Prison watchdog flags safety concerns and strained resources at HMP Buckley Hall

Monday, 22 December 2025 08:57

By David Murphy

A report has raised fresh concerns about safety, staffing and deteriorating facilities at HMP Buckley Hall, a category C men’s prison near Rochdale.

The Independent Monitoring Board, which monitors standards and treatment of prisoners, has published its latest annual report covering the 12 months to the end of July 2025. It highlights frequent regime disruption, staffing pressures and poor maintenance as key challenges for the prison.

The report describes a facility under pressure, with growing frustrations among prisoners due to inconsistent heating, broken laundry equipment, and long delays in property transfers. The IMB found that some prisoners were forced to wash clothes by hand in mop buckets and flush toilets using buckets of water due to failed plumbing systems.

Despite improvements in healthcare, safety remains a concern. There were 81 incidents of self-harm in the final quarter of the year, and three deaths in custody were recorded. Violence also persisted, with 90 violent incidents across the year, including cases where prisoners were attacked in their cells.

Prison officers are reported to be under significant strain, with ongoing staff sickness and shortages leading to wings being locked down on a rolling basis. The shortages have impacted core services such as property handling, reception, and key worker sessions. The IMB noted that staff tried to balance workloads fairly, but this often meant difficult trade-offs between safety, wellbeing, and regime delivery.

The report also raised ongoing concerns about weak security at the gate, despite improvements in staff searches and increased use of sniffer dogs. Identity checks were reportedly inconsistent, with the IMB repeating a previous recommendation for the Ministry of Justice to invest in better gate security.

The prison’s maintenance contract with Amey came in for strong criticism, with delays in basic repairs such as faulty TV signals, showers, and boilers. Unused laundry machines remained in storage because they had not been installed. The IMB asked if the Government plans to review what it described as a “very expensive and ineffective” contract.

Issues with prisoner property during transfers have worsened due to the increased movement of prisoners across the estate. In one case, a man arrived from HMP Liverpool without his valuables, which were only reunited with him after help from staff and the IMB, just as he was being transferred again.

On a more positive note, the IMB commended the healthcare team for providing regular nurse-led triage clinics and avoiding the use of agency staff by running their own bank. Mental health provision, including the Hive support hub and Tier 2 activities, was also praised for creating a welcoming environment.

Progression efforts continue through the Aspire unit, which supports men on indeterminate sentences for public protection, otherwise known as IPP. In the first seven months of 2025, 14 men serving IPP sentences were released from Buckley Hall, with others moved to open prisons.

Although the prison is not officially a resettlement facility, it has increasingly taken on that role. The employment hub helps men prepare for release by providing ID, training, and access to job and housing support. Vocational workshops and education programmes are in place, but some men reportedly miss out due to short sentences or staffing disruptions.