Children in Feltham being locked up for 22 hours a day

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for Feltham today (6 February 2025) publishes its annual report for the year September 2023 to August 2024. HMP Feltham covers two sites, one that acts as a young offenders’ institution (YOI) for boys under the age of 18 and one that is for adult males.

The report identifies significant concerns regarding the time prisoners were locked in their cells across both sites, as this has a significant impact on prisoners’ mental health and their opportunities for rehabilitation. The reason for this, according to the prison, was staff absence.

The IMB notes that:

• There were periods when boys at the YOI were locked in their rooms for up to 22 hours a day, and last summer some children spent as little as one hour a day out of their rooms at weekends, falling well below the government target of five hours.
• Education provision in the YOI was insufficient – boys were not receiving the target 15 hours of education a week and boys who were separated received very little education at all.
• There was no enhanced support unit offering much needed specialist support to children for well over a year.
• The education and training provision for adults was unfit for purpose. This was highlighted repeatedly by the IMB throughout the year and although some progress has been made, too many men remain without suitable training or employment.
• There was an increase in the making and carrying of weapons in both sides of the prison.

However, the Board is also pleased to report that relationships between staff and boys in the YOI were observed to be excellent, and health care provision on both sides was good.

IMB Feltham Chair, Jane Shalders, said:

“Given that our latest annual report highlights the same issues we reported in 2022 and 2023, it is disappointing that such little progress has been made. Being locked up with a lack of purposeful activity has a major impact on the rehabilitation of the prisoners and chances of success when released. This is a problem for both children and adults.

Every week the IMB see staff at Feltham work in challenging circumstances to care for prisoners and keep them safe. However, increasing numbers of prisoners feel the need to make and conceal weapons. It is highly concerning that children involved in knife crime are spending formative years in custody yet being offered so little education. Keeping boys and men locked in their rooms for so many hours, particularly at weekends, means there is little chance of rehabilitation here at Feltham.”