Recommendation 1
Given recent sentencing guidance, what further community provision does the Minister intend to put in place for women with shorter sentences in the northwest catchment area served by HMP Styal?
Source · IMB Annual Report
Styal
AI-generated report summary HMP/YOI Styal, a women's local prison, faces challenges from an increasing population with complex needs, impacting safety, staffing, and the suitability of its Victorian estate. Despite these pressures, the IMB noted compassionate staff, improvements in healthcare access, and strong post-release employment outcomes. Key concerns include insufficient specialist mental health provision, inadequate accommodation, and a lack of consistent regime and staff support.
Year: 2026
Published: 8 Sep 2026
Type: Prison · Cat women's, local, YOI
Recommendations: 15
Key concerns
Positive findings
Safety statistics
| Indicator | This year | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths in custody | 3 | — |
Positive findings
AI-generated summaryThe Board observed a committed and compassionate approach to safety and care, particularly for vulnerable women, supported by effective psychology services. Significant improvements were noted in library services, access to healthcare, and strong employment outcomes for women post-release. Positive relationships between staff and prisoners were frequently observed, and dedicated support for pregnant prisoners and mothers in the MBU was commended.
Key concerns
The Board has again recognised that the prison’s approach to safety has been compromised throughout the year by the increased numbers of prisoners with very complex needs. Over 80% of new arrivals are admitted with addiction, behavioural or mental health issues.
The Board has also noted the increased number of prisoners referred by the courts to Styal on ‘warrants of concern’, where prison is deemed to be a ‘place of safety’. There were 43 such referrals during the year, largely due to the lack of appropriate alternative care provision in the community.
The Board considers this to be inappropriate given their mental health issues. There are only two such cells in the prison, which the Board considers to be inadequate, given the complexity of the prison population.
The continued ingress of drugs into the prison remains a key concern for the Board, despite the provision of an X-ray scanner, which has yet to be installed.
As noted in our previous report, accommodation, particularly in the houses, remains a key concern. The Board continues to observe longstanding maintenance and repair delays, including a lack of a proactive programme of repairs to leaking roofs and gutters, poorly fitting windows and broken paving stones.
The Board remains concerned about the lack of supervision on the houses, both during the day and at night. There are particular concerns about the safety of those living on Bollinwood, given its location and the lack of lighting and security surrounding it.
Despite several years of planned changes and proposed revisions, the Board has yet to identify an incentives process that is sufficiently robust, fair and effective in encouraging, and being seen to appropriately reward, positive behaviour within the establishment.
The Board has also noted that opportunities for the voice of the prisoners to be heard are patchy. The community council meetings have not always been well advertised to the prisoners and are subject to frequent cancellations. Other forums have not routinely taken place.
It is disappointing to report that work on building a modern, fit-for-purpose healthcare centre has still not started, and the delay seems to be ongoing.
The demand for social care has increased by 20%; however, the staff resource has remained the same despite prisoners having both physical and psychological care needs.
the Board has observed a reduction in education provision during the year, resulting in a narrower range of opportunities being available to prisoners.
Staffing resources do not always enable the level of supervision and support that the Board considers necessary.
The contracts for the commissioned rehabilitative services do not include funding for resources to cover pre-release or gate pick-ups from the prison, which all facilitate the women reaching their accommodation (if available) and day one appointments.
The average year-to-date proportion of prisoners housed on their first night after release is 86%, against a target of 90%. The number of prisoners leaving with no fixed abode has stabilised over the reporting year. However, concerns remain about the availability of appropriate support for vulnerable women on release, particularly for those travelling via Manchester, where there is a risk of disengagement from community support services and a return to previous harmful behaviours.
Recommendations
Recommendation 1
The design and layout of the prison create significant operational challenges and require higher staffing levels than may be needed in more modern establishments. Staffing resources do not always enable the level of supervision and support that the Board considers necessary. What steps are being taken to ensure staffing levels and resourcing are sufficient to meet the needs of the establishment and maintain safety?
Recommendation 1
Could the Governor confirm if the revised employment policy referenced in the HMPPS response to the last annual report has been successful in relation to improved participation and outcomes particularly for women with complex needs?
Recommendation 2
The accommodation at Styal still requires substantial investment and repair. The age and condition of the estate present ongoing challenges for safety, dignity, decency and maintenance. What specific action will the Minister take to address these significant accommodation issues, both in the short term and through longer-term estate investment in the prison estate?
Recommendation 2
The contracts for the commissioned rehabilitative services do not include funding for resources to cover pre-release or gate pick-ups from the prison, which all facilitate the women reaching their accommodation (if available) and day one appointments. When will funding be made available to address this issue?
Recommendation 2
What progress has been made to enable an effective incentives process to be established in the prison and communicated to the prisoners?
Recommendation 3
Prisons remain subject to scrutiny and accountability for deaths occurring within 14 days of release, despite release decisions often being determined through wider statutory and judicial processes. When will the Minister review these arrangements to ensure that accountability is appropriately aligned with decision-making responsibilities, including by introducing exemptions in specific circumstances?
Recommendation 3
What progress has been made in relation to the replacement of The Clink release on temporary licence work opportunities (in addition to the Marstons Academy)?
Recommendation 3
What further opportunities will be developed over the next 12 months to strengthen prisoner voice and ensure a larger number of individuals are able to contribute ideas, provide feedback and influence decisions that affect their daily lives and progression towards greater independence?
Recommendation 4
Does the Minister have any plans to provide specialist secure mental health provision within the grounds of HMP Styal, staffed by mental health professionals, to address the challenges highlighted in this report?
Recommendation 4
Has any consideration been given to a national transition process to support young adults on their move into an adult prison, given the data shows their disproportionate involvement in self-harm and use of force incidents?
Recommendation 4
Will the Governor commit to provide curtains, blinds or other suitable window coverings in all relevant living environments within the next 12 months, in order to enhance privacy, dignity and decency for prisoners?
Recommendation 5
Will the Minister undertake a review of the continuing use of ‘warrants of concern’ to commit women to HMP Styal, given concerns that courts may still view the prison as a place of safety in the absence of suitable alternative provision?
Recommendation 5
We have seen many benefits from the introduction of laptops in the prison, but what progress has been made to enable more content on them, particularly the provision of word processing facilities?
Recommendation 6
Are there any plans to increase the daily food monetary allowance (currently £3.12 per prisoner) to reflect increased food prices?
Applications to the IMB
| Category | Current | Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, including laundry, clothing, ablutions | 6 | 12 |
| Canteen, facility list, catalogues | 2 | 5 |
| Discipline, including adjudications, incentives scheme, sanctions | 3 | 4 |
| Equality | 3 | 1 |
| Finance, including pay, private money | 5 | 2 |
| Food and kitchens | 1 | 20 |
| Health, including physical, mental, social care | 10 | 7 |
| Letters, visits, telephones, public protection, restrictions | 13 | 4 |
| Miscellaneous | 14 | 4 |
| Property during transfer or in another facility | 1 | 11 |
| Property within the establishment | 9 | 2 |
| Purposeful activity, including education, work, training, time out of cell | 2 | 8 |
| Sentence management, including parole, release, recategorisation | 10 | 1 |
| Staff/prisoner concerns, including bullying | 12 | 6 |
| Transfers | 0 | 12 |
Related inspections & investigations
Emma Tuff · Other non-natural
Margaret Berry · Natural causes
Emma Muirhead · Other non-natural
Sarah Boyle · State Custody related deaths | Suicide (from 2015)
Christine McDonald · Suicide (from 2015)
Other reports for Styal
· Concerns
Population 420
· Concerns
Population 380
· Concerns
Population 373
· Concerns
· Concerns
· Self-harm 2,362
· Concerns