The Inspector Calls

Each month, Inside Time lists the latest inspection reports for UK prisons. The latest report for your prison should be in the library

Isle of Wight 

“Some improvement, but still too much violence, self-harm and time locked up.” 

Public-sector category B training prison, mostly for men convicted of sexual offences, with a small local remand function. Published: 29 June

Safety: Not sufficiently good

Care: Not sufficiently good

Purposeful activity: Not sufficiently good

Release preparation: Reasonably good

Safety remained a concern. Violence had increased since the last inspection, and 56 per cent of prisoners said it was easy to get drugs. Self-harm was the fifth-highest of all men’s prisons. Leaders had not yet done enough to understand or address underlying causes of self-harm, such as debt, drug use and the limited regime.

Although most cells were clean and reasonably equipped, living conditions were particularly poor in some parts of the prison. On the Albany site, many cells were very small and lacked a toilet and running water, meaning prisoners had to use the indecent and unhygienic electronic night sanitation system. Prisoners could request a portable camping toilet and a lidded bucket for use in their cells. However, prisoners and staff reported that human waste was regularly thrown from cell windows. Many showers were dirty, lacked privacy screens and had broken tiles.

Prisoners spent too long locked up. About a third were locked in their cells during the working day, which was too many for a training prison. Education, skills and work required improvement: many prisoners attended part-time activities or moved between different activities, limiting progress. Too many prisoners did not complete their courses. More positively, the libraries were well run and offered a good service. Preparation for release had improved. Leadership in the offender management unit was better, and prisoners had monthly key work sessions with staff. 

Bright spot: Leaders had established an effective reading strategy, which helped prisoners with different needs, interests and confidence levels to read independently.

Brinsford 

“Conflict and bullying responsible for highest violence of any men’s prison.” 

Public-sector young offender institution and category C men’s prison for over-18s, near Wolverhampton. Published: 27 July

Safety: Poor

Care: Not sufficiently good

Purposeful activity: Not sufficiently good

Release preparation: Not sufficiently good

Brinsford remained a prison of concern. Of just over 500 men held, most were under 25 and some were in prison for the first time. Levels of violence had increased since the last inspection and were now the highest of any men’s prison in England and Wales. Many incidents were linked to bullying and conflict between men aged 18 to 20. Levels of self-harm had also risen 70 per cent since the previous inspection. Drug use was a growing problem, with 26 per cent of mandatory tests returning positive results. Prisoners told inspectors that drug use contributed to debt, violence and instability. 

Living conditions were poor. Many cells were in bad condition and communal areas were dirty. Some double cells were very cramped, and graffiti remained visible despite repainting. The Incentivised Substance-Free Living unit (ISFL) was an exception, providing decent accommodation and in-cell showers. Prisoners were frustrated by slow responses to applications and complaints, difficulties accessing stored property, and the quality and quantity of food. 

Leaders had implemented ambitious improvement actions for education, skills and work that were beginning to have impact, such as new courses which helped some men to develop useful skills. However, attendance remained low. Those not engaged in purposeful activity often had only one hour a day unlocked in addition to time for meal collection. The activities team visited unemployed prisoners to encourage them to engage, and the number of inactive prisoners had reduced. 

Bright spot: The prison offered extensive family support, including themed family days, parenting programmes and specialist visits

HMP & YOI New Hall 

“Strong support for women, but concerns around drugs and mental health transfers.” 

Public-sector closed prison and YOI in West Yorkshire, for women aged 18 and over. Published: 27 July

Safety: Good

Care: Good

Purposeful activity: Not sufficiently good

Release preparation: Good

New Hall remained a calm and caring prison, with most women saying they were treated with respect and supported by staff. Key work was good, helping women to address offending-related issues and cope with being in custody. Support for women at risk of self-harm was particularly impressive, with a wide range of interventions and good multidisciplinary care. Although self-harm remained common, the rate was the lowest among women’s reception prisons.

The prison was safe overall, but drugs remained a major concern. Despite a reduction in recent months, the rate of positive mandatory drug tests was the highest among women’s prisons. Leaders had introduced a drug recovery wing and an ISFL unit, both of which were having a positive impact, but weak gate security and delays in approving the use of a body scanner hampered efforts to reduce supply.

Women received good health care, which had improved significantly since the last inspection. Mental health, substance misuse and sexual health services were generally strong, and women on the mother and baby unit received good support. 

Support to prepare women for release was good. Offender management and key work were effective, and women had access to a wide range of help with accommodation, finance, employment and substance misuse. Family support had improved, with parenting courses, family days and practical help from specialist providers. However, too many women still faced uncertainty about housing on release, and some were released homeless, including women assessed as posing a high risk of harm.

Bright spot: Women could access a dedicated safer custody telephone line at any time to raise concerns about their safety or wellbeing, and calls were responded to promptly.

Low Moss

“Overcrowding affects prisoner care, staff safety and rehabilitation” 

Public-sector prison near Glasgow run by the Scottish Prison Service with a mix of men on remand, short-term and long-term sentences. Published: 21 July

Inspectors visited the prison in August 2025, but only published their report last month. They rated the prison as satisfactory on four measures, generally acceptable on four, and poor on one: transition from custody. In the previous inspection, in 2022, four measures were considered satisfactory, five generally acceptable, and none poor.

Low Moss is a modern prison, with good ventilation, and all cells are en-suite. However single cells are doubled up, causing overcrowding and tension. Because of this, conditions do not meet international standards. The capacity is given as 734 but at the time of the inspection it held 835.

There is no longer a first night in custody unit, as the area is used for the general prison population due to the strain on the entire prison system. People are now being moved in from far outside the North Strathclyde catchment area, away from their families, causing unhappiness.

Staff prioritise meal arrangements, family visits, time out of doors, and exercise, so attendance at education and training is suffering. Over half the prisoners surveyed said they did not feel safe, and over 80 per cent expressed the view that the complaints system was “poor”.

Short-staffing meant that management relied heavily on overtime, bank staff, and voluntary overtime shifts to stay afloat. Inspectors warned this was unsustainable and left staff exhausted. In a survey, 63 per cent of prisoners reported seeing staff abusing, bullying, threatening, or assaulting other prisoners, while 48 per cent said they had experienced such treatment themselves. Nurses in the substance misuse team were handling caseloads of up to 86 patients each, while relying heavily on bank staff to cover crucial shifts.

The arrival of a significant number of those whose offence classifies them as vulnerable prisoners has caused tension and put pressure on the prison-based social work team as well as on officers.

Bright spot: There has been progress on therapeutic interventions with a recovery hub, Therapet sessions, and life skills areas. These are well used and well received.

Other reports

Liverpool: “Steady progress, but cuts had made education worse” Independent Review of Progress published: 29 June

Feltham A YOI: “Only 74 boys now held, yet average time out of cell was only 5 hours a day” Independent Review of Progress published: 6 July

Featherstone: “Violence and self-harm had declined, but drug use remained a key concern” Independent Review of Progress published: 13 July

Ashfield: “Safe, respectful and focused on rehabilitation” Published: 20 July