HMP Feltham B

What we found

In 2023 leaders at Feltham B, formerly a YOI holding men aged 18-21 years old, were told they needed to extend the age range of the prisoners to 30 years in response to national population pressure. This change increased their population by around 40%. The lack of planning meant there was not nearly enough work or education for the prison to deliver its function as a category C training prison. While a well-led offender management unit had worked hard to reduce large backlogs of work, their efforts were undermined by shortfalls in London probation and the increasing number of high risk men into the prison. The use of segregation was high and the unit was in poor condition, with a leaking roof, algae growth in the showers and filthy toilets.

Points to note

A lack of activity spaces, staff shortages and safety concerns among prisoners meant attendance at work was woeful, and just one in five prisoners was employed in activity off the wing. The prison’s poor and unpredictable daily routine was often the cause of violence against staff.