Inspectors found the Cheshire prison, which now holds only men convicted of sexual offences, calmer and safer than in 2023, but release outcomes and activity places still fell short.
The Chief Inspector of Probation found better information-sharing and a strong focus on public protection in the region, but weaknesses in case assessment remained.
Inspectors found leaders at the high security jail had begun to make progress, but drones, unreplaced windows, staff shortages and a very poor regime left the prison in a precarious state.
Inspectors found the highest positive drug-testing rate of any reception prison and rated purposeful activity poor, though staff-prisoner relationships remained a real strength.
Inspectors found strong relationships between staff and prisoners at the Liverpool jail, but a third of men had no work or education and a drug testing rate among the highest for similar prisons.
The Cumbrian open prison for men convicted of sexual offences earned the top grade in every healthy prison test, up from one good grade at its previous inspection in 2021.
Inspectors found progress at the Salford reception prison under an experienced director, including more time out of cell. But violence between prisoners stayed very high, and drugs posed a significant threat.
Inspectors found safety and activity had slipped at the Cheshire women's prison, with four self-inflicted deaths since 2021. Release planning improved to good, and new leaders brought a sense of optimism.
An inspection report on HMP Manchester, published in January 2025, found organised crime, very high drug use and soaring self-harm, prompting the Chief Inspector of Prisons to invoke an Urgent Notification.
Inspectors found the Lancashire open prison struggling after national overcrowding schemes, with poor staff relationships, little temporary release and a new £10 million gym that was rarely full.
