HMP Brixton was ‘a prison in trouble’ with standards down in three areas

Standards at HMP Brixton had fallen in three of the inspectorate’s four healthy prison tests, inspectors found. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor called this unusual.

The inspectorate’s report, published in June 2022, opened bluntly: “This report into HMP Brixton revealed a prison that was in trouble.” Inspectors visited the south London jail between 14 and 25 March 2022. It held 720 men at the time, against an operational capacity of 778.

Brixton had become a resettlement prison for the local area in 2012, and had held only category C men since 2017. Mr Taylor said it still had the feel of a local prison, but one where men stayed for much longer.

He said the prison would need considerable support and investment from HM Prison and Probation Service to get back on track. A temporary governor had recently taken up post with an inexperienced leadership team.

Grades fell in three areas

Inspectors rated respect and purposeful activity poor, the lowest grade. Purposeful activity covers education, work and time out of cell. Safety and rehabilitation and release planning were not sufficiently good.

At the previous inspection, in 2019, safety and respect had both rated reasonably good. Purposeful activity had been not sufficiently good. Rehabilitation and release planning stayed the same.

In 2019 the inspectorate made 34 recommendations, five of them about key concerns. The prison had achieved none of those five, which covered respect, purposeful activity and rehabilitation and release planning.

This report into HMP Brixton revealed a prison that was in trouble. With a temporary governor recently in post and an inexperienced leadership team, this category C London resettlement prison will need considerable support and investment from HMPPS to get back on track.

Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons

Behaviour, safety and care

Mr Taylor said behaviour on the wings was not good enough. Prisoners broke rules without challenge from staff who either had low expectations or turned a blind eye. Prisoners vaped around the jail and nobody enforced the dress code.

In the inspectorate’s survey, 24% of prisoners said they felt unsafe. Recorded violence against staff had risen and was high. Inspectors linked this to prisoners’ frustration at being unable to resolve everyday problems. Assaults on prisoners had fallen.

Violence reduction work had considerable weaknesses. Staff did not always investigate violent incidents, and the investigations that took place were poor. Managers did not know that some prisoners were isolating on the wings for their own protection.

There had been 220 use of force incidents in the previous 12 months. Most that inspectors reviewed had ended in successful de-escalation, but scrutiny was weak. Inspectors found some poor techniques and inappropriate language from staff.

Self-harm had fallen and was similar to comparable prisons. Too few prisoners on ACCT, the case management process for those at risk of suicide or self-harm, felt cared for. Security intelligence, by contrast, was well managed.

Respect, conditions and complaints

Only 58% of survey respondents said most staff treated them with respect. Many prisoners reported unequal treatment, and said the only way to get attention was to behave badly.

Too many men shared very cramped cells designed for one. Many cells lacked furniture, curtains and toilet screening, and carried large amounts of graffiti. Laundry facilities were inadequate on every wing.

The systems for applications and complaints had broken down. Very few applications received any reply. In 2022 to date, 46% of complaints had come back late, remained outstanding or had come back unanswered.

Inspectors praised the food as excellent, and many prisoners said it was the best part of life there. Health services were reasonably good, although regime restrictions and slow officer escorts hindered access, and prisoners were highly dissatisfied with it. Men with addiction problems received good support.

Too little to do

There were not nearly enough activities for the population. Unemployed prisoners spent an average of only one and a half hours a day unlocked, and less on Fridays. During roll checks, inspectors found 55% of prisoners locked in their cells.

Only a few men won places in high-quality workshops such as drywalling and painting. Teaching of English and maths was not good enough. Release on temporary licence, which lets prisoners work outside, had stopped. Men with category D status therefore waited for transfers to open prisons without the chance to work outside.

G wing, which held men convicted of sexual offences, offered even less to do. Mr Taylor said the prison service should consider whether a vulnerable prisoners wing had any future on such a small site.

Inspectors have reported on Brixton again since, with an independent review of progress published in January 2023 and a full inspection in September 2024. A further independent review of progress followed in April 2025.