Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) monitor the treatment of people in custody to confirm it is decent, just and humane and how well prisoners are prepared for release. All prisons have IMBs made up of independent public appointees and which report to the Secretary of State for Justice. Bronzefield is the main London prison for women holding up to 540 prisoners.
Board members monitor the day to day life of those being detained and ensure that all relevant rules and conditions are complied with. We visit the prison most days and talk to both prisoners and staff. We are responsible for monitoring all areas of the prison and may be called in at any time to monitor how any serious incidents are dealt with. We listen to complaints and requests confidentially and refer issues to the appropriate individual when specialist advice and support is required.
The work IMBs can make a real difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
In our visits to the prison we are not automatically advocates for the prisoner nor are we part of the prison service. We are there to make an independent judgement on the issues we observe or have brought to our attention, challenging authority when required but supporting staff when appropriate. We make daily reports of our observations and compile an Annual Report for the Secretary of State.
On a wider level, there is a National Board representing all IMBs across England and Wales and which is a powerful voice in highlighting issues across the whole prison estate.
