Staff shortages continue to impact on prisoner regime at HMP Full Sutton

The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for HMP Full Sutton highlights in its 2025 annual report, published today (12 May 2026), that staff shortages are continuing to have a significant impact on the running of the establishment. Despite these challenges, the Board is pleased to note that levels of prisoner unemployment still fell during the reporting year, as did the number of serious violent incidents and assaults on staff.

The IMB reports that:

• The delivery of important services such as safer custody, equalities and key worker sessions was impacted by frequent staff redeployment to maintain overall regime stability.
• Because of staff shortages, the number of suspicion-based drug tests carried out fell from 62 in 2024, to six in 2025.
• The mental health provision for prisoners should be more robust in proportion to the level of need, with the current provision limited to a five‑day Monday‑to‑Friday service, instead of the contracted seven day service.
• The average length of stay in segregation was 49 days and it proved difficult to transfer many prisoners to other establishments due to the ongoing national prison population pressures.
• Education provision was curtailed overall, especially in smaller units.

However, the IMB is also pleased to report that:

• There was a reduction of almost 50% in assaults on staff during the reporting year, including serious assaults.
• Prisoner unemployment levels reduced from 14% to under 10% as a result of increased employment opportunities and quicker allocation into work, the lowest for several years.
• Fewer men were being segregated – the average daily roll fell from 36 to 31.

Richard Terry, Chair of the IMB at Full Sutton said:

“In the 2025 reporting year, the Board acknowledges that despite staff shortages, Full Sutton still maintained a generally safe environment for prisoners and staff whilst providing as much purposeful activity as possible, in the form of workshop employment. The Board remains concerned about reduced education provision, the lost opportunities in suspicion drug testing, and the disproportionate number of evening lockdowns experienced by smaller units.”