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HMP Brixton

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Inspection report - Brixton (PDF, 775.3 KB)

Report on an independent review of progress at HMP Brixton by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, 3-5 March 2025

What we found

Efforts to stop the ingress of drugs were good, but violence remained high, and more needed to be done to prevent self-harm. The prison continued to be very overcrowded and time out of cell was poor, with the quality of education and training, as well as allocation to activities and attendance, a concern. Senior leaders were understandably focused on the transition of the prison back to a category B function, but this was several months away, and prisoners were still being sent to the jail in the meantime, with little to occupy them or address their offending behaviour.

Points to note: More national help was needed to support Brixton, and other London-based prisons, to address barriers to successful staff recruitment.