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Major cuts threaten to derail already poor provision of work and training in prisons

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Repeat offenders are continuing to “cause mayhem” in their communities thanks to the failure of prisons to provide education, training and work that could support rehabilitation and help to break the cycle of offending, warns the Chief Inspector of Prisons in a thematic review published today.

‘Just passing time’: A review of work and training provision in adult prisons’ reveals a deeply concerning picture of far too few activity spaces for the prison population, poor attendance in classes and work, and a failure to make sure prisoners develop the skills that will help them to stop reoffending. This already unacceptable situation is only likely to get worse as real-terms cuts begin to eat into already stretched education provision.

The lack of adequate purposeful activity has been a failing in prisons for many years, and since the pandemic outcomes have deteriorated further: in the last three years HMI Prisons has rated provision in 94 of 104 closed prisons as ‘poor’ or ‘not sufficiently good’. This thematic review, which took place alongside inspections of 11 men’s and two women’s prisons, reveals that, despite pockets of effective provision delivered by dedicated, creative staff, too many prisoners spend their days locked in their cells, and overcrowding, a lack of workshop space and instructors, equipment failures and ageing infrastructure have compounded the situation.

Many prisoners wait weeks to be allocated an activity space and are often given what is available, rather than training that is relevant to their career prospects on release, motivating them to attend and giving them the skills and qualifications they need to gain employment. For those who do gain a space, there is no guarantee they will be able to attend: regime curtailments, security lockdowns and staff indifference about unlocking prisoners meant average attendance was just 67% in the prisons visited for this review. Even when work goes ahead, full-time jobs generally occupy prisoners for just five hours a day, with many roles split into part-time places to stretch meagre provision further, which fails to prepare them for holding down a job in the community.

It is perhaps not surprising, therefore, that the prison service’s own measures indicate that at least two-thirds of prisoners are not in work or training six months after release. Looming cuts to education delivery in prisons are likely to make matters even worse. The Inspectorate has been told that most jails are facing at least a 20% reduction in their budget and some governors are expecting up to 50%, meaning many teachers and instructors are being made redundant.

We found some examples of effective work and training provision, but the reality was that only a handful of prisoners were benefitting. Far too many spent their days locked in their cells, often in squalid, overcrowded conditions with nothing to do but take drugs and watch daytime TV.

I have serious concerns about the impact of real-terms education budget cuts on already inadequate provision and about the lack of real appetite and ambition for improvement that this represents. The prison service has a duty to protect the public by making prisoners less likely to reoffend when they are released, but too often it is failing to fulfil this responsibility. There is little doubt that many prisoners already leave jail and return to criminality, creating more victims of crime. These devastating cuts are likely to make this situation worse.

The best governors know that jails, and ultimately our communities, are safer if prisoners are purposefully occupied, and that education, training and work play a vital role in motivating prisoners to turn their lives around. Until leaders in the prison service take the provision of high-quality education and training more seriously, it is hard to see how appallingly high reoffending rates can be reduced.
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor

Notes to editors

  1. A copy of the full report, published on 13 October 2025, can be found on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website at: https://hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk
  2. The fieldwork for this thematic took place alongside 13 routine inspections, covering prisons with different function types and populations, conducted between October 2024 and March 2025. The prisons were: Winchester, Standford Hill, The Mount, Stafford, Styal (women’s), Deerbolt, Guys Marsh, Parc (operated by G4S), Foston Hall (women’s), Berwyn, Ranby, Lowdham Grange, Fosse Way (operated by Serco).
  3. At each of the establishments inspectors carried out: a review of activities, allocations, attendance evidence, employment hubs, links with external employers and outcomes in relation to employment on release; a review of Ofsted/Estyn findings; consultation with key staff involved in the delivery of work, training and employment; consultation with prisoners.
  4. HM Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate, inspecting places of detention to report on conditions and treatment and promote positive outcomes for those detained and the public.
  5. Please email media@hmiprisons.gov.uk if you would like more information.