Source · IMB Annual Report
Isis
Year: 2025
Published: 13 May 2026
Type: Prison · Cat YOI
Population: 580
Recommendations: 8
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP/YOI Isis is a public sector training prison for young adults between 18 and 21 years, and category C adults (considered low risk, unlikely to escape or re-offend, and capable of benefiting from rehabilitative initiatives) up to 27 years old. In December 2025, the population was around 580. The Board is seriously concerned about the cuts to the education budget, particularly in a prison serving 18-27-year-old young men.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT cases opened | 124 | 140 |
| Prisoner assaults | 405 | 419 |
| Assaults on staff | 114 | 207 |
| Drug finds | 314 | 288 |
Positive findings
There was a significant decrease in the number of incidents of self-harm in 2025, with 35% fewer than in 2024. There was a reduction in violence in 2025 compared with 2024, especially in the number of staff assaults, which dropped by 45%. There has been a significant increase in key work over the year, mainly due to an improvement in staffing levels, but also because of a commitment to its value by the senior management team. In 2025, the prison appeared to establish a positive pattern of improvement: higher staffing levels led to less disruption to the regime and more key work, which strengthened staff and prisoner relationships.
Key concerns
Education/Purposeful Activity
The Board is seriously concerned about the cuts to the education budget, particularly in a prison serving 18-27-year-old young men, for whom access to education is critical to improving their long-term life chances.
Education/Purposeful Activity
In 2025, the prison started to receive life-sentenced prisoners. The Board observed that there was little appropriate provision for education and training for prisoners starting a life sentence.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Why is force used disproportionately against black prisoners and why are the numbers of black prisoners affected by Pava disproportionately high?
Other
Repeated
We have continued to report that there are still serious problems with the loss of prisoner property or delays in its receipt on transfer, as shown by the number of applications we received on the issue during 2025.
Other
Prisoners frequently raise the issue that they are unable to see their family because of the distance families have to travel, and are unable to get transfers to prisons closer to home.
Safety
Levels of violence on the Growth spur were consistently high throughout 2025 - the highest of any spur - and accounted for 20% of violent incidents.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is the rationale for reducing the education budget and what steps will the Minister take to mitigate the impact for this group? | Ministry of Justice | |
| 2 | What specific plans are in place to develop and deliver programmes to support the progression of such prisoners, and how will their effectiveness be monitored? | Other | |
| 3 | Why is force used disproportionately against black prisoners and why are the numbers of black prisoners affected by Pava disproportionately high? Repeated | Other | |
| 4 | When can we expect to see a better system in place, including the digitisation of the process? Repeated | Other | |
| 5 | What will the Prison Service do to address this? | Other | |
| 6 | What further action will the Governor take to ensure that prisoners on this spur both feel and are safe? | Governor / Director | |
| 7 | What is the Governor going to do to make sure this analysis is carried out and that the results are used to tackle any unfair differences that are found? | Governor / Director | |
| 8 | Will the Governor arrange for this data to be routinely produced and scrutinised in the monthly safety, equalities and use of force meeting? Repeated | Governor / Director |
Other reports for Isis
Report details
- Establishment
- Isis
- Type
- Prison · Cat YOI
- Report year
- 2025
- Published
- 13 May 2026
- Responsible body
- Isis
- Recommendations
- 8
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 1 — Serious concern
Population
| Population | 580 |
| Operational capacity | 628 |
| CNA (designed for) | 478 121% |
Service providers
catering
Mitie Group