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Welcome to HMI Prisons.

We help to make sure that detention in the UK is humane, decent and prepares people for returning to society.

Desperate times for prisons

Against the backdrop of the growing prison population crisis, the 2023-24 annual report of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons paints a devastating picture of what is happening inside our jails.

Read the report

Latest news updates

HMP Winchester: drugs and violence highlight systemic failings in a persistently underachieving prison
21 January
Report published 20 January
20 January
Drones dropping drugs and weapons into high security prisons are a threat to national security
14 January
The inability of national leaders to reform the youth justice system as the population has fallen has resulted in a youth custodial estate which has been arrived at by adaptation of an existing unsatisfactory estate rather than by design. Having a small number of youth custodial establishments also means that most children are now accommodated further from home, increasing journey times to and from court, making it harder for them to see friends and family and undermining efforts at resettlement.
Angus Jones, HMI Prisons Team Leader for Children and Young People
Read Angus Jones’ blog
The key to [Drake Hall’s] success was an excellent range of support, care and interventions. The impact of this was twofold; it not only helped women to cope with life inside, but improved their chances of a successful release. Most women we meet in prison have experienced significant trauma and Drake Hall was providing excellent support to help them deal with this. Bereaved women could get talking therapy to manage their grief, while others who had suffered violence perpetrated by men (all too common unfortunately) could access counselling.
Jonathan Tickner, Inspector
Read Jonathan Tickner’s blog
Graphic showing images related to the Improving behaviour in prisons thematic review.

Improving behaviour in prisons

These are challenging times for prisons, but some have created cultures that encourage prisoners to take part in employment and education that should help them to secure employment on their release.

Read the report

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.