United Kingdom: England & Wales
Capital city — London
Latest updates
The phones are located
- in the corridors
- in the cell
Of the closed facilities managed by the prison service, 86% have telephones in the cells.
All women’s prisons now have a telephone in each cell1 according to the authorities.
Inside Time, In-cell phones at all women’s prisons, october 2021. ↩
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The prison service stated that 92 public correctional facilities will be equipped with in-cell telephones by the end of February 2024. The Minister of Justice announced in January that telephone lines had been successfully installed in the cells of 86 facilities. All women’s facilities have been equipped with in-cell telephones since 2021.
Prison facilities are adapted to the needs of prisoners with disabilities
in some facilities
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The only access lift for the visiting area at Lindholme Prison has been out of service since October 2023. One prisoner’s father explained that a temporary area was available on the ground floor, where prisoners were separated from visitors by a glass screen. A 95-year-old woman had to take the stairs, to the detriment of her health, to visit her incarcerated grandson in the usual conditions.
Destitute prisoners receive financial or in-kind support
The prison administration contributes a weekly allowance to prisoners in the following cases :
- unemployed: £2.50
- short-term illness (up to 4 weeks): £2.50
- long-term illness (more than 4 weeks): £3.25
- pensioner/maternity leave or full care of child by mother: £3.25 -
- outpatient hospitalisation: £4.35
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A videoconferencing service has been established at Brixton Prison for prisoners who would like advice on managing debt. This service is provided by the association Debt Free Advice.
Individuals or organisations from the outside are allowed to participate in prison activities
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We Are Survivors received approval to work with prisoners who have been victims of sexual assault. The association will offer talking therapy in 15 facilities in the North West region.
Education is available for all prisoners
The training offered usually includes courses in mathematics, reading, English, business and arts education.
The House of Commons Education Select Committee1 released, in 2022, a report that emphasised the importance of education in prison. The report lamented the reduction in educational participation rates, a 90% drop between 2010/11 and 2017/18. The report called the system “clunky, chaotic and disjointed” and said it did not value education as a key to rehabilitation. Among its recommendations, the Committee called for the use of laptops for inmates pursuing education. The goal of this measure was to find a solution to the digital divide between the general and prison populations, impacting inmates’ ability to rehabilitate. The report also pointed out that over 30% of inmates had learning disabilities. Only 25 qualified Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators(SENCo) were available to serve all public prisons, amounting to 1 educator for every 4 facilities. The Committee recommended the adoption of digital educational passports that would allow access to inmate records to better understand their needs thus allowing educators to tailor the educational strategy to the individual.2
The UK Parliament is constituted of two Chambers : the House of Commons, composed of deputees and who adopt law projects, and the House of Lords, composed of lords names by the King. ↩
House of Commons Education Committee, Not jus another brick in the wall: why prisoners need an education to climb the ladder of opportunity, First Report of Session 2022-2023, 2022 ↩
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The Chief Inspector of Prisons noted that access to education for prisoners has worsened since the Covid-19 pandemic. Warren Hill Prison in Suffolk has four classrooms, all of which are too small. The prisoners sit on each other’s laps during class. They are not satisfied with the courses available to them.
The prison service offers activities to prisoners
yes
All prisoners are assessed for their skills development needs upon arrival. These are recorded in an “Individual Learning Plan” (ILP)“. This plan is available to the prison service and external providers. Access to employment, training and skills development is subject to the prison service’s proposals, the providers’ offer and the prison regime.
The activities usually offered are as follows:
- vocational training and skills development
- sport activities
- cultural and artistic activities
- rehabilitation programmes
- work1
Department of Justice, PSI 03/2012 on activities assignment. ↩
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Inspectors established a connection between increased violence and drug usage with the lack of activities offered at Dovegate Prison. They recommended better access to education, with greater diversity in the choice of courses.
Solitary confinement can be used as
- punishment
- protection of person
- security
The reasons for solitary confinement are :
- to preserve order and discipline or prisoner protection (Prison Rule 45 / Rule 49 of Juvenile Facilities)
- close supervision, in a dedicated unit (Close Supervision Centre of the prison/ Prison Rule 46) for those prisoners deemed to be the most disruptive.
- the separation of prisoners awaiting disciplinary arbitration (Prison Rule 53(4) / Rule 58(4) of Juvenile Facilities)
- to punish a disciplinary offence (Prison Rule 55(e) / Rule 60(f) of the Rules for Juvenile Facilities).
- to remove a prisoner guilty of a disciplinary offence from their ward or unit (Prison Rule 55(h) / Rule 60(g) of juvenile facilities).
- to separate prisoners on hygiene strike, to preserve order and discipline (Prison Rule 45 / Rule 49 of Juvenile Facilities). They shall be placed in a special cell in the solitary confinement unit or in a suitable room.1
Staff may place a prisoner in a protective cell when there is a risk of suicide or self-harm. These cells may be located in disciplinary or isolation wards. The administration, however, does not consider them to be isolation rooms.
Solitary confinement implies specific access to telephones, showers, activities, etc.
Department of Justice, PSO 1700 on solitary confinement. ↩
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The Independent Monitoring Board published a report on using solitary confinement for prisoners with mental health issues. It noted that the prison service uses this measure too frequently on prisoners with mental health needs, due to the absence of an appropriate alternative.
A special intervention unit is in charge of restoring order
There are three types of specialised intervention bodies:
- Specialised teams, organised in regional platforms, are deployed in prisons in their sector. Their mission is to sieze prohibited items (drugs, drones, telephones, etc.). They use mobile phone detection devices and work in cooperation with anti-drug teams. In 2018, the Minister of Justice announced the recruitment of more than 100 specialised prison officers.1
- the Control & Restraint Units, also known as tornado response, are trained to intervene in the event of a major incident. They are equipped with riot helmets, fire-resistant suitsandhoods, gloves, belts, tonfas with holster, shin guards, elbow pads, intervention shoes and shields.
- The National tactical response group (NTRG) is an elite body. It is deployed in prisons in the event of a serious incident (large-scale riots, hostage-taking, etc.). In 2017, it had 44 members. In 2018, the number of NTRG interventions in England and Wales (640) represents an increase bof almost 60% compared to 2014 (402).
Department of Justice, press release: New search teams to disrupt and deter violence in prisons, novembre 2018. ↩
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“Tornado squads” were called out 13 times in 2023. Six requests came from men’s prisons, six from young offender institutes, and one from a women’s prison.
Security staff carry
of non-lethal weapons
Surveillance personnel have batons, handcuffs and sometimes PAVA sprays at their disposal.
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A prisoner at HMP Berwyn was held on a metal leash during hospital visits. Since July 2023, this metal leash has been the restraint used when a prisoner who has been handcuffed for transport must be released to use the toilet or undergo medical examination.
Security functions are fulfilled by
- penitentiary administration
- private companies
Security functions in public prisons are devolved to the penitentiary administration. In privately managed facilities they are assumed by private companies.
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Certain prisoners were appointed “violence reduction reps” by staff members in some correctional facilities. Their role is to defuse any tension in their unit. A study examined this system and noted that the prisoners chosen for this role were often large, muscular and tattooed. The researchers conducting the study concluded that this programme encourages security personnel to withdraw, leaving the prisoners to step in to maintain order.
Prisoners can buy food products
Prisoners can buy food products from canteens by filling out an order form. 1
National Offender Management Service and Prison Reform Trust, “Information book for prisoners with a disability”, p. 20. ↩
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The prices of products sold at the prison commissary at Coldingley rose an average of 15% between June 2022 and June 2023, according to research by the Independent Monitoring Board. These rising prices, combined with unchanging salaries for prisoners, make food products increasingly difficult to access.
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A prisoner at HMP Wymott listed the different prices of various vegan and non-vegan products available in detention. For the eight products cited, the total for the vegan products was around £12 more.
The prison service is required to meet nutritional standards regarding quality and quantity
“The food provided shall be wholesome, nutritious, well prepared and served, reasonably varied and sufficient in quantity.” (Prison rule 24)
The prison inspectorate of 2017 stated that prisoners were often served unappetising meals. Menus tended to be repetitive and prisoners often complained about the quality and quantity of food they received. Prisoners considered breakfast to be insufficient and claimed that it was often distributed during the night. As a result, certain prisoners were shocked by how long they had to wait between meals. 1
Chief Inspector of Prisons, “Annual Report 2017-2018. ↩
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A prisoner at HMP Bullingdon stated that the meals served rarely meet criteria relating to quality and quantity. For example, lunch served by the prison service could be a spoonful of beans and some lettuce or a frozen baguette with two slices of cheese.
The cells/dormitories are equipped with heating and/or air conditioning
in most cases
All cells must include a heating system (PSI 17/2012 on certified detention facilities). The prison inspectorate’s report of 2017 suggested that a number of prisoners did not have necessary heating or air conditioning in their cells, and that often those who did have these systems claimed that they didn’t work.1
Several prisons are experiencing heating and hot water problems. The Bristol prison, for example, had this problem in both 2021 and 2022. In Winchester, relatives said that prisoners padded their doors and windows with blankets and tape in order to stay warm.
In Littlehey, the family of a prisoner reported that the heating was not working and the cells were cold. Complaints relating to the heating and hot water system of this prison have been recorded during several winters since 2017. These problems are reportedly due to significantly delayed maintenance work, which is itself due to budget cuts.
HM Inspectorate of Prisons, Life in prison: Living conditions, October 2017. ↩
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A prisoner at HMP Berwyn reported that the heating had failed for the seventh winter in a row.
A prisoner at HMP Stafford reported that, in contrast, the heating was on constantly all winter. He had to open his window at night to lower the temperature, as it was too hot in his cell for him to sleep. Staff members left doors open to let the heat out and lower the temperature.
Prisoners are accommodated in single cells
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The number of prisoners sharing cells rose from 27,700 in March 2021 to 33,700 in March 2023.
Assignment of transgender prisoners to a specific facility depends on
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Since February 2023, transgender women with male genitalia or who have committed violent crimes may no longer be held in women’s prisons.
The Ministry of Justice believes that “regardless of where prisoners are held, they should be respected in the gender in which they identify, being provided with those items that enable their gender expression”.1
Department of Justice, “Review on the Care and Management of Transgender Offenders”, December 2015, p. 5-6. ↩
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Five transgender female prisoners are serving their sentences in women’s facilities. One hundred and ninety-eight are held in men’s prisons. The rules relating to holding transgender women in women’s facilities were tightened in 2023.
Pregnant women are housed in specific units or cells
yes
Pregnant women, or those who have a child no older than 18 months mayask, in writing, to be placed in a Mother-Baby Unit (MBU)1. This decision falls on the prison governor who is thus advised by the Admission Board. If there is insufficient space, a potential transfer of a prisoner to the MBU of another establishment is possible.
Prison Reform Trust, “Information sheet for women in prison for the first time (factsheet for female prisoners)”, October 2017, p. 5 ↩
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Bronzefield Prison distributed anti-rape alarms to pregnant prisoners, in addition to the alarms already present in the cells. This facility is managed by Sodexo. The company stated that the standard alarms in the cells were functional and that these alarms were a complementary measure. Similar measures have been taken in other institutions, even where there are no pregnant prisoners.
The legislation provides for a sentence adjustment for pregnant women or women with young children
Children whose mothers are serving a sentence longer than 18 months are accommodated by close family or in a foster home.
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A woman discovered that she was eight months pregnant following a pregnancy test administered upon her arrival in detention. Her prison sentence was cancelled and replaced by a suspended sentence so she could give birth outside of prison. The judges based their decision on the exceptional nature of the case.
Sentence adjustments can be granted during the incarceration
The Parole Board examines the request for eligibility for parole.1 It reviews life sentences, or IPPs2 at the end of the tariff (the period of unconditional imprisonment)3.
In an attempt to address overcrowding issues, prisoners nearing the end of their sentences can be fast-tracked for access to open prisons. This measure applies to men serving fixed-term sentences for non-violent, non-sexual offences.
Prison Reform Trust, The Parole Board and parole review ↩
Indeterminate Sentence for Public Protection, see the Specific Populations section, Life Imprisonment category. ↩
The period of unconditional imprisonment (tariff) is the minimum length of time a prisoner sentenced to an IPP must remain incarcerated ↩
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A programme has been established to allow offenders sentenced to four years or less in prison to be released up to 18 days before the end of their sentence. The programme’s period of application has not been defined.
The law provides for a sentence adjustment system
The Ministry of Justice announced, in 2022, a reform of the parole system with the aim of putting “the emphasis firmly back on public protection”. A Ministerial check by the Ministry of Justice will be added for the release of the “most serious offenders”. Victims can now attend parole hearings and ask questions. Victims, the media and prisoners will be able to request that these hearings be held publicly. The criteria for release will change. Parole Boards will now include greater numbers of members with policing backgrounds and will no longer include professionals working with the prisoners requesting release. The National Association of Probation Officers (Napo) strongly disapproves of these changes. The head of the Parole Board stated that these new rules could lead to a “lack of clarity” in the evidence provided.
Prison Reform Trust asserted that the changes in the reform give the Ministry of Justice veto power over prisoners’ access to parole. The charity further explained that these decisions are not without political influence. It published a letter it had sent to the Ministry of Justice to support its claims.
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The Chief Inspector of Prisons noted that many prisoners at Morton Hall were still in detention after their scheduled release date.
Vocational training is provided
yes
Prison administrations provide professional training and support for teachers.1 The training courses usually offered include plumbing, hairdressing, masonry, bicycle mechanics, hospitality and catering…
The law now allows prisoners in open facilities to participate in apprenticeship programmes. These programmes combine work and training so prisoners can gain professional experience. The first prisoners to participate in apprenticeships began in October 2022. A prisoner at the open prison Thorn Cross began works as a chef de partie while taking a Level 2 apprenticeship in hospitality. Another prisoner began working for the construction company Kier.
Chief Inspector of Prisons, “Annual Report 2017-18”, July 2018, p. 42 . ↩
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The Chief Inspector of Prisons noted that training options at Morton Hall Prison are insufficient.
The NPM recommendations are effectively implemented
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The Chief Inspector of Prisons published a report following a visit to Bedford Prison. He criticised the squalid material conditions of imprisonment and poor access to education, training and exercise.
In its annual report for 2022/23, the NPM highlighted the government’s inaction in response to its repeated calls to improve imprisonment conditions.
Deaths in custody are logged in a register
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Every week since 22 February 2024, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has published the names of prisoners who have passed away as well as the facility in which they were held and the date of their death.
Number of deaths in custody
301
A report by the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) is sounding the alarm about the prison conditions at HMP Bristol. The prison has one of the highest numbers of deaths across the country, and the highest level of self-harm. Nine people died in the prison between August 2022 and July 2023. Six of these deaths were suicides and one is a suspected murder.
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Two prisoners passed away in detention at Bridgend Prison on 27 February. Four other deaths were recorded in the following days. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman looked into the deaths, four of which were reportedly related to the use of synthetic opioids.
Prisoners can be assisted by a lawyer throughout their incarceration
In 2013, the Secretary of State for Justice stopped the provision of legal aid. The Howard League and the Prisoner’s Advice Service submitted an appeal to the Court of Appeal. In February 2018, the Court of Appeal decided to reintroduce legal aid in three cases:
- a review, prior to the lifting of the security period, authorising a prisoner to be placed in an open facility
- a reclassification review of category A prisoners
- placement in a close supervision centre, CSC 1.2
See Security, Order and Discipline section. ↩
The Howard League website, Legal aid cuts for prisoners ↩
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The Association of Prison Lawyers published a report on the difficulties they face in seeing their clients in detention. Solicitors noted 78 instances across 46 prisons between August 2022 and January 2024 in which communication with a prisoner was challenging or impossible.
Number of prison guards (FTE)
25,245
Workforce statistics from HMPPS cover staff who are employed by HMPPS. They are all civil servants. The official data provided by HMPPS does not include other workers within HMPPS who are employed by third parties (e.g. private sector, CRCs). This number also excludes voluntary workers, HMPPS staff on loan, on secondment out, and those on a career break.1
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons underlines that one of the biggest challenges facing the prison service is recruiting staff to counteract the significant number of departures and absences. The resignation rate increased from 2017 to 2023. In September 2023, the Prison Minister reported that 31% of posts were vacant at Woodhill Prison (Milton Keynes), 29% at Swaleside Prison (Kent) and 24% at Long Lartin (Worcestershire). Fourteen prisons receive officers on detached duty. In August 2022, only 23 of 122 prisons were able to maintain all services and activities. One third of prison officers are new recruits in 2023. The resulting staff shortage heavily impacts prison operations, as prisoners spend more time in their cells and exercise options are cut.
Independent Monitoring Boards for the prisons of Belmarsh, Birmingham and Preston report, numerous problems resulting from staff shortages: loss of property (HMP Belmarsh and HMP Birmingham), long waiting times for dental appointments (HMP Belmarsh), limited access to showers (HMP Belmarsh), fewer visits (HMP Preston) and incomplete renovations to infrastructure that must be completed in the presence of surveillance staff (HMP Preston).
The Operational Stability and Resourcing Panel (OSRP) is a group of experts made up of senior officials that meet once a week to analyse the impact of staff shortages in the prisons of England and Wales. According to authorities, the panel’s role is “to provide support to those prisons with the most acute resourcing pressures”. The Ministry of Justice stated that between November 2020 and November 2022, the panel was called on for help 647 times. The prisons of Woodhill and Wayland seem to be struggling the most: since mid-2021, they each received help on 20 occasions. The prisons of Long Lartin and Swaleside significantly restricted their regimes starting in August 2022 due to staff shortages.
Ministry of Justice, Guide to Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Workforce Statistics, 2017, p. 7. ↩
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One hundred and twenty-seven staff members resigned from HMP Lowdham Grange between February and December 2023. The Chief Inspector of Prisons regretted the service’s lack of progress despite previous warnings about the state of the facility.
Foreign prisoners are allowed to remain in the country after having served their sentence
no
Foreign prisoners sentenced to 12 months or more imprisonment under the UK Borders Act of 2007, and outside the European Economic Area (EEA), are automatically deported at the end of their sentence. They can avoid this if they demonstrate that the deportation “violates their rights guaranteed by the Human Rights Act”. Foreign nationals of an EEA country can only be deported in accordance to “public action, public security or public health”. Irish citizens are only deported in exceptional circumstances.1
It is the decision of the Borders and Immigration Agency to deport prisoners at the end of their sentences. The prisoner is informed of the decision and an IDO (Immigration Detention Order) is sent to the appropriate facility. Foreign prisoners refusing deportation may be able to make an appeal via a counsellor. Prisoners are kept in detention or transferred to detention centres whilst their deportation is pending.2
Prisoners’ Advice Service, “Information Sheet: Foreign National/s in the prison system p. 1. ↩
Prison Reform Trust and HM Prison Service/NOMS, “Prisoners’ Information Book: male prisoners and young offenders” 2008, p. 152. ↩
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Around 1,500 people are removed from UK prisons each year through the Early Removal Scheme for prisoners nearing the end of their sentence. On returning to their country of origin, they do not go to prison but are instead set free.
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The United Kingdom has signed prisoner transfer agreements (PTA) with numerous countries. Fifty transfers within the framework of a PTA were completed in 2022, and 23 more in the first 11 months of 2023.
For the first time, an Albanian prisoner was transferred to Albania to serve his sentence. The United Kingdom paid Albania £4 million as part of the PTA. The agreement was signed in 2021 and “toughened” in 2023.
Number and percentage of foreign prisoners
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The government is considering plans to transfer foreign national prisoners to correctional facilities in their country of origin. Prison Reform Trust is raising the alarm about this operation, which the organisation considers a costly and complicated method of increasing the prison estate.
Total official capacity of the prison facilities
79,615
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In response to the issue of overpopulation, the government constructed 380 prison spaces in 2023. It plans to spend £12 million for the construction of 10,000 additional spaces by the end of 2025.
Variation in the number of prisoners
increase
The prison population increased by 6.57% between January 2023 (81,806)1 and May 2024 (87,177).
Conseil de l’Europe, Rapport SPACE I 2023, tableau 3. ↩
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On 3 January 2024, the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) published a report on increases in the prison population titled “Prison population growth: drivers, implications and policy considerations”. The report details the factors behind the increase in the number of prisoners and puts forth measures that the government could implement in the short term to address this issue.