Source · IMB Annual Report
High Down
Year: 2025
Published: 4 Jun 2026
Type: Prison · Cat C
Population: 1,133
Recommendations: 10
Key concerns
Positive findings
HMP High Down, a Category C training and resettlement prison, housed 1133 prisoners at year-end, 135 above its CNA. The reporting year saw improvements in key work and education attendance, but significant concerns persist regarding the inadequate provision of social care, the holding of acutely mentally unwell prisoners in segregation, and delays in mental health transfers. Despite a decrease in self-harm incidents and assaults, issues with prisoner safety, illicit items, and communication remain prominent.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 7 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 575 | 651 |
| ACCT cases opened | 541 | 533 |
| Prisoner assaults | 162 | 202 |
| Assaults on staff | 82 | 91 |
| Use of force | 673 | 625 |
| Drug finds | 259 | 432 |
Positive findings
The Board noted improvements in key work provision, property management, and education attendance. Chaplaincy services received high praise for their quality and visibility. The recovery unit showed positive developments following a review, and drone incursions decreased. Cell bell response times improved significantly, and the creation of an enrichment hub, along with houseblock-based activities, is welcomed for supporting rehabilitation and wellbeing.
Key concerns
Regime/Time Out of Cell
From our conversations with prisoners, a significant number still perceive the induction process as inadequate.
Safety
Repeated
there continues to be a disproportionate number of self-harm incidents among imprisonment for public protection (IPP) prisoners and recall prisoners.
Safety
Repeated
Lack of funding continues to appear to restrict initiatives/courses to help reduce violence.
Substance Misuse
The number of recorded incidents of prisoners being under the influence (UTI) increased significantly in 2025.
Other
Repeated
Whilst prisoner property appears to be better managed than in previous years, when prisoners are transferred to the CSRU, property appears to regularly go missing and the relevant paperwork does not always seem to be completed.
Healthcare
Repeated
In our view, the level of social care provided by Surrey County Council (SCC) continues to be inadequate and leaves vulnerable prisoners at risk during evenings and weekends.
Mental Health
Repeated
In the absence of any alternative location, prisoners with acute mental health issues continue to be held in the CSRU, despite failing the medical algorithm to say that they are suitable for segregated conditions.
Staffing
Repeated
There is a lack of prison probation staff, which increases pressure on those in-post and exacerbates issues of prisoner access to staff in the offender management unit (OMU).
Healthcare
Repeated
The Board continues to have significant ongoing concerns about the treatment of older prisoners and those with social care needs, including the physical environment for mobility, who are not receiving an appropriate level of care.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Late arriving prisoner vans caused disruption to evening regime and processing arrivals.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Prisoners unable to conform to a category C regime are being sent to prisons like High Down, placing additional pressure on CSRU and failing prisoners.
Mental Health
The average time for transfers to a secure mental hospital once an assessment has been made increased significantly in 2025.
Complaints/Property
Responses to complaints about healthcare provision can take a very long time to come through.
Healthcare
A significant number of healthcare appointments were missed, often due to prisoners not being unlocked or escorted on time.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Despite raising the issue in previous reports, full-time workers still frequently report that they are not given adequate time to access basic regime, such as showers and kiosk, when they return from work.
Safety
Our 2025 IMB survey indicated that 49% of prisoners have felt unsafe whilst at High Down.
Substance Misuse
Information indicates that there continued to be a high level of illicit items within the establishment throughout the year, despite a decrease in drone incursions.
Estate/Conditions
Accommodation issues were frequently observed, including dirty cells, lack of pillows, pigeon nesting, guano build-up, and broken phones/dryers.
Estate/Conditions
Issues with the domestic laundry machines across the prison continued, raising safety concerns including machines being used in patrol state and fire doors forced open, and an incident involving an overheated tumble dryer.
Food/Catering
Many prisoners raised concerns about food quality, including a lack of lunch options, a diet high in carbs and low in vitamin C, food often being cold, undercooked or stale, and inconsistency in portion sizes leading to items running out.
Segregation
The number of prisoners held in the CSRU for over 42 days (the limit allowed without external authorisation) at one time has increased.
Complaints/Property
The Board has seen a 26% increase in applications related to adjudications, with prisoners frequently citing delays and a lack of paperwork, and concerns that unproceeded adjudications remain on records.
Staffing
Repeated
Communication at HMP High Down was described by many prisoners as very poor, with officers often not providing information or answering basic questions.
Equality/Diversity
Minority ethnic and black prisoners were over-represented on the basic level and under-represented on enhanced status within the incentives scheme.
Complaints/Property
The number of complaints made to the prison continues to rise, reaching 3905 this year, with prisoners reporting limited confidence in the system and unclear processes.
Complaints/Property
An IMB application box was missing for seven months and replaced without a lock, discouraging submissions due to concerns about correspondence privacy.
Staffing
The neurodiversity support manager left High Down in 2025 and has not yet been replaced.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Significant staffing changes on the CLU resulted in a lack of additional personalised support for long-term determinate and IPP prisoners, as activities and tailored programmes were unable to continue.
Education/Purposeful Activity
The number of spaces available for Tier 2 enrichment activities remains low in relation to the overall prison population.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Despite improvements, issues with lifts and limited access ramps in PCoSO houseblocks continue to challenge prisoners with accessibility needs.
Recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | For several years, we have raised concerns relating to very unwell prisoners being held in the CSRU. What specific actions are being taken to improve outcomes for mentally unwell prisoners in detention, and how will their impact be monitored and reported? Repeated | Ministry of Justice | |
| 2 | Community probation continues to take priority over prison probation services, thereby increasing pressure on in-post staff. What steps will the Minister take to address probation workforce shortages and ensure sustainable staffing levels in the prison? Repeated | Ministry of Justice | |
| 3 | Reiterating an issue raised last year, the Board continues to have significant ongoing concerns about the treatment of older prisoners and those with social care needs. What provision is the Minister making to ensure that these prisoners receive an appropriate level of care across the prison estate? Repeated | Ministry of Justice | |
| 4 | What is being done to minimise the number of late arriving prisoner vans? | HMPPS | |
| 5 | Why are prisoners unable to conform to a category C regime being sent to prisons like High Down? | HMPPS | |
| 6 | What is being done to reduce the average time for transfers to a secure mental hospital once an assessment has been made? | NHS / Healthcare Provider | |
| 7 | What is being done to improve the speed of responses to complaints about healthcare provision in High Down? | NHS / Healthcare Provider | |
| 8 | What is being done to ensure that prisoners are unlocked and escorted on time for all healthcare appointments? | Governor / Director | |
| 9 | Despite raising the issue in previous reports, full-time workers continue to be denied access to the regime when they return to the houseblocks. What can be done to resolve this issue? Repeated | Governor / Director | |
| 10 | What can be done to ensure that property does not go missing when prisoners are brought to the CSRU? Repeated | Governor / Director |
Related inspections & investigations
31 Jul 2023
HMIP · Unannounced
Safety 2
· Respect 3
· Activity 1
· Release 2
8 Dec 2025
PFD
Oliver Mulangala · State Custody related deaths | Alcohol, drug and medication related deaths
Other reports for High Down
Report details
- Establishment
- High Down
- Type
- Prison · Cat C
- Report year
- 2025
- Published
- 4 June 2026
- Responsible body
- HMP High Down
- Recommendations
- 10
- MoJ rating (2024/25)
- 2 — Concern
Population
| Population | 1,133 |
| Operational capacity | 1,133 |
| CNA (designed for) | 998 114% |