The prison was given an inspection in January 2026, 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 Manchester, popularly known as Strangeways, is a publicly run category B training prison in central Manchester that also carries out a category A remand function within the high-security estate. Dating from 1868, it held around 576 men at the time of the inspection against an operational capacity of 743, with a high proportion serving life sentences.
Inspectors described a prison still struggling with serious disorder. Rates of prisoner-on-prisoner assault were among the highest recorded in the adult male estate, and assaults on staff had risen further. Drones remained a major route for smuggling drugs and weapons in, reflecting persistent gaps in physical security, while roughly two in five mandatory drug tests came back positive, one of the highest rates nationally. The report also recorded four self-inflicted deaths since the previous inspection and self-harm levels well above the norm for comparable prisons.
On respect, conditions were undermined by low staffing levels that weakened relationships between officers and prisoners, along with poor ratings for cleanliness in outside areas and for food quality. Healthcare fared somewhat better in prisoner feedback, with GP, nursing and chaplaincy services rated more positively than at similar prisons, although some patients faced delays accessing treatment.
Purposeful activity was judged poor. Around 44% of prisoners were unemployed, time out of cell was inconsistent and often minimal, and education and workshop provision was frequently disrupted by closures. Preparation for release was rated reasonably good, the one area of comparative strength.
Despite the serious concerns, the report credited the governor and his team with tangible efforts to stabilise the prison, highlighting a partnership with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, a clinical psychology-backed violence recovery pathway, and a proactive approach to managing gang-related risk. Of 15 concerns raised at the previous inspection, only two were judged fully resolved. The Chief Inspector described the prison as remaining in a precarious state, while voicing cautious optimism that improved staffing and repaired security infrastructure could allow the rehabilitative work already under way to take hold.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
April 2026
To read the full reports, go to the HM Inspectorate of Prisons website or follow the links below:
- Inspection report, HM Inspectorate of Prisons website, Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Manchester by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (12–22 January 2026)
- Easy read summary (870 kB) of the 2026 inspection report
- Action plan (314 kB), HM Prison and Probation Service action plan in response to the 2026 inspection of HMP Manchester
- Inspection report (748 kB), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Manchester by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (6-7 and 13-17 September 2021)
- HMP Manchester (658.29 kB), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Manchester (27, 28 June, 9–12 July 2018)
- HMP Manchester, Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Manchester (27 October – 7 November 2014)
- HMP Manchester, Unannounced full follow-up inspection of HMP Manchester (1 – 9 September 2011)
- HMP Manchester, Announced inspection of HMP Manchester (27-31 July 2009)