News
HMP Aylesbury unit to support IPP prisoners furthest from release
The Phoenix Unit will house 49 men, 15 of them serving IPP sentences, and offer yoga, acupuncture and a Stoicism course to help disengaged prisoners move towards parole.
Prison profile
HMP Aylesbury
Category C Public (HMPPS)
Population370of 402 operational places (92%)
Last inspectedFebruary 2026Full inspection
Latest inspection
At its last full inspection (February 2026; report published May 2026), inspectors found outcomes for prisoners were not sufficiently good for purposeful activity and preparation for release; reasonably good for safety and respect. It held 370 people at the time, against an operational capacity of 402.
Read our story Read the inspection report
Healthy prison tests: inspectors grade four areas from 1 (poor) to 4 (good).
Inspection history
- Safety: reasonably good · Respect: reasonably good · Purposeful activity: not sufficiently good · Preparation for release: not sufficiently good Read our story
- Follow-up visit assessing progress against the key concerns from the previous full inspection. Read the report (HM Inspectorate of Prisons, opens external site) ↗
- Safety: not sufficiently good · Respect: not sufficiently good · Purposeful activity: poor · Rehabilitation and release planning: not sufficiently good Read our story
- Safety: not sufficiently good · Respect: not sufficiently good · Purposeful activity: not sufficiently good · Rehabilitation and release planning: not sufficiently good Read our story
Our reporting
News
HMP Aylesbury safer and more respectful, inspectors find, but drugs and self-harm persist
Inspectors upgraded safety and respect at the category C training prison to reasonably good. They found high drug use, rising self-harm and weak education and sentence planning.
News
HMP Aylesbury hit by staff shortages after rushed change of role, inspectors found
A report published in March 2023 found that purposeful activity at the prison had fallen to poor, with many men locked up for 23 hours a day after a sudden switch to category C.
News
HMYOI Aylesbury safety improved under special measures, inspectors found in 2020
A report published in February 2020 found safety at HMYOI Aylesbury had improved from poor, after the population was halved, but warned that risk assessment for its high-risk young men was failing.