Woodhill and Swaleside show that newer jails are failing, too

The Howard League for Penal Reform has responded to HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ decision to invoke an urgent notification for Woodhill prison and its report on Swaleside prison, both published today (Thursday 19 March).

For the second time in three years, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, has written to the Secretary of State for Justice, giving the government 28 days to respond with an action plan for improvement at Woodhill. Inspectors visited the prison, in Milton Keynes, earlier this month and found that it was not safe, drugs were far too easily available, and the rate of self-harm was among the highest of all men’s prisons.

Ofsted judged education at Woodhill to be inadequate, with classes cancelled routinely because of a lack of staff. Too many men were locked in their cells during the working day.

Although Woodhill is not a designated resettlement prison, the number of men being released into the community had increased significantly – and these men were receiving only limited support. In healthcare, there were delays in taking patients to A&E and acutely unwell men were waiting on average 191 days to be transferred to a secure hospital.

Swaleside prison, in Kent, was made the subject of an urgent notification in December 2025 after inspectors found that most wings were filthy, and many cells were in a poor state of repair. They discovered widespread graffiti, fire damage, broken furniture, dilapidated flooring, and showers that were dirty, mouldy and poorly maintained.

The full inspection report, published today, provides more detail about the many other problems in the jail, including staff shortages, high levels of violence and cuts to education provision.

For only the second time in the history of the inspectorate, Swaleside was awarded the worst possible score in all four of the inspectorate’s ‘healthy prison’ tests, which assess prisons for safety, respect, purposeful activity, and preparation for release.

Woodhill received its first urgent notification in September 2023. Since then, urgent notifications have been invoked in respect of Bedford (November 2023), Wandsworth (May 2024), Rochester (September 2024), Manchester (October 2024), Winchester (October 2024), Pentonville (July 2025), Oakhill secure training centre (July 2025), Swaleside (December 2025), and now Woodhill again.

Woodhill prison opened in 1992. Swaleside prison opened in 1988.

Andrea Coomber KC (Hon.), Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Woodhill’s second urgent notification in three years is an emphatic failure that illustrates the depth of the prisons crisis. The system is now under so much pressure that even placing a jail in special measures and giving it additional resources is not enough to turn it around.

“We often hear about the grim conditions inside Victorian prisons, but these findings from Woodhill and Swaleside reveal that newer jails are failing, too. The shocking details in the Swaleside report echo what we hear from people living there, who have shared accounts of everything from violence, weapons and drugs to the lack of fresh air and cell bells going unanswered.

“Woodhill and Swaleside are supposed to be training prisons, helping people to move on from crime and acquire the skills they need to succeed on the outside. In reality, they achieve the opposite, warehousing men in a toxic environment and setting them up to fail. This disgraceful situation has been building for years, and the Chief Inspector is right to point it out.

“Instead of wasting billions on building more Woodhills and Swalesides, the government should be focused on reducing the prison population and tackling the problems in the jails we already have.”

Notes to editors

1. The Howard League for Penal Reform is the oldest penal reform charity in the world. It is a national charity working for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison.
2. The urgent notification for Woodhill prison and the full inspection report for Swaleside prison will be available on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website at: https://hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/our-reports/

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