The prison was last inspected in July 2025, 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:
Located in Liverpool, HMP Altcourse is a category B local prison serving courts in the Merseyside and Cheshire regions. Since 2023 the prison has been run by Sodexo, having previously been managed by G4S since it first opened in 1997.
Inspectors found that the ingress and use of illicit drugs posed a major threat to safety and security at the prison, with random testing showing one of the highest positive rates of any comparable establishment. There had been six self-inflicted deaths since the previous inspection, and inspectors were critical of how thoroughly some near-fatal incidents had been investigated, as well as of the prison’s response to rising levels of self-harm. Concerns about healthcare risks were said to have been known to NHS England, the prison and the healthcare provider, Practice Plus Group, but had not been sufficiently addressed.
Despite these serious concerns, staff-prisoner relationships remained a genuine strength, and inspectors noted an impressive range of family initiatives, including one-to-one and family counselling, along with communal dining at both lunch and dinner – a facility rarely seen in reception prisons. Mental health screening was thorough, with assessments carried out within 48 hours of arrival to identify anxiety or depression.
Purposeful activity was rated poor. Education and work spaces were insufficient for the size of the population, leaving many prisoners locked up for long periods with little to occupy them.
Overall the Chief Inspector rated safety as not sufficiently good, respect as reasonably good, purposeful activity as poor, and preparation for release as reasonably good. He concluded that although real problems remained, particularly around drugs, healthcare and activity provision, the quality of relationships at Altcourse gave leaders a foundation to build on.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
October 2025
To read the full reports, go to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website or follow the links below:
- Inspection report (1.9 MB), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Altcourse by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (7–18 July 2025)
- Action plan (331 kB), HM Prison and Probation Service action plan in response to the 2025 inspection of HMP Altcourse
- Inspection report (805 kB), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Altcourse by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (1-2 and 8-12 November 2021)
- HMP Altcourse (613.21 kB), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Altcourse (13–23 November 2017)
- HMP Altcourse, Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Altcourse (9 – 20 June 2014)
- HMP Altcourse, Unannounced short follow-up inspection of HMP Altcourse (15-17 October 2012)
- HMP Altcourse, Full unannounced inspection of HMP Altcourse (15 – 22 January 2010)
- HMP Altcourse, Unannounced short follow-up inspection of HMP Altcourse (17-19 September 2007)