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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Daily Record
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Ex-cop Peter Bleksley slams Police Scotland over unsolved murder of Alistair Wilson
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Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Last September, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain announced a new police investigation of the murder after meeting the Wilson family, including his widow, Veronica. Bleksley is inviting detectives to come along to hear what he has to say during the 106 date nationwide tour which includes performances in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh. In the show - The Makings of a Murderer - Bleksley will also be revealing details of who he thinks is the prime suspect. He believes he is a local Nairn man now in his 40's who is said to have access to firearms and served a recent prison sentence for drug offences. Bleksley added:"I have uncovered that he has a previous conviction for possessing an offensive weapon. He has other criminal convictions and has family that lives in Spain. "He has an uncle called Paul and I have been trying to get in front of him for some time without any luck. "If I were leading the murder inquiry this person would be of considerable interest. "I will be revealing a lot of new information about the police investigation and explaining why that particular individual is the person responsible. 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Sky News
2 days ago
- Sky News
No bedding, sleeping guards and cockroaches: chief prisons inspector on why HMP Pentonville is in special measures
The chief inspector of prisons has described the sense of "helplessness" at Pentonville prison after the jail was put into special measures by a watchdog. Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, described "bleak" conditions at the north London prison, where he said inmates had been illegally detained longer than their release date and supervised by staff who were either reading books or asleep. Mr Taylor served an urgent notification on HMP Pentonville after an inspection discovered that 130 inmates - 20% of those eligible for release - had been held illegally after their release date in the last six months because staff "failed to calculate sentences accurately". The backlog in sentencing calculations also meant 10 prisoners had been released early "in error" between July 2024 and June 2025. The watchdog's report also found that 60% of prisoners were sharing cells that were designed for one person, many living areas were dirty and that there was a widespread infestation of mice and cockroaches. Speaking to Sky News Breakfast, Mr Taylor said he had been forced to use the "rare" power of putting a prison in special measures because of the "chaos" at Pentonville. "This is a big, busy London reception prison, Victorian, crumbling," he said. "But particularly worrying, we found new arrivals were coming into the jail with no bedding, no pillows. I came across a guy who had only half a mattress in his room on his first night in prison. "We found prison staff who couldn't account for where their prisoners were during the day. We found prisoners who were on constant watch, who were on suicide watch, being supervised by staff who were reading books, who were asleep in one case, and in one case, completely absent." 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. In a letter to Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, Mr Taylor said arrangements for new prisoners' first night at the north London jail and induction were "chaotic and even frightening", with the majority of prisoners were locked in their cells for more than 22 hours a day. 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 told Sky News there was a sense of "helplessness" at Pentonville. "There was a sense that this is Pentonville and there's nothing we can do, and it's all too difficult and just a lack of real morale amongst many of the staff members that we talked to, despite many of them doing a really good job in difficult circumstances," he said. "It was a pretty bleak place. It was very noisy. It was violent, drugs are getting into the jail and really it needs some proper grip from the prison service if it's going to make progress." 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. 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."
ITV News
2 days ago
- ITV News
Prison illegally detaining inmates after release date put in special measures
Prisoners have been illegally detained longer than their release date and held in 'frightening' conditions at a cockroach-infested jail put into special measures by a watchdog. Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has served an urgent notification on HMP Pentonville after an inspection discovered many inmates have been kept in prison after they should have been freed because staff 'failed to calculate sentences accurately'. 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.'
