The prison was given a full inspection in December 2024, 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 & YOI Styal is a closed women’s prison in Cheshire, run by HM Prison and Probation Service, holding 398 women against a certified normal accommodation of 469. Inspectors rated preparation for release Good, an improvement from not sufficiently good, respect remained reasonably good, unchanged, while safety and purposeful activity both declined to not sufficiently good from reasonably good. Inspectors described capable, well-intentioned leadership being overwhelmed by drugs, understaffing on the residential houses, and an influx of acutely unwell women.
The mother and baby unit, run in partnership with Action for Children, was fully staffed and praised for excellent perinatal care, including a dedicated midwife and strong multi-agency working. Preparation for release improved markedly, with good accommodation partnerships and a young adult hub giving targeted support to under-25s. Vocational training in hairdressing, hospitality and construction was strong, women on release on temporary licence worked in retail and warehousing, and inspectors praised effective first-week safety support for new arrivals and de-escalation training that had reduced use of force.
Inspectors nonetheless found drug test positivity was the highest in the entire women’s estate, peaking at 41% in one month, with no X-ray or body scanner at the gate. Self-harm incidents were the second-highest of the 12 women’s prisons, roughly double the rate at the previous inspection, and four self-inflicted deaths had occurred since then. Staffing on the residential houses was severely reduced, with one officer sometimes covering two or three houses at once, and 39 women had been admitted with acute vulnerabilities that should have been managed in the community. Ofsted rated education requires improvement across all areas, and most women were still released homeless or without sustainable housing.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
March 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 & YOI Styal by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (2–12 December 2024, published 18 March 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 & YOI Styal | |