilets and showers?
Response
I acknowledge the Board’s comments about investing in the fabric of the prison to provide a safe and rehabilitative environment. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) remains committed to the delivery of extensive structural works to HMP/YOI Pentonville’s main entrance and a redesigned gatehouse incorporating enhanced gate security screening at reception. In addition, £1.5 million has been allocated for decency based projects to be carried out during this financial year which includes A, C, E, G and J wing showers. Further funding will be sought to allow for the refurbishment to outstanding works on D and F wings. Refurbishment work to the Segregation unit is now complete and significant resource has been devoted to painting and cleaning the prison in areas such as the toilets. Likewise, Government Facility Services Limited has been tasked to tackle the vermin issue. There are currently no plans to reduce HMP/YOI Pentonville’s prisoner population, projections of the prison estate have meant that all existing prisons, other than those already earmarked for closure, are required. However, to take account of the complexities of running a regime during the pandemic, the operational capacity was reduced to 1078 (slightly lower than the maximum number the prison can hold). I would like to emphasise to the Board that ensuring prisons have sufficient capacity to cope with demand is a crucial part of the Government’s effort to create a more effective justice system. That is why the Prime Minister reaffirmed HM Prison and Probation Service’s (HMPPS) commitment to provide an additional 10,000 prison places to help create a modern, efficient estate that is sustainable into the future. My officials have been working with partners across the criminal justice system to understand and manage the impact of an additional 20,000 new police officers joining the force will have on the system. |
HMPPS | In progress |
| 6 |
Regional allocation of dogs is not working; will you commit to basing dogs permanently at Pentonville, to tackle contraband?
Response
Drug Dogs HMP/YOI Pentonville’s dog team has strengthened since the Board’s report. Two dog handlers are on site and the kennel area has been refurbished to ensure facilities are fit for purpose. A review of the dog provision is currently underway across Public Sector Prisons South, and this will look at strengthening sites which do not have adequate dog cover. From September 2020, changes to the South directorate team will enable dogs to be deployed more flexibly between prisons allowing for greater parity. HMP/YOI Pentonville will liaise closely with the dedicated team to increase the provision of dogs. |
HMPPS | In progress |
| 7 |
Will the Prison Service increase the capacity of offending behaviour programmes, so that there is a better chance of Pentonville prisoners transferring and benefitting?
Response
Offending Behaviour Programmes (OBPs) Funding for OBPs is allocated centrally, and any increase or change is considered as part of a national strategy. The delivery of accredited OBPs is an expensive activity, targeted where there is the highest need and delivered at sites with a population most suited to the current delivery model. Needs analysis are carried out annually and this has highlighted that HMP/YOI Pentonville does not have the right population profile to make OBP delivery effective at this time. In terms of future reconfiguration, HMP/YOI Pentonville may become a part Reception and part Resettlement prison, and this potentially may well lead to revisiting the OBP position. HMP/YOI Pentonville now facilitates the Time to Change programme which targets young adults, in particular those involved in gang affiliated activity. |
HMPPS | Noted |
| 8 | Will you tackle the conundrum of allocation lists and attendance at courses and workshops provided by the education department as the regime starts to ease up after lockdown? | Governor / Director | |
| 9 | What will you do to improve the quality assurance of assessment, care in custody and teamwork (ACCT) processes, as highlighted in the HMIP IRP report, and ensure that all relevant participants are included in reviews? | Governor / Director | |
| 10 | Will the recording and scrutiny of use of force incidents be prioritised? | Governor / Director | |
| 11 | Will you refresh the local incentives and earned privileges policy and give enhanced prisoners meaningful privileges that will incentivise sustained good behaviour? | Governor / Director | |
| 12 | Will you commit to updating and progressing the equalities action plan? | Governor / Director |
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (including transfers) | 45 | 38 |
| Complaints and adjudications | 32 | 28 |
| Diet | 2 | 4 |
| Discrimination | 3 | 0 |
| Health related | 56 | 36 |
| Other | 4 | 4 |
| Property | 30 | 25 |
| Race equality | 0 | 0 |
| Release and resettlement | 5 | 4 |
| Religious | 1 | 0 |
| Safety and wellbeing | 16 | 11 |
| Staff conduct | 13 | 8 |
| Visits | 10 | 12 |
| Work and education | 12 | 11 |
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, local, YOI
- Report year
- 2020
- Published
- 9 September 2020
- Responsible body
- HMP Pentonville
- Recommendations
- 12
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 1 — Serious concern
Population
| Population | 1,025 |
| Operational capacity | 1,098 |
| CNA (designed for) | 909 113% |
| Time out of cell | 1.0h/day |
Service providers
Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC)
Penrose (subcontracted by MTCNovo via the London CRC)
Education
Novus
Escort contractor
Serco
Gang violence reduction
Catch22
Gym qualifications
Active IQ
Healthcare and pharmacy
Care UK
Housing resettlement
St Mungo’s
Maintenance
Gov Facilities Service Ltd (GFSL)
Mental health
Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust NHS
Resettlement support
Only Connect
Substance misuse programme
Building Futures
Visitors centre
Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT)