The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for Prisons has published its annual report which found prisoners continue to live in ‘inhumane conditions’ with significant concerns expressed about prisoner safety and mental health.
The latest report, published on 10 June, draws upon observations and evidence gathered by IMB members throughout the previous year, offering valuable insight into the state of custodial institutions across the UK.
During 37,870 visits to prison institutions across England and Wales between 1 January and 31 December 2025, the IMB identified a widespread capacity crisis that has contributed to deteriorating living conditions throughout the prison estate. This overcrowding has manifested in inadequate sanitation, poorly maintained and broken facilities, persistent vermin infestations, and the confinement of many prisoners to their cells for extended periods each day. As a result, inmates are frequently denied meaningful access to education, rehabilitation programs, employment opportunities, and other purposeful activities that are essential for successful reintegration into society.
One example discussed in the report refers to the death of a prisoner at Garth Prison during a fire after an alarm failed to go off. This incident highlights concerns regarding prison infrastructure, maintenance, and safety standards within the wider prison system.
The report also found that illicit drugs continue to undermine prison stability, driving high rates of self-harm, medical emergencies, and violence. It was also found there were significant failings in mental health provisions for prisoners with severely mentally ill prisoners facing unacceptably long delays in receiving the care they need, exacerbating the risk of self-inflicted deaths.
The report also identified concerns regarding the treatment of prisoners with disabilities. According to the IMB, many disabled prisoners were left without access to essential social care support, mobility aids, and appropriate accommodations. For example, at Brixton Prison, a prisoner with a broken arm and a prosthetic leg was assigned to an upper-level landing despite the prison lift being out of service. The Board noted that such cases reflect broader and ongoing shortcomings in the provision of adequate support and accessible living conditions for prisoners with disabilities across the prison estate.
According to the Ministry of Justice, prison population projections are meant to increase drastically until 2030. Specifically, it is projected to increase from 98,000 to 103,600 by March 2030 due to a continued growth in police charging and prosecutorial activity. This increase is likely to exacerbate existing challenges within the prison system, further intensifying overcrowding and resource shortages unless substantial reforms are implemented.
The Howard League for Penal Reform, which is a charitable organization focused on prison reform stated, ‘successive governments have been too slow to respond to the warning signs and too eager to add to the sentence inflation that has brought the system to the brink of collapse.’ The Howard League has actively called out ministers asking if they will take sensible steps to solve the prison crisis or if we will see the same IMB findings next year.
