Source · IMB Annual Report
Response to the 2023-24 HMP Cardiff IMB
Year: 2024
Published: 23 Jun 2025
Type: Prison
Key concerns
Positive findings
This document provides the Minister's and HMPPS's response to HMP Cardiff's IMB annual report for the year ending August 2024. The Minister acknowledged a prisoner death and concerns about overcrowding, while commending positive staff-prisoner relationships, consistent purposeful activity, and strong charity links. HMPPS provided detailed responses to IMB-raised concerns regarding estate maintenance, mental health transfer delays, staff recruitment, and the future of peer support initiatives.
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 1 | — |
Positive findings
The IMB noted a visible Governor and senior management team, fostering positive staff-prisoner relationships and a culture of respect. The prison provided purposeful activity time more consistently than similar establishments and had schemes to connect prisoners with employers. Strong links with charities, including the family support team and Invisible Walls, were also highlighted, alongside an overall positive HMIP inspection. HMP Cardiff also achieved a 'green' score for the quality of its key worker scheme.
Key concerns
Overcrowding
Overcrowding and its impact, including issues with cell sharing.
Safety
The death of a prisoner by self-inflicted harm during the reporting year.
Estate/Conditions
Problems with heating and water systems, and inadequate funding for maintenance.
Mental Health
Delays in transferring vulnerable mental health prisoners from the CSU to appropriate hospital care.
Estate/Conditions
Accessibility issues for disabled prisoners and lack of privacy with in-cell toilets.
Safety
The impending end of funding for the "Here 2 Help" peer support and emotional resilience training project.
Staffing
Recruitment and diversity of staff from local ethnic minority communities.
Report details
- Establishment
- Response to the 2023-24 HMP Cardiff IMB
- Type
- Prison
- Report year
- 2024
- Published
- 23 June 2025