HMI Prisons

CJJI report

Photograph of reflection garden at Send prison

Impact of COVID-19 on the criminal justice system - a progress report

The Criminal Justice Joint Inspectorates have published a new report outlining the continuing impact of COVID-19 on the criminal justice system. The report highlights the shared challenges of increasing demand, funding constraints, workforce pressures and low public confidence, and raises concerns about continuing high Crown Court backlogs. It finds most agencies are not yet able to recover to their pre-COVID-19 position and warns that without a coordinated whole-system plan, recovery is likely to be disjointed and risks further fracturing the criminal justice system in England and Wales.

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Sandra's blog

Ending homelessness for women on release is vital to reducing reoffending

Our inspection report on HMP/YOI Bronzefield, published on 11 May, found that many women were leaving the prison without suitable or sustainable accommodation. Read the blog from inspection team leader Sandra Fieldhouse, which dives deeper into this worrying issue and its wider ramifications for women in custody.

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From recommendations to concerns

Reporting inspection findings: from recommendations to concerns

HMI Prisons will begin to report priority and key concerns following inspection, rather than recommendations, with the aim of helping leaders generate real improvements in outcomes for detainees. The change applies to prison, young offender institution and court custody reports and has been introduced following consultation with inspectors, inspected bodies, contract managers, the voluntary sector, academics and other interested parties.

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Chief Inspectors Blog

Photograph of Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor

Chief Inspector’s blog: why don't prisoners learn to read?

As a former teacher, I often ask prisoners how they got on in school; the answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is often ‘not well’. It is clear that a large proportion of those in prison struggle with reading – an assessment in August 2021 by HMPPS put the number of adult prisoners with a reading age below that expected of an 11-year-old at around 57%. This hampers the progress they can make while they are serving their sentences and hugely restricts their opportunities on release.

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Reading in prisons

Prison education: a review of reading education in prisons

HMI Prisons has published a new report with Ofsted as part of a year-long review of prison education. The report highlights the barriers preventing prisoners from receiving the support they need to learn how to read or improve their reading skills. It describes how the reading education on offer in the prisons visited by the inspectorates was minimal at best. The failure to teach prisoners to read leaves up to half unable to access vital rehabilitative education while in prison. Without the ability to read, released prisoners will find it harder to make a successful return to society.

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Notable positive practice

Notable positive practice

In our reports, we provide examples of notable positive practice observed during our inspections. By publishing these examples, we hope to share and help inform positive practice within prisons. Our list of examples has now been updated to include those from recent inspections of Rochester (pictured), Foston Hall, Swaleside, Altcourse, Thameside, Durham and Wetherby & Keppel .

Read recent examples

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the criminal justice system – a progress report
This report follows up on the ‘state of the nation’ report, published in January 2021, which outlined how the COVID-19 pandemic had severely disrupted services across the criminal justice system (CJS).
Kent courts
Report on an inspection visit to court custody facilities in Kent (3–12 March 2022)
HMP/YOI Bronzefield
Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP/YOI Bronzefield by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (24 January and 31 January - 4 February 2022)
The Military Corrective Training Centre
Report on an unannounced inspection of the Military Corrective Training Centre by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (17-18 and 24-29 January 2022)

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