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Charlie Taylor reappointed
Photograph of Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor
Charlie Taylor reappointed as Chief Inspector of Prisons

We are very happy to confirm that the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice has announced the Royal Reappointment of Charlie Taylor as the Chief Inspector of Prisons for a second term of three years. His reappointment will run from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2026.

Read Charlie's biography
Chief Inspectors Blog
Photograph of Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor
World Literacy Day: the central importance of reading in prisons

'I understand the pressure that the service is under. But prisons cannot be allowed to become warehouses of men and women. They must also find ways to discharge their duty to reduce the risk that people will reoffend, and the ability to read is an absolutely fundamental part of that.'
On World Literacy Day, Charlie Taylor reflects on the central importance of reading in prisons and why it cannot be neglected even in times of acute pressures on the service.

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Woodhill UN
Photograph of Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor
Prison holding serious offenders is issued with Urgent Notification

The Chief Inspector wrote to the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor on 30 August to issue an Urgent Notification for improvement at HMP Woodhill after our unannounced inspection found the prison was fundamentally unsafe.

Staff at the prison were subject to the highest rate of serious assaults in England and Wales and inspectors found bullying and intimidation by prisoners to be commonplace. Low morale meant many staff had voted with their feet: more officers were leaving than joining, with no indication that the situation would improve.

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Annual Report 2022-23
Photograph of Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor
2022–23 Annual Report published

Despite the lifting of the final pandemic restrictions in May 2022, many prisons are still failing to return to pre-pandemic regimes which support prisoners’ rehabilitation, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, warns in his 2022–23 annual report. The report, which draws on data from 83 reports from inspections, independent reviews of progress and thematic reviews, highlights the continuing decline in the provision of purposeful activity.

Read the report
Easy Read summaries blog
Photograph of Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor
Making our reports easier to read

Earlier this year, we began publishing easy read summaries of our reports on prison inspections, which we are sending to prison governors, asking them to make sure they are available in places where prisoners will see them. That’s not just the library – we want the summaries to be shared on the wings, on in-cell laptops if prisoners have them, and through prison neurodiversity leads. We are also publishing them on our website so that as many people as possible can read about and understand our findings.

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What we do

Learn about our remit and values and the role of the Chief Inspector. Read the Urgent Notifications we have issued and find out about our Independent Reviews of Progress.

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About our inspections

Find out which establishments we inspect and the frequency of our visits. Learn about the inspection process and how we produce our reports.

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Our reports

Download inspection reports, thematic reports and research, annual reports and business plans, including those carried out with other inspectorates.

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Our Expectations

Explore the criteria we use for assessing the treatment of detainees and conditions in detention.

Latest reports

  • HMP & YOI Askham Grange

    Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP & YOI Askham Grange by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (19 June – 6 July 2023)

  • HMP Leyhill

    Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Leyhill by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (12–22 June 2023)

  • HMP/YOI Brinsford

    Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP/YOI Brinsford by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (5–16 June 2023)

  • Surrey and Sussex courts

    Report on an inspection visit to court custody facilities in Surrey and Sussex (12–22 July 2023)

All our reports

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@HMIPrisonsnews

HMI Prisons
  • @Jonatha58242601 We are sending the easy read summaries to the inspected prisons so prisoners can read them. 07:19:23 PM June 20, 2023 in reply to Jonatha58242601
  • The reports follow the publication of our thematic review: 'Neurodiversity in the criminal justice system', which w… https://t.co/DgumKmXjVf 11:09:04 AM June 20, 2023 in reply to HMIPrisonsnews
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