HMIP Inspection of Brixton

The prison was given an inspection in March 2022, the full report can be read at the Ministry of Justice web site, just follow the links below. In their latest report the inspectors said:

” This report into HMP Brixton revealed a prison that was in trouble. With a temporary governor recently in post and an inexperienced leadership team, this category C London resettlement prison will need considerable support and investment from HMPPS to get back on track.

The behaviour on the wings was not good enough with prisoners breaking the rules without challenge from staff members who either did not have high enough expectations or who turned a blind eye. Prisoners were free to vape around the jail, the dress code was not enforced, and some prisoners appeared to be permitted to spend much longer on the phone than others. This lack of proper oversight had led to some individuals isolating on the wing without anyone noticing. There was inadequate care for some of the most vulnerable who, even when placed on an ACCT (assessment, care in custody, and teamwork), were not given the support that they needed.

The system for applications had broken down meaning many were ignored or unanswered. This led to prisoners putting in complaints which were often dismissed. It took inspectors a long time to walk from one end of a wing to the other because they were stopped by so many prisoners eager to express their exasperation with life at the prison and their inability to get the support they needed to complete their sentence and prepare for release. ROTL had been suspended meaning that the prisoners – particularly those who had category D status, could not go out to work while they suffered interminable waits for transfer to an open prison.

There were not nearly enough activities for the 724 prisoners, and only a lucky few were allocated to the high-quality workshops such as drywalling or painting. Those that were able to get prison jobs were often working part time or were not using skills that would be useful after release. Standards of education were poor with the quality of teaching in English and maths not good enough for the small number of prisoners who attended.

On G wing, which held vulnerable prisoners, there was even less to do. The regime was restrictive and apart from the kitchen (which produced excellent food), there was little work or training. Prisoners on this wing told me they had made a mistake in opting to come to Brixton, and many compared it to a category B establishment. If this wing is to remain, leaders in the prison and at HMPPS will have to give some serious thought to how they improve provision to this largely compliant but frustrated group of prisoners some of whom, if they are not given suitable support or access to treatment programmes, could pose a risk to the public when they are released.

The standards of accommodation were often very poor. Many prisoners shared tiny, cramped, and dilapidated cells with inadequate furniture and graffiti on the walls. Despite being rerolled in 2012 as a category C prison, Brixton had the feel of a local prison, but one in which prisoners were spending much longer periods of time.

The experienced and effective temporary governor is in no doubt about the scale of the task of improving standards which had, unusually, fallen in three of our four healthy prison tests. If given enough time, she will certainly be able to address many of our concerns, but progress will be very constrained if the prison service does not provide material support in refurbishing cells and reducing the headcount so that there is enough meaningful activity to go round. HMPPS will need to consider whether there is any future for a vulnerable prisoners wing in such a small site. Ultimately, the only way that this prison can be more successful with so little space is if a substantial proportion of prisoners are going to work every day outside the wall.

Charlie Taylor
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons
April 2022

Return to Brixton

To read the full reports follow the links below:

  • Inspection report (1003 kB), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Brixton by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (14 and 21-25 March 2022)
  • HMP Brixton (4.67 MB), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Brixton (4 March 2019, 11-15 March 2019)
  • HMP Brixton (539.58 kB), Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Brixton (3–4, 9–13 January 2017)
  • HMP Brixton, Report on an announced inspection of HMP Brixton (3 – 7 November 2014)
  • HMP Brixton, Unannounced inspection of HMP Brixton (1–12 July 2013)
  • HMP Brixton, Unannounced full follow-up inspection of HMP Brixton (1 – 10 December 2010)
  • HMP Brixton, An announced inspection of HMP Brixton (28 April – 2 May 2008)

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