HMP Altcourse has failed to reduce the availability of drugs or the level of self-harm since its last inspection, according to HM Inspectorate of Prisons.
Leaders had “responded positively” to many findings from a highly critical inspection in 2025, said Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. However, progress in some areas remained insufficient.
The July review followed up 10 concerns from the last full inspection of the category B reception prison. Altcourse held 1,100 men at the time. Mr Taylor said the jail was “managing significant population pressures”.
High proportion on recall
Altcourse serves the courts of Cheshire, Merseyside and Bolton. Because of national population pressures, it routinely took in prisoners from outside its area, most notably Salford.
Almost a third of its prisoners were on licence recall at the time of the review. That is one of the highest proportions in the reception estate, where prisons first receive, assess and house new arrivals.
Mr Taylor said the large number of recalled men increased demand on offender management, public protection and resettlement work.
Too many prisoners still left with nowhere to live. At the 2025 inspection, 24 per cent had left homeless. By the time of the review that figure had fallen slightly, to 20 per cent.
Mr Taylor said fair treatment work remained underdeveloped. Too many patients waited far too long for transfer to a mental health hospital, he added. Weaknesses persisted in public protection and in housing outcomes for men leaving the prison.
He found that leaders had strengthened oversight, governance and the use of data, particularly in healthcare. Investment there had improved staffing and access to care.
Education progress
Ofsted found reasonable progress on all three education, skills and work themes it had raised before. Inspectors noted one example of good practice that other prisons could copy. Leaders had built an effective way to record and review prisoners’ skills development at work. Prisoners valued the recognition and the advice on how to improve.
Mr Taylor said leaders now often understood the prison’s risks and challenges much better than at the last inspection. This showed most clearly in their work on violence, self-harm and drugs. Better analysis and scrutiny there had given them a stronger basis for targeted decisions, he said.
The report described the reception unit as one of the busiest in England and Wales. It handled 950 admissions in June 2026.
An Altcourse spokesperson welcomed the review and said the prison was pleased inspectors had recognised its progress. The spokesperson said the prison shared the Chief Inspector of Prisons’ wish for further improvement on violence and drugs.
HMP Altcourse is a privately run category B reception prison for men in the North West. Its October 2025 full inspection rated safety as not sufficiently good and respect as reasonably good. Inspectors judged purposeful activity poor and preparation for release reasonably good.
