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Inspectors returning to HMP Belmarsh, the only reception prison in the high security estate, were encouraged to find that progress had been made since their last full inspection in July and August 2021. At the 2021 inspection, inspectors had been concerned to find high levels of violence, inadequate governance of the use of force, poor use of data, and severely limited time out of cell for prisoners, despite the lifting of pandemic restrictions.

Inspectors to HMP Winchester, a category B local men’s prison with a separate category C unit, were disappointed to find that no meaningful progress had been made since the last inspection in 2019. Winchester continued to be one of the most violent prisons in the country.

HMYOI Werrington, a young offender institution near Stoke-on-Trent, was judged poor in both safety and purposeful activity by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. Violence levels over the last six months were higher than any other establishment in England and Wales.

Inspectors returning to court custody facilities in Kent found that positive progress in outcomes for detainees were being hampered by staff shortages.

HMP/YOI Bronzefield, a privately-run prison for female adults and young offenders, saw its scores drop in the areas of respect and release and rehabilitation planning in its latest inspection.

Sandra Fieldhouse, Team Leader for Women's prisons at HM Inspectorate of Prisons.

Inspectors found a strong rehabilitative culture at the Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) in Colchester, a facility holding service personnel who have been detained under Armed Forces law. At the time of the visit by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in January, the centre held 33 men.

As a former teacher, I often ask prisoners how they got on in school; the answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is often ‘not well’. Many describe having struggled through but survived primary school, only to be expelled in their first two or three years of secondary school. Others never spent much time in education at all, having somehow through slipped through the net, often because of frequent changes of address or time spent overseas. A large proportion of prisoners also have a learning difficulty that added to their problems at school.

Leaders at HMP Coldingley had balanced managing the risk of COVID-19 with the benefits of providing a good amount of time out of cell, HM Inspectorate of Prisons found. Although the prison was operating within national COVID-19 restrictions, prisoners at the category C training prison in Surrey spent up to seven hours a day unlocked. This was in stark contrast with other jails recently inspected, where they rarely spent more than two hours out of their cells. During checks, inspectors found just 4% of prisoners locked up.

Inspectors who visited HMP/YOI Deerbolt in County Durham were disappointed to find a continued lack of time out of cell and activities on offer for the young men held in the category C training prison and young offender institution.