HMI Prisons
@hmiprisonsnews.bsky.social
Independent inspectorate reporting on conditions for and treatment of those in prisons, young offender institutions and immigration detention facilities.
Learn more at: https://hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/
Learn more at: https://hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/
![Almost 60% of women who offend have experienced domestic violence.
We found some positive work in women’s prisons. In our report, ‘Time to care: what helps women cope in prison?’, one woman at HMP & YOI New Hall spoke about the charity ‘Together women’:
“[They] are fantastic, they have over 400 women that email them constantly every day and they make you feel that you are number one on their list. They are a group of women that deal with street work, domestic violence… anything to do with women.”
At HMP & YOI Drake Hall, we saw a dedicated domestic abuse support officer, who delivered one-to-one intervention to women and developed peer workers to support others. At HMP Send, prison staff had training sessions delivered by Brainkind, a national charity, about the impact of brain injury on behaviour, which affects a high proportion of women who had experienced physical abuse.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:leyxz4xruxylv4trzvqfp5va/bafkreib6hu4ctugcpgxxxf3idqqoi4nqk2ll7m4t2usc7faymkshimrraq@jpeg)
Points to note:
- Living conditions better overall but larger houseblocks still in a poor state
- ‘Longer working week’ trial in workshops a promising early sign of better access to purposeful activity
- HMPPS investment in physical security needed to limit drone deliveries.
- Living conditions better overall but larger houseblocks still in a poor state
- ‘Longer working week’ trial in workshops a promising early sign of better access to purposeful activity
- HMPPS investment in physical security needed to limit drone deliveries.
November 24, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Points to note:
- Living conditions better overall but larger houseblocks still in a poor state
- ‘Longer working week’ trial in workshops a promising early sign of better access to purposeful activity
- HMPPS investment in physical security needed to limit drone deliveries.
- Living conditions better overall but larger houseblocks still in a poor state
- ‘Longer working week’ trial in workshops a promising early sign of better access to purposeful activity
- HMPPS investment in physical security needed to limit drone deliveries.
Points to note:
- Levels of violence and self-harm still high, but had reduced
- Staff shortfall hampered delivery of consistent regime
- Future visa status of officers from overseas a risk to progress
- Good employment support for prisoners
- Health services generally reliable.
- Levels of violence and self-harm still high, but had reduced
- Staff shortfall hampered delivery of consistent regime
- Future visa status of officers from overseas a risk to progress
- Good employment support for prisoners
- Health services generally reliable.
November 17, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Points to note:
- Levels of violence and self-harm still high, but had reduced
- Staff shortfall hampered delivery of consistent regime
- Future visa status of officers from overseas a risk to progress
- Good employment support for prisoners
- Health services generally reliable.
- Levels of violence and self-harm still high, but had reduced
- Staff shortfall hampered delivery of consistent regime
- Future visa status of officers from overseas a risk to progress
- Good employment support for prisoners
- Health services generally reliable.
Points to note:
- Positive mandatory drug test rate too high
- Use of force much higher than similar prisons
- Inconsistent regime
- Longstanding health care issues remained unaddressed
- Prisoners had good access to social visits and a refurbished gym.
- Positive mandatory drug test rate too high
- Use of force much higher than similar prisons
- Inconsistent regime
- Longstanding health care issues remained unaddressed
- Prisoners had good access to social visits and a refurbished gym.
November 17, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Points to note:
- Positive mandatory drug test rate too high
- Use of force much higher than similar prisons
- Inconsistent regime
- Longstanding health care issues remained unaddressed
- Prisoners had good access to social visits and a refurbished gym.
- Positive mandatory drug test rate too high
- Use of force much higher than similar prisons
- Inconsistent regime
- Longstanding health care issues remained unaddressed
- Prisoners had good access to social visits and a refurbished gym.
Points to note:
- Drone incursion a serious problem and positive drug tests high
- Living conditions had deteriorated
- Too few prisoners were in work or education
- Prison had developed many laudable initiatives, notably in health care and support for visitors.
- Drone incursion a serious problem and positive drug tests high
- Living conditions had deteriorated
- Too few prisoners were in work or education
- Prison had developed many laudable initiatives, notably in health care and support for visitors.
November 10, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Points to note:
- Drone incursion a serious problem and positive drug tests high
- Living conditions had deteriorated
- Too few prisoners were in work or education
- Prison had developed many laudable initiatives, notably in health care and support for visitors.
- Drone incursion a serious problem and positive drug tests high
- Living conditions had deteriorated
- Too few prisoners were in work or education
- Prison had developed many laudable initiatives, notably in health care and support for visitors.
Points to note:
- Strengths included care for vulnerable, support to find employment and focus on needs of young
- Interruptions preventing women getting to work or education
- Substance misuse withdrawal support needed to improve
- Director driving improvements.
- Strengths included care for vulnerable, support to find employment and focus on needs of young
- Interruptions preventing women getting to work or education
- Substance misuse withdrawal support needed to improve
- Director driving improvements.
November 3, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Points to note:
- Strengths included care for vulnerable, support to find employment and focus on needs of young
- Interruptions preventing women getting to work or education
- Substance misuse withdrawal support needed to improve
- Director driving improvements.
- Strengths included care for vulnerable, support to find employment and focus on needs of young
- Interruptions preventing women getting to work or education
- Substance misuse withdrawal support needed to improve
- Director driving improvements.