Independent monitors say ‘more to do to support prisoners’ successful resettlement’

In its annual report for the year ending February 2026, published today (25 August), the IMB at HMP/YOI Moorland gives a mixed judgement on workshops and training programmes for prisoners. Moorland is a training prison which should prepare prisoners for life in the community, but the IMB’s end-of-year assessment is that there is ‘more to do’ to ensure all prisoners have access to the skills, work and training opportunities needed to support successful resettlement and reduce the risk of reoffending.

The IMB notes that:

• There are not enough workshops offering meaningful qualifications which would help prisoners find employment on release
• Some workshops struggle to provide enough work to keep prisoners meaningfully occupied
• Cutbacks in educational provision during the year have led to reduced face-to-face teaching hours
• More tailored support is needed to help prisoners serving Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences prepare for release and resettlement.

However, the Board is also pleased to report that:

• A special creativity workshop for young adult prisoners (18-25) is an example of positive work with this cohort
• Prisoners’ efforts to recycle prison waste have recovered £200,000 worth of materials for public funds
• New opportunities for prisoners to obtain qualifications are being explored, e.g. in gardening/horticulture and textiles, in addition to existing opportunities to gain certificates in forklift truck driving and braille.  

Chair of the IMB at Moorland, Andrew Lockley said:

‘There are real achievements of which the prison can be proud. To make savings by recycling £200,000 worth of materials is particularly impressive, especially since the figure is double that achieved four years ago. The Board has seen the enthusiasm with which the prisoners in this workshop go about their tasks.

And prisoners across the piece generally have positive things to say about workshop and educational staff. They know that staff have to work within the limited resources made available by HMPPS. This year, however, cutbacks to educational provision have reduced face-to-face teaching hours, so art classes have been discontinued. This is particularly regrettable because of the therapeutic nature of art for many.

The shortage of opportunities to gain qualifications makes no sense in a training prison, and more needs to be done to ensure prisoners are successfully prepared for release.’