The prison was given a full inspection in October 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 Whitemoor is a high-security category A training prison in Cambridgeshire, part of the long-term high-security estate and home to one of the prison system’s Separation Centres for prisoners assessed as posing an extremism-related risk, run by HM Prison and Probation Service, holding 455 men against an operational capacity of 458, around 80% assessed as posing a very high risk of harm and 76% serving indeterminate sentences. Inspectors rated safety improved to Good from reasonably good, respect improved to reasonably good from not sufficiently good, and preparation for release improved to reasonably good from not sufficiently good, while purposeful activity remained Poor, unchanged. Charlie Taylor described Whitemoor as an improved prison, doing a difficult job reasonably well.
Assault levels had reduced over two years to below the average for long-term high-security establishments, self-harm rates were the lowest among comparator prisons, and average segregation stays were cut from over 80 days to around 40 days; just 21% of prisoners reported feeling unsafe against a 34% comparator average. The governor and deputy governor were visible and approachable, with a clear understanding of the prison’s strengths and weaknesses, and staff investment in training, mentoring and wellbeing support was praised. Kitchen staff were noted for preparing individualised meals for prisoners with food-related phobias, flagged as notable positive practice.
Inspectors nonetheless found purposeful activity stayed rated Poor, with 39% of prisoners locked up during core working hours and only 36% engaged in purposeful activity, hampered by staffing shortfalls and absence that also disrupted education, healthcare appointments and drug testing. Use of incapacitant spray was disproportionately high, dental waits reached 50 weeks, one prisoner waited 18 months for a Mental Health Act hospital transfer, and complaints rose by around a third and were the highest of any comparator prison, with only 7% of appeals upheld.
Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
December 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 Whitemoor by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (13–23 October 2025, published 2 February 2026) | 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 Whitemoor | |