HMP Swaleside remained not safe enough, with high violence and a run of deaths in custody, but leaders and staff had made very real efforts to improve, inspectors found.
The inspectorate’s report, published in December 2023, followed an inspection between 11 and 21 September 2023. Swaleside is a category B training prison for adult men on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. It held 813 men at the time.
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor wrote: “Overall, this is a concerning report.” He said Swaleside continued to struggle and that outcomes still needed to improve dramatically.
An announced inspection and the grades
This was the inspectorate’s sixth visit to Swaleside since 2016. Mr Taylor said inspectors had repeatedly raised significant concerns about the prison over that time. He took the unusual step of announcing the inspection six months in advance. The aim was to give leaders a focus for improvement, and he said they had grasped that opportunity.
Inspectors judge every prison against four healthy prison tests. Swaleside scored not sufficiently good, the second-lowest grade, on all four: safety, respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release. Purposeful activity covers education, work and time out of cell.
Inspectors raised 14 key concerns, five of them priorities. Of 13 key recommendations from the 2021 inspection, the prison had achieved one and partially achieved seven. It had not achieved the other five. Inspectors also recorded nine examples of notable positive practice.
Overall, this is a concerning report. Swaleside is a prison that continues to struggle and where outcomes still need to improve dramatically.
Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
Deaths, violence and drugs
Fourteen prisoners had died at Swaleside in the previous two years. Seven of those deaths were self-inflicted. Leaders had prioritised reducing self-harm and had made some progress. However, many initiatives were partial or applied inconsistently.
Inspectors listed ongoing weaknesses. Support for men at risk was inconsistent and some night staff did not carry anti-ligature knives. Staff responded slowly to cell bells. Reviews of recommendations from coroners and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, which investigates deaths in custody, were inadequate.
Recorded violence had not risen since the last visit but was higher than at similar prisons. Investigations into violent incidents were often delayed and of poor quality. Inspectors praised the Swaleside Outreach Service, which worked with violent or disruptive men and had led to substantial improvements in behaviour.
Drugs were too easy to get. Staff sometimes used strip-searching excessively, even alongside a body scanner. Staff managed use of force well, and stays in the segregation unit were not excessive.
Daily life, activity and risk
Most of the men posed considerable risks. Well over 40% were serving more than 10 years, and a further 43% were serving indeterminate sentences, mostly life. The prison had chronic difficulty recruiting officers and specialist staff, and it relied on temporary staff from other jails.
Despite shortages, relationships between staff and prisoners were reasonably good, if inconsistent. Many staff lacked confidence, and supervising officers did not give enough visible support on the wings.
Many aspects of daily living were better than inspectors often see. There was no overcrowding and conditions were generally good. A prisoner cleaning team and a painting party kept the prison clean and well decorated. Nearly all wing kitchens had closed, however, which removed the chance to self-cater.
Work on fair treatment and inclusion remained weak, though inspectors found pockets of good practice. A reverse mentoring scheme paired staff, including the governor, with minority ethnic prisoners. The aim was to improve communication and understanding.
Spot checks found 39% of men locked in their cells during the working day because of staff shortages. There was far too little work or education. Leaders had added more time out of cell at weekends, and men had reasonable access to the library and gym.
Ofsted, which inspects prison education, judged education, skills and work as requiring improvement overall. Inspectors said this was better than at many prisons. There were too few prison offender managers, the staff who manage each man’s sentence, and contact with them was too infrequent. Many category C prisoners could not move on because of national population pressures.
Leadership and later reports
Mr Taylor praised the governor’s commendable commitment and energy, which he said had kept the prison remarkably stable. He wrote: “There was no sense of helplessness at Swaleside; staff were very committed and were not overwhelmed by their circumstances.”
Inspectors have reported on HMP Swaleside several times since. An independent review of progress followed in September 2024 and an Urgent Notification in December 2025. A full inspection report followed in March 2026.
About this story
This story is based on HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ report on HMP Swaleside, published on 12 December 2023, following an inspection that ended in September 2023. It covers an earlier inspection: the prison’s profile has the latest findings. All figures and judgements are the inspectorate’s. Read the full inspection report · See the prison’s profile in our directory.
