The prison was given a full inspection in March/April 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:
HMP Haverigg is a category D open prison for adult men in Cumbria, run by HM Prison and Probation Service, re-roled from a category C establishment in December 2019. It holds 490 men against a certified normal capacity of 499, 95% of whom are convicted of sexual offences, with 49% aged over 50. Inspectors rated safety Good, unchanged, and respect, purposeful activity and preparation for release all Good, each improved from Reasonably Good at the previous inspection in 2021, meaning all four healthy prison tests are now rated Good. Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, called it one of the most impressive jails in the country and said it would continue to flourish.
Only three violent incidents were recorded in 12 months, and the release on temporary licence success rate stood at 99.8%, with just 41 prisoners returned to closed conditions, the lowest recall rate among open prisons. Seventy-two per cent of those released were in employment six months on, and only 6% of prisoners released in the past year had been recalled. Ninety-four per cent of prisoners reported respectful treatment by reception staff, 85% found induction comprehensive, and 80% of complaints were resolved on time. Inspectors praised extensive farm and garden work, a new specialist neurodivergent unit, and strong work addressing employment barriers for prisoners convicted of sexual offences.
Inspectors did find a 40-week waiting time for trauma therapy and psychology, which they judged too long, and some prisoners faced delays of months for release on temporary licence assessments. Too many prisoners had an insufficient understanding of how to protect themselves from the risks of radicalisation and extremism, and the perimeter fencing was described as imposing and not well suited to an open establishment.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
July 2025
To read the full reports, go to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website or follow the links below:
| Inspection report (PDF), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Haverigg by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (31 March–10 April 2025, published 15 July 2025) | Easy read summary of the 2025 inspection report |
| Action plan, HM Prison and Probation Service action plan in response to the 2025 inspection of HMP Haverigg | |