Prison and probation are rarely out of the news for long. On this page we round up the latest genuine stories from the national press, TV and radio that matter to prisoners, their families, and victims of crime – things like sentencing policy, prison conditions, early release, and the wider justice system.
Each story below is a short, plain-English summary with a link to the original report, so you can read the full thing and make your own mind up. These links aren’t amended or censored in any way, and the views expressed in them are neither endorsed nor denied by DoingTime – you have to make your own mind up!
This page updates automatically, with the newest story added to the top of the list below. We show the seven most recent stories – older ones drop off this list but stay live on the site if you’ve been sent a direct link.
| HMP Bedford improving but still ‘fragile’, inspectors find – Inspectors praised improving leadership at HMP Bedford but recorded the highest violence rate of any adult male prison in England and Wales, with widespread vermin and overcrowding. 26 October 2026 | Manhunt launched after prisoner escapes secure medical unit in Lewisham – Police launched a manhunt after a prisoner escaped from a secure medical unit in Lewisham, warning the public not to approach him. 24 October 2026 |
| Offenders who refuse to attend sentencing face new prison punishments – New rules will let judges impose extra restrictions, including cell confinement and loss of visits, on offenders who refuse to attend their own sentencing. 22 October 2026 | Heating failures leave HMP Wandsworth prisoners in ‘inhumane’ conditions, watchdog finds – A prison watchdog found that repeated heating and hot water failures left inmates at the south London jail in unsafe, overcrowded and squalid conditions over the past year. 21 October 2026 |
| Four days without water at Scotland’s most overcrowded prison, inspectors find – Inspectors find prisoners at HMP Barlinnie went four days without running water after a leak, compounding chronic overcrowding at Scotland’s largest jail. 15 October 2026 | Second wave of early prisoner releases begins as overcrowding crisis deepens – Around 650 more prisoners were freed early in England and Wales on 15 October, as the government continues efforts to ease severe overcrowding. 15 October 2026 |
| Domestic abuse to be formally recorded on court records for the first time – From 5 October, courts in England and Wales must formally record when domestic abuse was a factor in an offence, creating a shared flag for police, probation and prison staff. 11 October 2026 |