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Thames Valley court custody

Published:
Open document

Report on an inspection visit to court custody facilities in Thames Valley by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons 3–15 March 2025

What we found

Some facilities were poorly maintained, and accessibility for people with disabilities was not good enough. Better access to interpretation services was required, the range of food needed to be improved, and staff required more regular first aid training. Some detainees spent too long in custody and were not given enough help when they were released. Inspectors were told that progress to address concerns from the previous inspection was being hampered by a lack of funding and complicated contractual arrangements.

Points to note: Custody staff were skilled at defusing tense situations and detainees reported being well looked after.