The prison was given an Independent Review of Progress in 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 Hull is a local, reception prison for adult men, serving the local courts, holding 954 men at its last full inspection against an operational capacity of 968, just under half on remand and a significant number convicted of sexual offences. A full inspection in June/July 2024 had rated safety Reasonably Good, an improvement from Not Sufficiently Good, respect Reasonably Good and preparation for release Reasonably Good, both unchanged, and purposeful activity Poor, a decline from Reasonably Good. This Independent Review of Progress, carried out in April 2025, checks progress against the nine concerns raised then rather than re-scoring the four healthy prison tests.
Inspectors found progress on seven of the nine concerns. Activity spaces had increased by around 15%, and unemployment fell from 37% in December 2024 to 16% in February 2025. Education attendance rose from 55% to 68%, and library use more than tripled from around 500 a month to over 850. The Shannon Trust reading support scheme was ranked in the top three nationally, and a new staff role dedicated to detecting drone activity was already showing early success in reducing drone-delivered contraband.
Inspectors nonetheless found insufficient progress on overcrowding and on homelessness on release. Nearly two-thirds of prisoners remained held in cells designed for one, and homelessness on release stood at around 26%, essentially unchanged. Drug positivity rates had risen further before the review and incidents of prisoners under the influence had increased, self-harm rates were rising and one self-inflicted death had been recorded since the 2024 inspection, and unemployed prisoners remained locked up for over 21 hours a day, with an especially poor weekend regime.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
May 2025
To read the full reports, go to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website or follow the links below:
- Independent Review of Progress report, HM Inspectorate of Prisons review of progress at HMP Hull (14–16 April 2025, published 27 May 2025)
- Inspection report (PDF), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Hull by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (17 June–4 July 2024, published 30 September 2024)
- Easy read summary of the 2024 inspection report