The Chief Inspector of Prisons has published his full report on HMP Woodhill, finding little sign of progress since an Urgent Notification placed the jail in special measures.
A follow-up inspection found the high-security prison now holds men convicted of sexual offences in separate units, but progress on most earlier concerns has been limited.
HMPPS says Tuesday and Friday afternoon lock-downs will continue, and that the Tuesday sessions give staff time for training and wellbeing activities.
An inquest jury found that HMP Haverigg failed to note a prisoner’s depression and worries or offer him reassurance. Two weeks after his death, inspectors rated safety at the open prison as good.
The Chief Inspector of Prisons praised the new Governor’s leadership but said overcrowding, drug use and self-inflicted deaths were still holding back improvement.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons found progress at both London jails on return visits in 2026, after critical reports in 2025, but said too many men still spend long periods in their cells.
The Chief Inspector of Prisons said the jail remained in a “precarious state” 15 months after an Urgent Notification, and criticised delays to work on windows targeted by drones.
Two prison inspectors say people with severe mental illness are still trapped in jails, and the Chief Inspector of Prisons says the situation has deteriorated since 2024.
A report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons found that almost one in five men in prison could not use the gym or play sport, with women and men in local prisons faring worse.
The Welsh Affairs Committee says adding 345 places at the south Wales prison could put recent safety gains at risk, after 17 men died there in 2024.
