HMI Prisons

Chief Inspectors Blog

Photograph of Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor

Chief Inspector’s blog: using failure to drive transformational change

'When inspectors visited HMP Birmingham in August 2018 they were expecting it to be a difficult inspection; there had recently been a riot in the prison that had led to widespread damage and a decision to return it to the public sector. What they found was a jail that had all but collapsed.'
Following an inspection of the previously failing prison, Charlie Taylor considers how an impressive governor used an Urgent Notification as a catalyst to transform it.

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International Day of Families blog

International Day of Families: the importance of family for children in custody

'Since my first day working as a family support worker at HMP Brixton 18 years ago, I have been struck by how important families are in supporting prisoners, maintaining their well-being and helping them live successful, crime-free lives on release.'

On International Day of Families, Angus Jones, Team Leader for Children and Young People, reflects on the vital importance of families for children in custody.

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Experiences of black prisoners and black staff blog 3

The power of food

'I visited HMP Swinfen Hall last week, a men’s prison in Staffordshire holding mainly young adults, about a quarter of whom are black. Over the course of an afternoon, I saw the work of ‘Food Behind Bars’ (FBB), a small charity which helps prisons to develop more varied menus and teaches prisoners about cooking and nutrition.'
In this blog, lead inspector Hindpal Singh Bhui shares his experience of visiting a prison to see how food can be used to build trust between black and white prisoners and staff.

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Experiences of black prisoners and black staff blog 2

The experiences of black prison staff

In his second blog about the experiences of black prisoners and black staff, lead inspector Hindpal Singh Bhui reflects on the experiences of a young officer and an experienced senior manager. Both described being undermined by white staff, and feeling worn down by ongoing, destructive, subtle racism. Hindpal argues that this insidious discrimination, which leads to a loss of confidence and sense of belonging, is far more pervasive than overt examples of racist language and behaviour, and needs to be tackled with a sophisticated, multi-layered response.

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Experiences of black prisoners and black staff blog

Racial divisions in prisons: old problems need new solutions

In this blog, lead inspector Hindpal Singh Bhui discusses the reasons behind HMI Prisons' thematic review of the experiences of black prisoners and black staff, and how it has uncovered the human stories and emotions behind the racial tensions. He explains how the report builds on our 2020 review of minority ethnic prisoners’ experiences of rehabilitation and release planning, and how the stories and findings have led to constructive solutions grounded in the experience of people who work and live in the prison community.

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Albania escort and removals
Detainees under escort: Inspection of escort and removals to Albania by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (22-23 February 2023)
HMP Birmingham
Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Birmingham by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (30 January – 9 February 2023)
HMP Leicester
Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Leicester by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (13–23 February 2023)
Restricted status children and prisoners held in women’s establishments
Restricted status children and prisoners held in women’s establishments: A thematic review by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (May 2023)

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