Recommendation 1
Will the Minister outline the further steps he intends to take to address the concerns of prisoners and staff in relation to the conveyance of illicit items into HMP Manchester?
Source · IMB Annual Report
Manchester
AI-generated report summary HMP Manchester, a high-security facility, faces critical challenges including pervasive illicit item conveyance, high levels of violence, and extensive dilapidation of the prison estate. Severe staff shortages (operating at 60% capacity) frequently curtail the regime, leading to many prisoners spending up to 23 hours a day in their cells and limited access to education and purposeful activity. The Board expresses significant concerns regarding the urgent need for infrastructure investment, improved staff recruitment and retention, and a more predictable regime to enhance safety and rehabilitation opportunities for prisoners.
Year: 2026
Published: 23 Jul 2026
Type: Prison · Cat LTHSE, Category A Remand, Category B
Population: 600
Recommendations: 16
Key concerns
Positive findings
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 6 | — |
| Self-harm incidents | 760 | 1,016 |
| Prisoner assaults | 172 | — |
| Assaults on staff | 107 | — |
Positive findings
AI-generated summaryThe Board acknowledges the positive response to the introduction of body-worn protective equipment for staff in segregation. Enhanced prisoners contribute positively to induction support, and safety intervention meetings are thorough. The segregation unit is well-managed and commendably clean internally. Relationships between experienced staff and prisoners are generally good, with key working having improved engagement. The Board also welcomes the reopening of the staff canteen, good delivery of Halal food, and a highly regarded chaplaincy service. Healthcare provides a range of clinics, and a dedicated social care wing (H1) offers an accessible environment with enthusiastic staff. Positive initiatives include the re-introduction of a chess tournament, a new prison-wide reading strategy, and a new 'skills academy' for transferable educational achievements. The library is well-stocked and supported by volunteers, and the 'Crofters' restaurant has reopened. Offender management staff are friendly and approachable, and the visitors' centre, operated by POPS, creates a welcoming atmosphere with excellent interpersonal skills.
Key concerns
The presence of drones, and other methods of conveyance of illicit items, is fundamentally undermining the safety of the prison.
The availability of electronic communication devices in HMP Manchester is concerning, when one considers the high-security function aspects of the prison.
Violence in the prison, in all forms, is unacceptably high and requires immediate remedy.
Staff remain vulnerable in other areas of the prison due to a lack of body-worn protective equipment (beyond the segregation unit and close supervision centre).
Source wording under review
The proximity of recent residential developments, including a high-rise affording expansive views into the secure perimeter, is a concern.
Local planning procedures in relation to aspects of the prison’s listed building status may be inhibiting attempts to complete remedial work in a timely fashion.
The physical condition of the prison is very poor, with omnipresent decay and dilapidation throughout the prison, particularly in the residential wings.
Observed issues include the presence of vermin, rubbish, damaged cell fabric requiring extended repair times, disruption to the main hot water and heating system, and loss of water supply to the ‘top jail’.
Staff shortages and high sickness levels frequently curtail the regime, with some people spending up to 23 hours a day in their cells and reduced access to education, work, gym, and outdoor exercise (including long-term closure of the football field).
The progression of prisoners, whether to category C or D conditions, or on release to the community, is significantly impaired by the availability of an appropriate regime.
Changes in education provision and significant staff reductions have led to a narrower, classroom-based offer, with the loss of vocational courses.
The problem of expedient transfers of mentally unwell prisoners to appropriate accommodation within the NHS secure forensic estate.
Long-term underinvestment in prison infrastructure, with multiple issues regarding heating, hot water, access to drinking water and showers.
Ongoing challenges associated with maintenance backlogs at HMP Manchester.
The boarded off G wing in the top jail, and the delay in securing an alternative supplier to fix window frames.
HMP Manchester has operated at around 60% capacity of the staff they should employ, with current recruitment methods providing no long-term sustainability.
Will the Governor outline his plans to tackle the continued presence of rubbish, particularly in the external areas of E wing, but elsewhere, including the external areas surrounding residential units and the healthcare centre? • What steps will be taken to make sure that a cleaning culture is embedded in the prison?
Changes to education programmes have led to the closure of skills-based work such as the bakery, limiting opportunities for men particularly those nearing release.
Recommendations
Recommendation 2
Will the Minister consider designating HMP Manchester as ‘critical national infrastructure’ in order to address the threat of drones dropping drugs and weapons into high security prisons?
Recommendation 3
Will the Minister outline how he intends to address the problem of expedient transfers of mentally unwell prisoners to appropriate accommodation within the NHS secure forensic estate?
Recommendation 4
How is the Minister planning to address the long-term underinvestment in prison infrastructure, particularly regarding heating, hot water, access to drinking water and showers, and boost investment in maintaining the estate?
Recommendation 5
Will HMPPS set out the steps that it intends to take in relation to the ongoing challenges associated with maintenance backlogs at HMP Manchester?
Recommendation 6
At a time of capacity shortages across the prison estate, when will HMPPS deal with the boarded off G wing, in the top jail? Why did it take so long to get an alternative supplier to fix the window frames when the first provider went bankrupt?
Recommendation 7
What lessons have been learnt in terms of tendering for substantial remedial work around a site which has many structural challenges?
Recommendation 8
Will HMPPS set out the additional measures that it intends to take to ensure the appropriate training and ongoing education and support of staff in order to retain staff?
Recommendation 9
What further steps will HMPPS take to tackle the conveyance of communication devices into HMP Manchester?
Recommendation 10
How does HMPPS plan to improve the recruitment and retention of staff? For much of the reporting period HMP Manchester has operated at around 60% capacity of the staff they should employ in order to operate the prison safely and humanely. The prison currently recruits staff from overseas or benefits from the external support of staff from other establishments. This provides no long-term sustainability given manpower shortages due to illness and other absences. How does HMPPS intend to address this?
Recommendation 11
Will the Governor outline the steps that he intends to take to establish a more predictable regime that is able to offer opportunities to engage prisoners in meaningful activities?
Recommendation 12
Will the Governor outline his plans to tackle the continued presence of rubbish, particularly in the external areas of E wing, but elsewhere, including the external areas surrounding residential units and the healthcare centre?
Recommendation 13
What steps will be taken to make sure that a cleaning culture is embedded in the prison, addressing the apathy among many staff regarding cleanliness?
Recommendation 14
Given staff shortages, will the Governor give special attention to the staff retention policy operating in the prison?
Recommendation 15
Does the Governor have any scope to improve the offering of skills-based education for men, particularly those nearing release, following changes that led to the closure of skills-based work such as the bakery?
Recommendation 16
The Board has noted a slight reduction in violence and self-harm, as evidenced in figures 1, 2, 3 and 4. What are the Governor’s plans to maintain this trajectory?
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 10 | — |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 4 | — |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 5 | — |
| Equality | 2 | — |
| Finance, including pay, private monies, spends | 7 | — |
| Food and kitchens | 3 | — |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 10 | — |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 5 | — |
| Miscellaneous | 10 | — |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 9 | — |
| Property within the establishment | 15 | — |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 4 | — |
| Sentence management, including HDC, ROTL, parole, release dates, re-categorisation | 10 | — |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 10 | — |
| Transfers | 0 | — |
Related inspections & investigations
Safety 1
· Respect 1
· Activity 1
· Release 3
Lee Hopkinson · Self-inflicted
Nezam Ghalate · Self-inflicted
Alex Verdu Munoz · Self-inflicted
Patryk Jalocha · Self-inflicted
Craig Bell · Suicide (from 2015)
Colin Ireland · State Custody related deaths
Horace Cottom · Hospital Death (Clinical Procedures and medical management) related deaths
Michael James Meyler · State Custody Death
Other reports for Manchester
Population 676
· Concerns
Population 683
· Self-harm 327
· Concerns
· Self-harm 787
· Concerns