Report published 5 February 2024

Court custody facilities in Humber and South Yorkshire

Type of inspection: full unannounced inspection

Dates of inspection: 27 November–9 December 2023

Summary of findings: Inspectors visited court custody facilities in Humber and South Yorkshire, which covers four Crown courts and five magistrates’ courts.

Overall, we found that detainees felt cared for and that their individual needs were being met. Interactions between custody staff and detainees were generally very good, which contributed to the low levels of force used. Automated external defibrillators were readily available in all the custody suites we visited. Some detainees arrived late to court and remained in custody for too long at the conclusion of their hearings before they were moved to prison.

Points to note: There was disproportionate searching of detainees without an individual risk assessment. More positively, Sheffield magistrates’ court introduced bespoke rooms to hold children, which was an excellent initiative we hope will be replicated in other court custody facilities across England and Wales.

Read the report: Humber and South Yorkshire