Three years after poor results across the board, the North East prison earned a good grade for respect. Inspectors still found too little constructive activity, inadequate food and overcrowded cells.
Inspectors praised real incentives that drew remand prisoners into work and education at the 19th-century inner-city jail. Overcrowded cells, a thin weekend regime and releases without housing remained concerns.
A joint inspection report on Maghaberry Prison in Northern Ireland, published in June 2023, found a serious drug problem, sharply reduced education and work, and a steep fall in release planning since 2018.
A joint inspection of Northern Ireland's high security prison for men found too few prisoners in education or work, rising self-harm and little learning from an estimated seven self-inflicted deaths.
The inspectorate's report on the small Victorian reception prison, published in May 2023, found violence and use of force had fallen sharply, but purposeful activity was not good enough.
Inspectors found violence had fallen by more than 60% at the city's reception prison since an Urgent Notification in 2018. Purposeful activity, however, remained poor.
The inspectorate's report on HMP Stocken, published in May 2023, found that violence had fallen and most men were back in activity. Inspectors criticised the education provider, dirty wings and poor family contact.
Inspectors called their report on the long-term prison near Market Harborough very encouraging, though they found a dilapidated site, dirty communal areas and men waiting to move on.
The inspectorate's report on HMP/YOI Stoke Heath, published in May 2023, rated the Shropshire prison good for safety but poor for purposeful activity, with many men spending as little as 90 minutes a day out of cell.
In April 2023 the Chief Inspector of Prisons invoked the Urgent Notification process at HMYOI Cookham Wood, citing widespread weapon making and the normalised solitary confinement of children.
