News
Play about three deaths at HMP Woodhill returns to the Edinburgh Fringe
Woodhill, a drama built from the words of bereaved families, is back at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2026. One mother says she fears for those still held at the prison.
HMP Woodhill
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Campaigners say new IPP Action Plan misses the mark
The Government's 2026/27 IPP Action Plan introduces prison advocates and four progression prisons, but campaign group UNGRIPP says it is fundamentally flawed.
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Woodhill inspection finds widespread violence and drug use amid staff shortages
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.
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HMP Woodhill still unsafe, leading to second Urgent Notification from inspectors
Inspectors rated the category B prison poor in three of four areas, with violence, drugs and self-harm still high, and the Chief Inspector of Prisons invoked the urgent notification process for a second time.
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Average cost of a public-sector prison place passes £60,000 a year
Ministry of Justice figures show the average annual cost per prisoner in public-sector jails reached £60,018 in 2024/25, with places for women and children costing far more.
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Woodhill placed in special measures as inspector warns over high-security jails
The Chief Inspector of Prisons has warned of serious failings across the Long-Term High-Security Estate, with Woodhill and Swaleside now both in special measures.
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HMP Woodhill gets second Urgent Notification as violence and drugs worsen
In March 2026, the Chief Inspector of Prisons issued a second Urgent Notification for HMP Woodhill, warning that the jail had worsened since 2023 despite substantial extra support.
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HMP Woodhill unsafe and chronically short of staff, inspectors found in 2023
An inspection report published in November 2023 found HMP Woodhill unsafe, with the highest rate of serious assaults on staff in the country and none of its 2021 recommendations achieved.
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Chief Inspector of Prisons issues Urgent Notification for HMP Woodhill in 2023
In September 2023, the Chief Inspector of Prisons published an Urgent Notification for HMP Woodhill, citing sharply rising violence, record self-harm and a chronic shortage of officers.
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HMP Woodhill not safe enough as staff shortages took their toll, inspectors found
An inspection report published in December 2021 found HMP Woodhill violent and short of experienced staff, with seven self-inflicted deaths since 2018 and falling grades in two areas.