HM Inspector of Prisons carries out an important role in ensuring that the level of service and support given by each prison meets a minimum standard, and serves to highlight weaknesses and failings within the entire prison system. It is a non political body, so in theory its reports are “even handed”, and based on fact not opinions or prejudices.
The Inspectorate has various types of inspections and reports, the most notable is the “Urgent Notification Process” where the Inspectors write to the Secretary of State raising major concerns about a specific prison. These letters, which are in the public domain, require the Government to respond within 28 days with a plan of action to remedy the issues identified by the Inspectors.
The usual timetable is that each prison is visited every 2-3 years, with the “high risk” establishments such as YOI being inspected more frequently (annually). A normal inspections lasts over a week, and is a major event in the life of a prison, taking a significant effort from the prison staff to meet the demands of the Inspectorate Team; governors and senior prison managers careers can turn on the outcomes.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, when normal full inspections were neither possible nor safe, the Inspectorate introduced shorter "Scrutiny Visits" to individual establishments as a stop-gap measure. Full, in-person inspections resumed once pandemic restrictions were lifted and remain the normal method today, alongside the routine programme of Independent Reviews of Progress (IRPs) at prisons of particular concern.
To read any inspection report, go to the individual prison pages and follow the links from the “Inspections” page.