The prison was given a full inspection in April 2026, the full report can be read on the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website, just follow the links below. In their latest report the inspectors said:
HMP & YOI Brinsford is a young offender institution and category C prison for adult men near Wolverhampton, run by HM Prison and Probation Service, holding just over 500 men against an operational capacity of around 577. Around six in ten prisoners identified as neurodivergent, and roughly a third were unsentenced or on remand. Inspectors rated safety Poor, a decline on the previous inspection, respect Not Sufficiently Good, unchanged, purposeful activity Not Sufficiently Good, an improvement on the previous Poor rating, and preparation for release Not Sufficiently Good, a decline from Reasonably Good.
Of the concerns raised at the last inspection, only a handful had been fully addressed, and safety-related issues in particular had barely moved. Violence was found to be among the highest of any prison for adult men, positive drug tests rose sharply compared with the previous inspection, and self-harm incidents increased substantially. Inspectors also raised concerns about heavy and at times inappropriate use of incapacitant spray, unprofessional staff conduct during some use-of-force incidents, and very limited time out of cell for unemployed prisoners, in some cases as little as an hour a day. Living conditions had also deteriorated, with maintenance backlogs including showers needing urgent repair, and some prisoners faced lengthy delays waiting for transfer to hospital under the Mental Health Act.
Inspectors did identify real strengths alongside these concerns. Reception and induction arrangements had improved, and a newly ambitious governor was praised for actively supporting his senior team. A dedicated neurodiversity support hub with trained staff was highlighted as good practice, along with support for care leavers including a flat used to build independent-living skills, creative family engagement work including a multi-faith area in the visitors’ centre, and an innovative healthcare partnership that had cut missed appointments and reliance on sedatives. A more rehabilitative approach to drug-related adjudications, using community payback rather than purely punitive measures, was also praised.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
July 2026
To read the full reports, go to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website or follow the links below:
- Inspection report, HM Inspectorate of Prisons website, Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP & YOI Brinsford by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (14–30 April 2026)
- Easy read summary of the 2026 inspection report
- Ofsted report, education and skills findings from the 2026 inspection
- Action plan, HM Prison and Probation Service action plan in response to the 2026 inspection of HMP & YOI Brinsford
- Independent Review of Progress, HM Inspectorate of Prisons review of progress at HMP & YOI Brinsford (8–10 April 2024)
- Inspection report (PDF), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP & YOI Brinsford (June 2023, published 11 September 2023)
- HMP & YOI Brinsford, Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP & YOI Brinsford (August 2021, published 30 November 2021)