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Reports published 1 June

Published:

HMP & YOI Stoke Heath

Type of inspection: Full inspection

Dates: 23 February – 5 March 2026

Summary of findings: Drugs – particularly psychoactive substances – were too easily available, rates of self-harm were high, and not enough prisoners were getting to education and work activities. Some prisoners were sharing cells that were too small and E wing was in poor condition, despite funding for improvements having been agreed. Work to help prisoners with their reading skills needed to be developed.

Points to note: Health care provision was strong. Access to diagnostic equipment was good, doctors visited patients with the most complex health needs on the wings, and trained prisoner ‘health and well-being champions’ provided peer-to-peer support.

Read the report: HMP & YOI Stoke Heath

HMP Long Lartin

Type of inspection: full inspection

Dates of inspection: 15 February–5 March 2026

Summary of findings: The prison was well led and had made clear progress, but too many prisoners said they felt unsafe, with violence higher than at similar establishments. Since the last inspection, there had been four self-inflicted deaths and levels of self-harm were high; those in crisis received inadequate support and risk management systems were weak or inconsistently applied.

Staff supported the governor’s approach, but morale was low and they reported concerns about staffing levels and shortages of experienced officers. More positively, the offender management unit was well-led and fully staffed. The gym and library delivered innovative enrichment opportunities, as did the outreach tutor who provided in-cell education to prisoners who were segregated or self-isolating and to those struggling to engage with standard education classes.

Points to note: Leaders had successfully reduced the supply of illicit drugs, and this was reflected in a sharp decline in positive tests. However, prisoners still had to use the unhygienic night sanitation system, and many cells lacked heating or hot water. Prisoners spent too much time locked in their cells with limited access to meaningful activity.

Read the report: Long Lartin