Prison illegally detaining inmates after release date put in special measures
The watchdog said data from the prison showed 130 inmates – 20% of those eligible for release – had been held illegally after their release date in the last six months.
The backlog in sentencing calculations also meant 10 prisoners had been released early 'in error' between July 2024 and June 2025.
In a letter to the Justice Secretary, the chief inspector said arrangements for new prisoners' first night at the north London jail and induction were 'chaotic and even frightening'.
Men were held in dirty cells missing bedding, furniture, telephones and pillows, the watchdog said, while the majority of prisoners were locked in their cells for more than 22 hours a day.
The report also said 60% of prisoners were sharing cells that were designed for one person, many living areas were dirty and there was a widespread infestation of mice and cockroaches.
Inspectors took emergency action after they found care of vulnerable prisoners under constant supervision was 'shockingly poor', with one prison officer found asleep, two were reading books and another was 'completely absent'.
The 'unacceptable practices' in looking after these prisoners, deemed at serious risk of self-harm, were a particular concern for inspectors given three suicides at the jail in 2025.
Mr Taylor said: 'Pentonville is an overcrowded, inner-city, Victorian prison with a record of poor performance over many years.
'Too many of its staff have become disillusioned about the possibility of improvement or their capacity to affect change. Yet many of its shocking failures are firmly within the control of leaders.
'The governor will need significant support and investment from HM Prison and Probation Service to strengthen his senior leadership team, re-focus on the basics, and put in place effective oversight and assurance systems to turn this failing prison around.'
A survey of prisoners also revealed 44% told inspectors they felt unsafe at the time of inspection, which the watchdog said was the highest figure recorded during his tenure as chief inspector.
Pentonville is the 10th prison to be issued with an urgent notification since November 2022, following Exeter, Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution, Woodhill, Bedford, Wandsworth, Rochester, Manchester and Winchester prisons.
The emergency measure was introduced in 2017 as a way to raise immediate concerns following an inspection, which requires a response and action plan by the Justice Secretary within 28 days.
Elsewhere, the inspector's report also found when releases were planned, 23% of those prisoners were homeless on the day they were released, and very few had employment on release.
Reacting to the urgent notification, Prison Reform Trust chief executive Pia Sinha said: 'Prisoners illegally held after they should have been released, or others released early in error, further undermine effective sentence planning and erode public confidence.
'This urgent notification must be a rallying cry for immediate action – fix the failing infrastructure, improve staff training, and treat prisoners with dignity.'
Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the findings of the inspection were 'outrageous' and represent a 'new low' for an overcrowded public service on the brink of collapse.
He added: 'While the Government inherited a dire state of affairs in prisons, it has had more than a year to bring about change.
'As report cards go, such a dire account of dysfunction in Pentonville instils little confidence that ministers have a grip of the situation.'
Prisons minister Lord James Timpson said he visited the prison on Thursday, where the team is already working to urgently address the concerns raised by the chief inspector.
An action plan will also be published in the coming weeks to support the efforts.
Lord Timpson said: 'This Government will end the chaos we inherited in our jails.
'We are building 14,000 new prison places and reforming sentencing so our jails reduce reoffending, cut crime, and keep victims safe.'
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The Sun
3 hours ago
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Female prison officer who fell for gangster and smuggled £35k of drugs into jail for him is locked up for three years
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Metro
2 days ago
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He was quite humble at first, but after the handcuffs went on, he started getting nasty, bragging about the things he'd done.' Despite their efforts, it had been too late to save Suzanne, who had become his third known victim alongside Susan Rushworth, 43 and Shelley Armitage, 31, who had also lost their lives between June 2009 and May 2010. The officers discovered that Griffiths had been luring the sex workers back to his home, where he would kill and dismember the women before eating their body parts. Remembering the gruesome scene that met the officers at his flat,Damian says: 'It smelled of burnt flesh and there was evidence in the bathtub. 'The officers had been in a lot of not-very-nice houses, but they said this one made their skin crawl and left them feeling uneasy. 'As far as the actual arrest was concerned, it went fairly smoothly, but it's all sad for the victims. My sister went to school with Shelley — she was lovely, but trusted the wrong person.' 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Griffiths, who studied criminology and was researching a PhD entitled Homicide In An Industrial City at the time of arrest, idolised serial killers, his greatest influence being Peter Sutcliffe, who murdered thirteen women and attempted to kill seven more between 1975 and 1980. Known as the Yorkshire Ripper, his crimes filled the news when Griffiths was growing up in the area. 'He would have witnessed the fear people felt and the media obsession that surrounded Sutcliffe, which would have likely helped shape his early ideas of power. He wanted to be like Peter and also outdo him,' says Dr Davies. 'His pedestaling of Sutcliffe would have been one of the motives for targeting sex workers, too. But there was another reason: Griffiths wasn't good at forming relationships, so he needed to pick victims who would be easier to lure back to his flat. He could offer them money, a cup of tea, food; they needed him, and he came across as a bit of a saviour to them.' 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The Crossbow Cannibal is streaming on Prime Video now Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: 'I've tried jabs and pills to lose weight – but my latest attempt is the most extreme' MORE: I escaped my ex – now our 8-year-old son is the one being abused MORE: 'I used a fake profile to hunt my aunt's murderer'
ITV News
2 days ago
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Man who carried out 'savage attack' on teenager in Hampshire sentenced
A man who carried out a "savage attack" on a teenager in Hampshire has been sentenced. The 14-year-old victim was cycling along Portchester Road, in Portchester, on Sunday 19 January when 20-year-old Harley Taylor charged at him, causing the boy to stop his bike. Taylor then pushed the teenager backwards, hit him in the face and kicked his legs, causing the victim to fall to the floor. Taylor then continued to stamp on the boy, kicking him and threatening to stab him. The victim was forced to hand over his coat, shoes, tracksuit, phone, Apple Airpods and his bike, before Taylor cycled away. A passer-by helped the victim and called the police. Taylor, of no fixed abode, was arrested and charged with robbery and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, both of which he admitted when appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 3 March. He has since been sentenced to four years and four months in a Young Offenders Institution, with an extended licence period of two years. He was also handed an additional six month sentence, to be served consecutively, for an out of county dangerous driving matter. Taylor was also handed a 10 year restraining order, banning contact with the boy, and a five year driving ban. The judge commented on Taylor's lack of self-control during what he called a "savage attack". DC Luke Fairchild, said: "This was a nasty and prolonged attack on a child. "Harley Taylor's actions that day were utterly appalling, and I am grateful to the passerby who came to help the victim shortly after this incident. "I would also like to thank the officers that initially responded to this incident so swiftly and colleagues in Warwickshire Police for assisting with the arrest of Harley Taylor. "We will never tolerate people who inflict violence on anyone in our communities, let alone a child. "I hope that this sentence sends a strong warning that anyone that commits these violent offences will be relentlessly pursued and put before the courts. "Lastly, I would like to thank the victim, with the support of their family for coming forward to report this incident. "The victim has said that they hope that this result encourages and gives others the confidence to come forward if the worst should ever happen to them."
