HMI Prisons

Chief Inspectors Blog

Photograph of Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor

Chief Inspector’s blog: why don't prisoners learn to read?

As a former teacher, I often ask prisoners how they got on in school; the answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is often ‘not well’. It is clear that a large proportion of those in prison struggle with reading – an assessment in August 2021 by HMPPS put the number of adult prisoners with a reading age below that expected of an 11-year-old at around 57%. This hampers the progress they can make while they are serving their sentences and hugely restricts their opportunities on release.

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Reading in prisons

Photograph of reflection garden at Send prison

Prison education: a review of reading education in prisons

HMI Prisons has published a new report with Ofsted as part of a year-long review of prison education. The report highlights the barriers preventing prisoners from receiving the support they need to learn how to read or improve their reading skills. It describes how the reading education on offer in the prisons visited by the inspectorates was minimal at best. The failure to teach prisoners to read leaves up to half unable to access vital rehabilitative education while in prison. Without the ability to read, released prisoners will find it harder to make a successful return to society.

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Stakeholder survey results

What do you think of HMI Prisons?

We have published the results of our online 2021 stakeholder survey. The stakeholder survey is conducted annually and we use the findings to inform our corporate planning process. This year we gained feedback on the ongoing impact of the pandemic on our work, and on some of our activities since returning to full inspections in May 2021. We also asked new questions about equality and diversity, our revised inspection reports and our’ Expectations.

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Notable positive practice

Notable positive practice

In our reports, we provide examples of notable positive practice observed during our inspections. By publishing these examples, we hope to share and help inform positive practice within prisons. Our list of examples has now been updated to include those from recent inspections of Rochester (pictured), Foston Hall, Swaleside, Altcourse, Thameside, Durham and Wetherby & Keppel .

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Separation Centre Expectations

New Separation Centre Expectations published

We have published our first edition of our Expectations for separation centres. They will be used to undertake thematic inspections of the treatment and conditions experienced by prisoners held in the centres, which are designed to accommodate small numbers of prisoners who present a threat - either in person or by influencing others - that cannot be managed within the high security mainstream population.

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Focus on women's prisons

Concerns about self-harm and vulnerability in women's prisons

HMI Prisons has published a paper identifying key findings in the inspection of five women’s prisons. While identifying good practice in some, the paper also raises serious concerns about high rates of self-harm and vulnerability across the women’s prison estate. The publication of the paper coincides with the release of the HMP & YOI Foston Hall inspection report, which details very high violence and self-harm and inadequate care for vulnerable women.

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What we do

About our inspections

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Our Expectations