Drug testing rates at the Surrey training prison were among the highest in the country, inspectors found, though relationships, respect and release planning remained reasonably good.
The Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, voiced strong concerns about the South West and South Central regions but rated Barking and Dagenham’s youth justice service ‘Good’.
Independent monitors say Serco ordered the removal of artworks made by prisoners at HMP Doncaster, which had been put up to brighten court cells.
Men at HMP Hewell built a storage shed for a weekly free 5km run after its old unit fell into disrepair, putting the event’s future in doubt.
A man who set fire to prison officers’ cars at HMP Grampian after running up drug debts has received a sentence of five years and three months.
The monitors’ annual report finds long journeys for brief hearings, women transported alongside men accused or convicted of sexual offences, and lengthy waits in bare cells.
A parliamentary group on miscarriages of justice heard from three men who spent a combined 77 years in prison. Two have been told they cannot receive payouts.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons says lost and delayed belongings damage trust and safety, and the Chief Inspector of Prisons backs bar coding to track items between jails.
The second part of Sir Brian Leveson’s independent review calls for a single vision for criminal justice, wider use of AI and remote hearings, and investment in court buildings.
Employment judges found a “fundamentally flawed” investigation into a prisoner’s assault claims led to the sacking of three physical training instructors, who will now receive compensation.
