Report published 18 September 2023

HMP Leyhill

Type of inspection: Full unannounced inspection

Dates of inspection: 12-22 June 2023

Summary of findings: Leyhill is an open prison in rural Gloucestershire holding men coming to the end of lengthy sentences, many of whom pose a high risk of harm and half of whom had been convicted of sexual offences. The prison was overwhelmingly safe and decent, with generally very good living conditions and the best maintained gardens inspectors have seen. The prison’s provision of purposeful activity, however, had plummeted from the last inspection from ‘good’ to ‘poor’. The curriculum failed to meet prisoner needs and not all work and education opportunities were meaningful or useful. Too few learners obtained qualifications that might have assisted progression and the reading strategy had been implemented too slowly.

Points to note: Clear management, and skilled administrative staff, kept public protection risks under control, even though there were many prisoners presenting significant potential risks to the public.

Read the report: HMP Leyhill