Chief Inspector: act now to improve woeful levels of activity in prisons and reduce demand for drugs
‘In his final Annual Report, Charlie Taylor describes how long lock up times and poor regimes – which have barely improved since he first took up the role during the pandemic – are causing frustration, boredom and despair. This is fuelling a demand for drugs and contributing to high rates of rates of violence and self-harm. ‘
Letter to Ministers from Chief Inspectors of Prisons and Ofsted: 10 years on from the Coates Review
‘There is a clear link between education and reducing reoffending. Research and analysis that the Ministry of Justice published in 2025 highlights that “prisoners who take on any form of learning activity have a significantly lower reoffending rate on release from prison than their peers.” Put simply, the public is safer if prisoners are engaged in education.’
Watch Charlie Taylor’s Longford Lecture (from 27.38)
Latest news updates
Fit for purpose or falling apart? A review of living conditions in prison
Overcrowding, poor sanitation, deteriorating infrastructure and long delays to essential maintenance are causing persistent problems across the prison estate, rendering much of it inadequate.
The report analysed inspections of 40 prisons and more than 6,400 prisoner surveys. Around half of the prisoners surveyed lived in accommodation built before the 1980s that had never been significantly refurbished since its construction.
Women’s experience of immigration detention
Although individual inspections of immigration detention generally find reasonably positive outcomes for women, concerns around safety and safeguarding persist… While 55 were held at Derwentside, a removal centre specifically for women, many were co-located in facilities with men, where they were often restricted to small areas and had to be escorted by staff. Some women told inspectors that they felt unsafe in these shared facilities, and some said they had received sexualised comments from men.
Find out more about the different areas of our work
Men’s prisons
We inspect every type of men’s prison in England and Wales, from high security to open prisons, private and public sector. Find out about how we inspect and read our reports on men’s prisons.
Women’s prisons
Women make up less than 4% of the prison population. Read our Expectations for the treatment of and conditions for women, and our reports on women’s prisons.
Children’s detention
We inspect each establishment in which children are detained every year either for a full inspection or an independent review of progress. Read our reports on detention for children.
Immigration detention
Read reports on our inspections of different types of immigration detention: immigration removal centres, short-term holding facilities and escorted flights removing people from the country.