Reporting of record on prisons across England and Wales — presented without partisan framing, checked twice before publication.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman found that Johnpaul Digweed belonged to a group making hundreds of thousands of pounds from drone drops of contraband into the Lancashire jail.
Inspectors rated the Norfolk prison good for safety and respect, with very low violence and drug use, but said it still lacked enough activity places to work as a training prison.
Inspectors found encouraging progress at the south London category C prison, with more time out of cell and less violence, but warned about drones, poor living conditions and offender management.
A follow-up review of HMP Altcourse found leaders had responded positively to earlier criticism, but drug use, violence and self-harm had not fallen.
The south London figure, the last of the 1960s ‘gangsters’, served 23 years in prison over two sentences and took up portrait painting behind bars.
The Independent Monitoring Board’s first annual report on HMP Millsike criticises HMPPS, the POA and operator Mitie, and warns that pressure to fill cells could undo recent progress.
Dylan Woodhead died 10 days after his transfer to HMP Hindley. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman found he obtained drugs with ‘apparent ease’ and that staff missed roll checks.
Inspectors rated the former RAF base near Doncaster not sufficiently good on all four tests, but found stronger leadership and slight gains in activity and release work.
A senior coroner found that missing heart medication played a part in the death of George Haldenby, and warned that gaps in out-of-hours prescribing and CPR training could cost more lives.
The Scottish Prison Service has spent £51,239 on advice about portable cells to ease overcrowding, drawing criticism from opposition MSPs who called the cost embarrassing.
