Prison Service annual ‘league table’ claims improvement across the estate
An annual audit of the state of jails carried out by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has concluded that conditions improved over the past 12 months – thanks to an emergency release scheme which eased a capacity crisis.
When Labour came to power in July 2024 it faced extreme population pressure in English and Welsh prisons with just a few hundred spaces free across the estate, making it difficult for governors to provide out-of-cell activities or transfer prisoners to appropriate locations.
The controversial SDS40 early release scheme, and other changes which reduced the amount of time recalled prisoners spend back in custody, have resulted in the prison population today being around 1,000 below what it was in July 2024.
The Annual Prison Performance Ratings 2025/26, published last week by HMPPS, found that 16 prisons are now rated ‘outstanding’, compared with 12 a year ago. By contrast, only 14 prisons now have the lowest rating, ‘of serious concern’, compared with 22 a year ago.
In a statistical note accompanying the league tables, HMPPS said: “In 2024/25 a series of measures were implemented to help manage the significant capacity pressures the prison estate faced. The impact of these pressures, and the measures to address them, will have varied across the estate but likely had a negative impact on performance ratings for that year.
“The improvements seen in the 2025/26 prison performance ratings should be compared in light of the poorer outcomes from 2024/25, rather than necessarily considered a reflection of positive absolute performance in the year. Consequently, while the results provide some evidence of improved performance, the scale of change in ratings is likely to overstate the extent of improvement in underlying prison performance.”
HMPPS said specific estate-wide improvements included a reduction in the overall rates of assaults on staff and of self-harm among prisoners.
As in previous years, the ratings showed a clear difference in results based on the type of prison being assessed. Among the 16 rated ‘outstanding’, 12 were open prisons. Among the 14 rated ‘of serious concern’, all were men’s prisons and most were local reception prisons or category B prisons for men serving long sentences.
The prisons rated ‘outstanding’ were:
- Ashfield
- Askham Grange
- East Sutton Park
- Ford
- Grendon
- Hatfield
- Haverigg
- Hollesley Bay
- Kirklevington Grange
- Leyhill
- North Sea Camp
- Prescoed
- Standford hill
- Thorn Cross
- Usk
- Warren Hill
The prisons rated ‘of serious concern’ were:
- Bedford
- Birmingham
- Brixton
- Feltham B
- Garth
- Isle of Wight
- Lowdham Grange
- Nottingham
- Pentonville
- Swaleside
- Wandsworth
- Winchester
- Woodhill
- Wormwood Scrubs
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