Last inspectedMarch 2023Full inspection, unannounced
Source: HM Inspectorate of Prisons report published 26 June 2023; visiting details from GOV.UK · last checked 29 October 2026
Latest inspection
At its last full inspection (March 2023; report published June 2023), inspectors found outcomes for prisoners were not sufficiently good for rehabilitation and release planning; reasonably good for safety, respect and purposeful activity. It held 680 people at the time, against an operational capacity of 680.
Healthy prison tests: inspectors grade four areas from 1 (poor) to 4 (good).
Inspection history
Safety: reasonably good · Respect: reasonably good · Purposeful activity: reasonably good · Rehabilitation and release planning: not sufficiently good Read our story
A nurse jailed for smuggling drugs and phones into HMP Preston has been removed from the register, while a psychologist suspended over a relationship with a former patient can practise again.
Inspectors found a reasonably safe prison with much better health care and a new governor driving change, though some staff behaved badly and family visits had become harder to book.
Prison News staff
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