HMP Wakefield has dropped its ‘offence-neutral’ policy, under which men convicted of sexual offences lived alongside other prisoners. The change followed two high-profile deaths at the high-security jail.
Two prisoners died after attacks at Wakefield in October and November 2025. Their deaths came weeks after HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) reported sharply rising violence there. Prisoners felt unsafe, and the buildings were deteriorating.
Inspectors had noted in September 2025 that younger men serving sentences for violent, non-sexual crimes were arriving in large numbers. This influx threatened the prison’s stability. As a result, older men convicted of sexual offences were living in fear.
HMIP published the findings of a follow-up inspection on 8 June. They show that the policy has changed. Men convicted of sexual offences now live in separate units for their own protection, as in most other prisons.
Of eight areas of concern that inspectors identified last September, HMIP found good progress in only two. The rest showed insufficient progress or none of any meaning.
Besides the two alleged murders, Wakefield had seen two suicides and one further death awaiting classification.
Since the killings, the report said, a considerable number of prisoners had left Wakefield. Others considered more suitable had taken their place. A new safety analyst was now in post. Leaders had also commissioned work, including a prisoner survey, to understand better what was driving the violence.
Inspectors found insufficient progress on the fabric of the prison since September. Far from improving, they said, conditions had got worse: “Wings were shabby, showers were in very poor condition, water boilers and washing machines were subject to regular breakdowns, and electrical issues sometimes affected emergency cell call bells.”
Prison leaders did have a “clear understanding” of the work needed and had passed this on to the Prison Service.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Inspectors recognised early signs of improvement at HMP Wakefield, including reduced levels of violence. But the prison continues to operate under immense pressure after this Government inherited a system at the peak of its crisis, and we are continuing work to drive forward improvements in key areas like healthcare and infrastructure.”
Our prison directory lists Wakefield as a high-security men’s prison in Yorkshire and The Humber. At its full inspection in September 2025, inspectors graded safety as not sufficiently good and purposeful activity as poor. They rated respect and preparation for release as reasonably good.
