HMP Wandsworth: inspectors found bored prisoners and an unused education block in 2021

Prisoners at HMP Wandsworth had almost no access to education, with the prison’s education block standing empty since March 2020. That was one of the starkest findings in an inspection report published in January 2022.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons visited the south London prison between 13 and 24 September 2021. The inspectorate’s report rated purposeful activity, which covers education, work and time out of cell, as poor. That marked a decline since the previous full inspection in 2018.

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor wrote that the education provider had failed to engage a population that was “desperately bored”. Most of the very limited provision came as work packs, and education staff were barely doing any face-to-face teaching.

The grades

Inspectors judge every prison against four healthy prison tests. At this inspection, Wandsworth received the following grades: safety, not sufficiently good; respect, not sufficiently good; purposeful activity, poor; and rehabilitation and release planning, not sufficiently good.

The report said outcomes had stayed the same in three areas and declined in one. Inspectors took into account the prison’s recovery from COVID-19 and the level of regime it was running at the time.

Wandsworth was a local category B reception and resettlement prison for adult men. It held 1,364 prisoners during the inspection, against an operational capacity of 1,368. Built 170 years earlier, it served the courts of south-west London.

The Chief Inspector of Prisons credited two things with stopping the prison from being overwhelmed. The prison service had decided to cut the number of prisoners held there by 300. He also praised the work of the governor, whom he described as dynamic and experienced.

The education provider had failed to do enough to engage prisoners or develop learning opportunities for a population that was desperately bored.

Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons

Staffing and the daily regime

Staff shortages meant prisoners did not always receive even the most basic regime. At times men had to choose between exercise, ordering from the kiosk and having a shower. Gym sessions often fell through.

Much of the work on resettlement and sentence progression was not happening. Offender managers and PE staff were covering gaps on the wings instead. One group of prisoners from the Trinity unit told the Chief Inspector of Prisons it was their first time outside in more than a week.

Relationships between officers and prisoners were largely transactional because of the staffing gaps. Key work, the regular one-to-one sessions between officers and prisoners, was very limited. Even so, prisoners recognised that staff were often trying to do their best. Over 60% of those surveyed said most staff treated them with respect.

Nearly three-quarters of prisoners still shared cells designed for one, despite the recent fall in numbers. Many complained about a lack of clean clothing and sheets. A poor regime and damage meant men could go several days without a shower. The prison still had a major problem with rats, mice and pigeons.

Safety, deaths and foreign nationals

Nine prisoners had taken their own lives since the 2018 inspection, and two further deaths related to drug misuse. The report found the prison had acted swiftly on recommendations in the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman’s investigation reports.

In the survey, over half of respondents said they had felt unsafe at some point, and 22% felt unsafe at the time. Recorded assaults had risen over the previous 12 months. Assaults on staff were higher than at similar prisons, and the prison lacked a longer-term plan to reduce violence.

Use of force had increased significantly, yet only around 20% of staff had up-to-date training. Officers did not always switch on body-worn cameras early enough. Leaders had acted on high use of special accommodation, which had not been used since April 2021.

Foreign nationals made up about 45% of the population, with 613 men. Inspectors found that the prison, the education service and especially Home Office staff were not doing enough for them. Home Office staff had been absent from the prison for more than a year. Some men learned on the day of their release that they would remain in custody. A local charity, BEST, had stayed on site through the pandemic and provided invaluable support.

Improvements and warnings

The report also recorded clear improvements. Reception was welcoming and induction was good, with information in a range of languages. Legal visits and video conferencing took place in an excellent facility. Prisoners had painted murals in the visits hall.

The governor communicated with prisoners through several channels, including the prison’s own radio station, Radio Wanno. This kept men well informed about the pandemic and may have helped the calm atmosphere inspectors saw. Over half of prisoners in the survey rated the food as good, compared with 34% at similar prisons.

However, the Chief Inspector of Prisons described Wandsworth as a “crumbling, overcrowded, vermin-infested prison”. He said leaders would need considerable support with staffing, buildings and outside agencies. He also warned that progress would be hard to sustain if prisoner numbers rose as planned.

Inspectors have reported on Wandsworth again since. These include an independent review of progress in July 2022, an Urgent Notification in May 2024, a full inspection in August 2024 and a further independent review of progress in May 2025.