The Cumbrian open prison for men convicted of sexual offences earned the top grade in every healthy prison test, up from one good grade at its previous inspection in 2021.
Inspectors rated the Surrey women's prison good for safety, respect and preparation for release, and found work and education had improved since 2021 under an ambitious governor.
Inspectors found rising violence, trebled use of force and some of the worst health care seen in recent years, but said a new governor offered some hope of recovery.
Inspectors found drugs flown in by drone were readily available at HMP Elmley, while late-night arrivals and bare cells marked early days in custody. Preparation for release improved to reasonably good.
In their first visit to the new Leicester prison, inspectors found excellent living conditions and good education. Safety lagged behind, with rising violence, widespread drugs and heavy use of batons and PAVA spray.
Inspectors praised strong relationships at the progression prison for men serving long and indeterminate sentences, but said leaders had done too little about high recall rates after release.
Inspectors found a third of men at the category C prison lived in decent conditions with work to do, while hundreds of others faced bleak, drug-ridden houseblocks and little time out of cell.
Violence had risen sharply at the Serco-run London prison, and health care failings pulled its respect grade down. Inspectors said a new leadership team had stopped the decline and created a sense of optimism.
Inspectors judged the immigration removal centre near Heathrow reasonably good on all four tests, but found a major drug problem and too many vulnerable people held in detention.
Inspectors downgraded safety at the North Wales prison to not sufficiently good. A third of men tested positive for drugs, and a quarter had no work or education.
